One Japanese luxury automaker’s next big hit could be right around the corner. During an exclusive interview with DrivingOnRoad, Vice President of Infiniti Americas Tiago Castro said he would be showing a new vehicle next week that he thinks will be a “home-run product,” capitalizing on the momentum of the much-improved QX80 to help the beleaguered brand move even further upmarket. Although the executive wouldn’t give any clues as to the new vehicle’s powertrain or form factor, he did say that the effect would help transform the brand, much as the G35 sedan and coupe did upon their release in 2003.
Retailers Will Be The First To See It
Castro said that the important debut will happen first at a retailer meeting, held in Las Vegas next week (alongside parent company Nissan) with 3,000 individuals in the brands’ dealer network. The meeting will be an opportunity for Nissan and Infiniti to outline brand strategy, but Castro says the companies are also keen on listening to their representatives and hearing feedback on what product they might like to see. Right now, Infiniti’s SUV-only, combustion-only lineup may be a liability in segments where BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and even Acura offer sedans, sports cars, hybrids, and EVs in varying proportions.
That aforementioned G35 moment (our phrasing) will hopefully take form as a sportier, more athletic vehicle than the brand’s current offerings, which include three front-drive–biased crossovers and one body-on-frame SUV. We have our fingers crossed for a genuinely enticing sports car or sedan, but even a nicely composed sporty crossover would fit the bill. Still, when pressed for details, Castro remained mum on the subject, saying Infiniti’s next reveal would happen in front of its dealers first – though the public won’t have to wait much longer than retailers.
I can talk to you about it next week, how about that? I believe it will be a home-run product that we will show to dealers, and we can follow up then.
–Infiniti Americas Vice President Tiago Castro
Infiniti Dealers May Be In For Lots Of New Products
Right now, Nissan’s luxury imprint only offers four models, and two of them, the entry-level QX50 and QX55, will end production in December. That will leave Infiniti with only the midsize QX60 crossover and full-size QX80 SUV, although it won’t have to wait long for more vehicles. Castro said that the brand would reveal a production-ready version of the QX65 Monograph concept in Spring 2026, which could be a bit cheaper than the $51,200 QX60 and help backfill some of the sales lost to the QX50 family’s death. The QX65 won’t be the only new vehicle headed to Infiniti showrooms either, as the brand plans to reveal one new model or facelift each year for the foreseeable future.
I can tell you, there will be hybrid and there will be electric, and there’s a lot of alignment in this brand. There’s a ton of potential, starting in the U.S. but really in many countries across the Americas and around the globe.
–Infiniti Americas Vice President Tiago Castro
If 2025 brought the redesigned QX80 and 2026 heralds the facelifted QX60, then that means the QX65 will arrive in time for the 2027 model year. Infiniti will almost certainly show the production version of that product at its forthcoming retailer meeting, which will also include teasers for new vehicles. Among them will be electrified products, which Castro says is important to both the brand and its dealers.
A Variable-Compression Turbo For The Fastback QX65
In a separate interview, Nissan Senior Vice President of Design Alfonso Albaisa copped that the sporty-looking QX65 would be powered by the company’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with variable-compression technology, which may be something of a disappointment to customers enticed by its sleek roofline and FX45-inspired stance. With 268 horsepower and 286 pound-feet of torque on hand, the four-cylinder engine feels uninspired in the much smaller QX50, so we have concerns that it’ll make the QX65 adequate at best and lethargic at worst.
Nissan already has some experience pairing a variable-compression turbo engine to its E-Power series-hybrid powertrain, which might give the Infiniti lineup a bit more verve and fun factor. It seems likely that similar technology, which uses an on-board gas engine to generate electricity instead of driving the wheels, will show up during Infiniti’s dealer meeting next week, allowing the company to ease back into its former “gas-generated EV” aspirations.
The QX80 Will Remain The Brand’s Halo Model
We asked Castro if Infiniti would consider a flagship sports car in the vein of the Nissan GT-R (or even the Lexus Sport concept), and he said that for now, the QX80 will retain its position at the top of the brand’s lineup. However, Infiniti is looking at the full-size luxury SUV segment to find new ways to bring in customers. Castro said that the automaker is keenly listening at feedback toward the QX80 Track Spec and Terrain Spec concepts that debuted at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering last week in order to decide if it will build production versions of either.
I’m not ready to talk about the future, but we’re observing everything possible. But even that exploration tracks back [to the QX80]. I mean, this is a halo model.
–Infiniti Americas Vice President Tiago Castro
If the company moves forward, then the Track Spec would be an ideal competitor to the Cadillac Escalade-V, whose 682-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V8 might get overshadowed by the “650-plus” output of the Infiniti’s twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6. Meanwhile, the Terrain Spec’s lifted stance and higher-clearance bodywork seem to make it a perfect rival to Lexus’ Overtrail and GMC’s AT4 trim levels, which combine off-road capability with premium interiors and impressive on-road comfort.