Production of the Infiniti QX55 delayed

• The Infiniti QX55 production was delayed by five months;
• The summer of 2020 timeframe was push back to November;
• Automotive News reports the delays are “to ensure production capability” of the factory in Mexico.

Production of the new Infiniti QX55, a crossover with a dropping roofline, would be delayed by five months, according to an article in the pages of Automotive News. The publication confirmed that it had obtained a letter from suppliers based at the Nissan plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico. According to AN, this delay of a few months would be necessary to ensure the production capacity of the Mexican factory.

Let’s remember that the new model was expected first during the summer, but now we will have to wait at least until November when production will take off. The Infiniti QX55 will be assembled alongside the QX50, the compact crossover that is already part of the vehicles assembled at this plant where some Mercedes-Benz models are also produced, the establishment which is a co-ownership of the two automotive giants.

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, the details remain unclear on this new model which, let’s face it, should help the automaker get back on track in terms of sales. The brand’s lineup is ageing and the models in place no longer sell as well here, in Canada, except for the most recent model, the QX50. South of the border, the QX50 and almost all the other models in the range saw a decrease in sales in 2019.

Infiniti has not yet released the details surrounding the powertrain for this future QX55, but it’s a safe bet that the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo engine with variable compression will be the engine chosen to power the SUV.

The production delay is bad news for strategists and especially dealers who hoped to record new sales starting in the summer of 2020. Hopefully, this delay will not affect the success of this new sport utility vehicle.