During the late 80s, Japanese car manufacturers introduced luxury vehicles under a different brand to distinguish these vehicles from their standard offerings. Like Honda and Toyota who created the brands Acura and Lexus respectively, Nissan also gave their customers an option for luxury through Infiniti.
Established in 1989, the Infiniti continues to be part of the luxury car industry with their own set of remarkable vehicles with focus to the future.
Who Owns Infiniti Now?
Infiniti is owned by the Nissan Motor Corporation, a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer. As stated earlier, Infiniti is Nissan's luxury vehicle division which was established in 1989. It is still fully owned by Nissan.
Infiniti Q45 - Starting with Power and Control
Infiniti introduced themselves to the US market in 1989 with the unveiling of Infiniti Q45 - a powerful vehicle with 4.5L V8 engine, producing 278 horsepower and accelerating from 0-60 mph in 7.2 seconds. Its most notable driving feature was the use of a four wheel steering mechanism that greatly improves its handling even at high speed. Handling is also relatively simpler because it only comes with four-speed automatic transmission.
Size-wise, the Q45 is 200.8 inches long and 71.7 inches wide. It has a striking design that immediately gives an impression of luxury. Unfortunately, the first Infiniti vehicle had one major drawback: its interior lacked flair compared to other luxury vehicles already available in the market.
Infiniti QX40 - The First Infiniti SUV
Although Infiniti was facing some challenges and stiff competition in the market, they continued to innovate and extended their luxury line to SUVs by introducing Infiniti QX40. First available in 1998, this four-door SUV offers roomier accommodation to passengers with its size (183.1 inches long and 70.7 inches wide). The SUV was also considered ideal for off-roading because of its 8.3 inches ground clearance.
Powering the SUV was the 3.3L 12-Valve V6 engine which produced 168 horsepower and 196 ft-lbs of torque. It was also a four-wheel drive SUV with four-speed automatic transmission and was an incredibly powerful vehicle.
Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400 - Power and Luxury
The Q45 and QX40 made significant strides in Infiniti's history, but when it comes to popularity, the Q50 stands out as the most popular. Released in 2016, the Q50 Red Sport 400 was designed to challenge the BMW 340i, offering a competitive price point ($56,900 vs. $57,000) and higher horsepower (400 vs. 382).
Aside from its impressive 400 horsepower, the Q50 Red Sport 400 features a 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6 engine with top speed of up to 155 mph and 0-60 mph acceleration of only 4.5 seconds. Infiniti has also come a long way since its introduction of Q45 as the interior now features leather sports seats, Bose audio systems and dual touch screen infotainment system.
The Infiniti G Series - A Lineup To Challenge The Leaders
The Infiniti Q Series of vehicles has put the brand on the map with their milestones, not to mention the Q50 Red Sport 400 as its most popular vehicle so far. However, the Infiniti G Series offered some incredible vehicles over the years that essentially helped the brand stay afloat until today.
To fully understand the impact of the G Series, we need a little bit of Infiniti history. Since its introduction, Infiniti has been struggling with sales and stiff competition. After their partnership with Renault in 2001, the company hired Carlos Ghosn as the new Nissan CEO - instrumental to the "Nissan Revival Plan" which also included a total design and body departure of Infiniti from Toyota.
The result of the departure is the Infiniti G35 which was first introduced in 2003. Developed to rival the mighty BMW 3-Series, this powerful vehicle sports a 3.5L V6 engine with up to 306 horsepower with a top speed of 150 mph and 0-60 mph acceleration of 5.5 seconds. It's built to handle incredibly well through its sports-tuned suspension.
Inside, the G35 features leather interiors with power-seats and a six-CD changer system which was an incredible feature in 2003. For safety, the G35 has electronic brake force distribution and brake assist as well as side impact airbags to complement their airbags. Size-wise, G35 is 186.5 inches long and 69.0 inches wide.
The Infiniti G35 ushered in the brand's success with its impressive retooling of the brand. But aside from the G35, Infiniti also found success with the introduction of the G37. Available in Coupe and Sedan, the vehicle comes with a 3.7L V6 engine under the hood with up to 330 horsepower on its Coupe. It's also faster than the G35 with a top speed of up to 155mph and 0-60 acceleration of 5.0 seconds. The G37 is also relatively bigger and wider compared to the G35 (187.9 inches/69.8 inches).
Future Plans & More
Infiniti is no longer working on their G-series vehicles, opting to focus on revolutionizing their Q-Series of vehicles. They have already presented their future EV concept cars while announcing changes to their SUV line-up especially with their 2025 Infiniti QX80 which will feature a V6 Turbo-Charged engine. A brand new coupe-like SUV - the QX65 is set to be released in 2026. Infiniti's future vision is all about electrification, luxury, and innovative design.
