Infiniti QX Inspiration: The Beginning Of Infiniti’s Next Chapter

Infiniti’s QX Inspiration Concept is more than just a pretty face. What you don’t see of the QX is what will serve as a building block for the company’s future.

In 2019, Infiniti will be celebrating its 30^th year anniversary of building luxurious high-performing automobiles and utility vehicles. In that period, Nissan’s luxury brand produced a number of iconic models including the G35 sedans and coupe as well as the FX35 SUV.

The FX is the QX Inspiration’s spiritual predecessor but there’s another less obvious product that served as inspiration for the Concept: the original Q45 sedan.

In fact, the QX Inspiration is in part a return to Infiniti’s roots where being original all the while delivering on customer expectations are all found in a same and single vehicle. This Concept is far more important to the brand than one might think by simply looking at it.

The first generations of Infiniti products were unique and bold but as time went by, they became more middle-of-the-road. Back then, they pushed boundaries and experimented and although some of their current designs are very attractive, they don’t exactly standout from the busy luxury car segments.

The QX Inspiration will set Infiniti on the path of becoming a challenger as in pushing its competitors to push their own boundaries in order to keep up.

The concept’s design is simple with certain elements that are not immediately noticeable. The hood, which looks vast, is in fact fairly short as the windshield meets it scarcely half-way over the front wheels. The greenhouse is small yet equally immense at the same time. The glass surface is limited but the cabin itself is fairly large.

Climbing aboard, it’s impossible to not notice the lack of a “B” pillar. Although not unusual, it is reminiscent of the Japanese way of giving, of being selfless, of hospitality – it demonstrates openness and is welcoming.

The platform’s layout allows for flat floors and replacing bulky HVAC units from ICE’s with smaller electric assemblies creates vast amounts of room below the dashboard. The latter looks as though it is affixed to the “firewall” like a shelf and it continues down the center towards the bar like a bar. The voluntary simplicity is complex at the same time. It is also more premium, refinement and oozes craftsmanship.

Moving forward, there will be greater synergies between Nissan and Infiniti platforms. In the past, Nissan favoured FWD products while Infiniti opted for RWD and AWD. As both brands move towards EVs, this will no longer be an issue.

Although no platform or chassis specs were shared on the QX Inspiration and Nissan IMs, we suspect that they have much in common. From 2021, all future electric Infiniti vehicles will be spinoffs of the QX Inspiration’s platform. Nissan has a similar plan with the IMs starting in 2022.

Infiniti QX Inspiration Concept Pictures

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