Can Infiniti Be Saved?

Nissan, which is experiencing serious financial difficulties and must deal like many others with the new tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, is reviewing its plans, partnerships and ambitions for the coming years. This includes, of course, its luxury brand Infiniti, whose future appears to be more uncertain than ever despite the recent nomination of a new VP for the North American market, Tiago Castro.

Following the Q50 sedan, the QX50 and QX55 compact SUVs will be the next models to disappear. Both are assembled in Mexico, and the company announced in early April that it would stop taking new orders for the U.S. market. Production is ultimately slated to end in December. By the way, these are the only Infiniti products that posted declining sales in Canada last year.

What else is left in the lineup? The QX80 flagship SUV has been completely redesigned for 2025 after a 14-year wait, while the midsized QX60 has replaced its V6 with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and added a Black Edition. The latter is due to receive an update in 2026 and also spawn a two-row sibling with a coupe-like silhouette inspired by the late FX, called QX65, which could become Infiniti’s new entry-level vehicle.

Citing Nissan Americas product planning boss Ponz Pandikuthira, Automotive News reported back in January that the company was looking to move Infiniti upmarket and sell more profitable vehicles. We’ll see how that turns out.

Obviously, the lack of any electrified options is not helping at all. A QX60 Hybrid, in particular, would do wonders for the brand, except that executives have nothing to announce on the subject at the moment.

As for fully electric vehicles, which Infiniti has been hinting at since the late 2010s, plans seem to be changing from week to week lately. One thing’s for sure: forget the sedan that was supposed to be manufactured in the U.S. However, an SUV based on the Vision QXe concept from October 2023 (and powered by American batteries made by SK On) is supposed to hit the market… in 2028.

Will Infiniti still be alive by then? Even some folks within Nissan’s top brass must have their doubts right about now. Once a solid alternative to the Lexuses, Acuras, Lincolns and Volvos, the 35-year-old Japanese luxury brand has become just a shadow of its former self. Hopefully its latest attempt at stepping in the right direction will work out.