Infiniti Plans To Outclass The LS460 With New Q70 Luxury Flagship

Infiniti plans to add a new flagship nameplate above the Q70 sedan (formerly known as the M series) and new crossovers in order to boost sales and build the brand. The plans were revealed by Infiniti CEO Johan de Nysschen during the line off ceremony for the new Q50 sedan at the Tochigi assembly plant in Japan, according to an Autonews report.

The new models are part of Infiniti’s target to cover 90 percent of all global premium segments by 2020, compared to just under 60 percent today. The executive added that the company has a sales target of 600,000 units by the end of the decade, a very ambitious one considering that Infiniti sold only 170,000 units in 2012.

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cidflekken - 5/16/2013 5:27:15 PM

+3 Boost

Still the dumbest naming logic extant.

And how many more SUVs/crossovers do they need? They already have 4. Please don't tell me they're going to BMWize the lineup

RNeekChic - 5/16/2013 5:52:16 PM

+3 Boost

Aside from the ridiculous new naming system....

Wasn't the M Flagship compared to the GS, RL, 5 Series?

If they are talking about new Flagship that is competing with the LS wouldn't it be the old Q Flagship model?

thetruth01 - 5/16/2013 6:08:11 PM

+6 Boost

More ridiculous than Infiniti's naming is 009's article titles.
1st, he calls the new proposed flagship the Q70, when the aticle states they are positioning the vehicle above the Q70.
2nd, there is no mention anywhere in the article about the LS? Why not Infiniti Plans to Outclass S-Class? Would've sounded better anyway. Ugh.

BimmersNme - 5/16/2013 7:35:34 PM

+3 Boost

I say go for it! IMHO Infiniti has potencial to make awesome cars like an Infiniti version of the already fenomenal Nissan GTR. They just need to hire a whole new Design team and do what Hyundai and Kia are doing witch is investing in style, image.

BimmersNme - 5/16/2013 7:47:06 PM

+3 Boost

Sorry for the misspelling, I meant to say ...which is investing...

scenicbyway12 - 5/16/2013 10:06:32 PM

0 Boost

Infiniti the brand no one cares about.

Dr550 - 5/17/2013 12:47:25 AM

+3 Boost

Infiniti needs to get a few original Q45's, some young designers and engineers, and go on a road trip. Build this new sedan from a clean sheet of paper, 4.5L V8, great handling, etc.

MorePower - 5/17/2013 2:42:46 AM

+3 Boost

My thoughts exactly. Infiniti could finish what they started when Nissan debuted the brand: Take on BMW with performance that comes at a cheaper cost with increased reliability.

Satriani1 - 5/17/2013 10:24:47 AM

+1 Boost

A Q90 flagship will be interesting. It's likely Johan de Nysschen will benchmark the Q90 against at least the class leaders the Audi A8 and Mercedes S Class, rather than the Lexus LS. For sure there will be improvements in Infiniti's interior cabin quality, at least.

My money is on Infiniti succeeding within 5 to 8 years, becoming the world's fifth biggest luxury car maker. The issues about the Q badging will likely fade away within one to two years. The new Q50 needs to be a good start.

With minor tweaks in styling, the Infiniti Essence concept car (see below) or the Emerg-E could be hot sellers, whether using the GTR's capabilities or hybrid engine.

http://tinyurl.com/cgl6bhc

http://tinyurl.com/cxh4clt

http://tinyurl.com/av7pces

http://tinyurl.com/asurn54

http://tinyurl.com/ber6abg

After all, Infiniti has been able to produce cars that in some years shone brighter than its BMW rivals:

- In this 2010 Car and Driver comparo, the Infiniti M37 was second (Audi A6 3.0T first and last place was 2011 BMW 535i).
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2011-infiniti-m37-page-3

- In this 2006 comparo, the Infiniti M45 (first) beat the BMW 550i, Mercedes E550 and Lexus GS450h.
http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2007-infiniti-m45-sport-page-5

At the auto show, the forthcoming Infiniti Q50 hybrid was one of the few new cars that caught my eye. I expect their Q90 design to be closer in beauty to the Audi A8, Jaguar XJ and Mercedes S-Class.

Infiniti's use of F1 champ Sebastian Vettel and F1 winner David Coulthard in their car development and advertising should pay dividends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GVrBYWBHbo