New flagship coming for Infiniti?

Infiniti's Flagship Q45 Still Languishes in Sales while Rivals Succeed

Just why Infiniti's Q45 doesn't sell very well must be a quandary for the Nissan luxury division's executives. On paper, at least, it fulfills all requirements for success in its segment. The car is large, features rear-drive and a powerful V8 engine, plus it's luxuriously equipped. And to Infiniti's credit the Q is priced at the lower end of the premium sedan scale, at $88,000 compared to more established luxury players such as the Audi A8 at $93,900, BMW 750i at $98,800 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class at $104,600.

But then again, Jaguar sells its very established XJ for $500 less than Infiniti's Q, and the revered Lexus LS 430, which at a paltry $84,900 is not only arguably better made than the Q45 but is also quicker to 100 km/h, faster through the slalom, more maneuverable in parking lots, not to mention more lavishly equipped at the top end.

Hmmm... but sophisticated premium buyers don't care much for such performance superlatives, do they? Yes, they actually do. But what matters more than all-out performance in this crowd is prestige, and when it comes right down to it, only the $99,600 Volkswagen Phaeton has less, which is the reason the ambitious German manufacturer sells fewer cars in this segment.

Full article Click here:

happylexusowner - 8/18/2005 11:03:33 PM

+1 Boost

While it's a good car--I've driven it twice--the design of the Q45 is terrible. The most important element in this segment is presence, and all of the Q's competitors have it. The Q45 doesn't. It looks like an expensive nerd-mobile...

shiftright - 8/19/2005 11:09:27 AM

+1 Boost

plain UGLY!!!

shiftright - 8/19/2005 11:09:27 AM

+1 Boost

plain UGLY!!!