Nissan Leaning Toward Q Revival
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Nissan Leaning Toward Q Revival
Nissan's premium Infiniti brand remains without a flagship model following the demise of the Q45 in 2006. The full-size car was positioned against the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes S-Class. While Nissan's top executives are undecided on building a new Q, Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn is said to be warming up to the idea.
While the CEO is still "not convinced" Infiniti needs a new 7-Series-fighter, Mark Igo, Infiniti North America vice president and general manager, told Automotive News he thinks Ghosn is starting to "feel pretty good about it."
Mr. Igo said he is certain a new Q would help boost Infiniti's image, so he — along with many dealers — is pushing the company for a new range-topper.
While the CEO is still "not convinced" Infiniti needs a new 7-Series-fighter, Mark Igo, Infiniti North America vice president and general manager, told Automotive News he thinks Ghosn is starting to "feel pretty good about it."
Mr. Igo said he is certain a new Q would help boost Infiniti's image, so he — along with many dealers — is pushing the company for a new range-topper.
Chilibowl...you could be more right than you know. I don't think there will be a concept this year, though.
Bruddahmanmatt...I'm with you. I'm a little concerned that Infiniti will try to expand too rapidly without gaining a loyal clientele first. This new Q would have to be something nearly revolutionary for Infiniti to really compete with what is on the market today. We'll see.
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Nissan asks dealers: To Q or not to Q
Lindsay Chappell
Automotive News
January 14, 2008 - 3:55 pm ET
Lindsay Chappell
Automotive News
January 14, 2008 - 3:55 pm ET
DETROIT -- Nissan Motor Co. remains undecided over whether to build a new-generation flagship for its global Infiniti luxury brand.
The decision is being challenged by the company's top executive, CEO Carlos Ghosn.
Ghosn recently confirmed that he is " not convinced" that Infiniti needs a replacement for the Q sedan, which ended production in 2006. He said he wants managers to prove that a new high-end, low-volume car is truly necessary for the brand.
But Mark Igo, the North American Infiniti Division vice president and general manager, thinks Ghosn is warming up to the idea.
" I think he's beginning to feel pretty good about it," Igo said.
Infiniti retailers from around the world met with Ghosn last week at Nissan's global research and development center in Atsugi, Japan, to discuss the Q. The meeting included Infiniti dealers from Korea, China, Russia and the United States.
The dealers were shown powertrain and transmission options for the car and asked for their expectations.
But the exercise illustrated a troublesome point: Infiniti dealers in different countries don't necessarily want the same thing from the low-volume car.
" We told dealers beforehand, ‘Look, you guys need to find some common ground on this question,' " Igo said.
Until 2006, Infiniti was a U.S.-only luxury brand. The automaker is now opening Infiniti dealerships in multiple markets, including China and Russia. Infiniti sales will launch this year in several European markets.
Until last year, Igo himself was responsible for the global brand rollout. That job is now handled by his boss, Mark McNabb, Nissan North America Inc. senior vice president of sales and marketing.
" I'm pulling for it," Igo said of the Q. " I'm convinced it will help make the brand better.
" But we have to show that we will make money on it. That is how this company works. We can't just go in and say we need an expensive car."
The decision is being challenged by the company's top executive, CEO Carlos Ghosn.
Ghosn recently confirmed that he is " not convinced" that Infiniti needs a replacement for the Q sedan, which ended production in 2006. He said he wants managers to prove that a new high-end, low-volume car is truly necessary for the brand.
But Mark Igo, the North American Infiniti Division vice president and general manager, thinks Ghosn is warming up to the idea.
" I think he's beginning to feel pretty good about it," Igo said.
Infiniti retailers from around the world met with Ghosn last week at Nissan's global research and development center in Atsugi, Japan, to discuss the Q. The meeting included Infiniti dealers from Korea, China, Russia and the United States.
The dealers were shown powertrain and transmission options for the car and asked for their expectations.
But the exercise illustrated a troublesome point: Infiniti dealers in different countries don't necessarily want the same thing from the low-volume car.
" We told dealers beforehand, ‘Look, you guys need to find some common ground on this question,' " Igo said.
Until 2006, Infiniti was a U.S.-only luxury brand. The automaker is now opening Infiniti dealerships in multiple markets, including China and Russia. Infiniti sales will launch this year in several European markets.
Until last year, Igo himself was responsible for the global brand rollout. That job is now handled by his boss, Mark McNabb, Nissan North America Inc. senior vice president of sales and marketing.
" I'm pulling for it," Igo said of the Q. " I'm convinced it will help make the brand better.
" But we have to show that we will make money on it. That is how this company works. We can't just go in and say we need an expensive car."
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holy crap - they need something to match the 7... and the ls.
i'm tired of thinking that nissan is shooting for the middle and topping out with a 45-50k m.
the premier vehicle in their line up isn't even a car. but the qx isn't exactly that much fun to drive.
now i'm not big on the infrared temp sensors for the rear passengers like the ls, but toys are cool, and nissan is too focused on performance when people are just as driven by the ride quality and efficiency, and i think that affordability could keep them out of the 'elite' market.
i know it sounds wierd, but if they make some outlandish car, with really cool crap (maybe even maybach style - extended clearance for rear passengers, leg rests, etc..., how about heated/cooled seats for everybody?), charge a lot, they could boost their perception in the market.
edit: (sorry for the poor grammar and run-on sentences - it was a long day at work)
i'm tired of thinking that nissan is shooting for the middle and topping out with a 45-50k m.
the premier vehicle in their line up isn't even a car. but the qx isn't exactly that much fun to drive.
now i'm not big on the infrared temp sensors for the rear passengers like the ls, but toys are cool, and nissan is too focused on performance when people are just as driven by the ride quality and efficiency, and i think that affordability could keep them out of the 'elite' market.
i know it sounds wierd, but if they make some outlandish car, with really cool crap (maybe even maybach style - extended clearance for rear passengers, leg rests, etc..., how about heated/cooled seats for everybody?), charge a lot, they could boost their perception in the market.
edit: (sorry for the poor grammar and run-on sentences - it was a long day at work)
Last edited by jaspergtr; Jan 16, 2008 at 08:09 AM.
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I used to think of Infiniti to be more along the lines of an Acura competitor since neither company has the same sorta prestige as Audi, MB, and BMW. However, with their slew of recent vehicles, I think they have a shot.
It'll be interesting to see where this goes. If Infiniti can establish itself even better than it already has, develop a successful 7-Series competitor, they could do a lot of nice stuff, luxury sports cars, performance division, etc.
It didn't take Lexus very long to be looked in the same light as BMW and MB.
It'll be interesting to see where this goes. If Infiniti can establish itself even better than it already has, develop a successful 7-Series competitor, they could do a lot of nice stuff, luxury sports cars, performance division, etc.
It didn't take Lexus very long to be looked in the same light as BMW and MB.
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From: Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada
Until 2006, Infiniti was a U.S.-only luxury brand. The automaker is now opening Infiniti dealerships in multiple markets, including China and Russia. Infiniti sales will launch this year in several European markets.
But regarding the Q, it will be interesting to see if they go forward with it or not. I hope they do, however I am not sure they have established themselves enough yet to support the Q.
Last edited by Garnet Canuck; Jan 16, 2008 at 08:25 PM.
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They need kickass styling on the new Q like all of their latest cars.
The last Q was rather ugly.
The last Q was rather ugly.
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Making a 7 series competitor ... I think will be a lot harder than anticipated.
The 7 series will be all new by 09...Porsche Panarama is coming into the market too. So that makes 750IL, S550, A8, LS460, Panarama
They need to make a a big a$$, powerful, V8 with at least 400hp, AWD optional, stretched model available, with crazy gizmos 8 speed auto, and make the damn engine quite.
We'll see what happens...but I agree. Infiniti is looked at in the same light as Acura due to the lack of top end prestige.
Lexus was warmly welcomed and highly thought of due to the fact that its marketing is so damn good.
The 7 series will be all new by 09...Porsche Panarama is coming into the market too. So that makes 750IL, S550, A8, LS460, Panarama
They need to make a a big a$$, powerful, V8 with at least 400hp, AWD optional, stretched model available, with crazy gizmos 8 speed auto, and make the damn engine quite.
We'll see what happens...but I agree. Infiniti is looked at in the same light as Acura due to the lack of top end prestige.
Lexus was warmly welcomed and highly thought of due to the fact that its marketing is so damn good.
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Originally Posted by Sportcoupe35
Making a 7 series competitor ... I think will be a lot harder than anticipated.
The 7 series will be all new by 09...Porsche Panarama is coming into the market too. So that makes 750IL, S550, A8, LS460, Panarama
They need to make a a big a$$, powerful, V8 with at least 400hp, AWD optional, stretched model available, with crazy gizmos 8 speed auto, and make the damn engine quite.
We'll see what happens...but I agree. Infiniti is looked at in the same light as Acura due to the lack of top end prestige.
Lexus was warmly welcomed and highly thought of due to the fact that its marketing is so damn good.
The 7 series will be all new by 09...Porsche Panarama is coming into the market too. So that makes 750IL, S550, A8, LS460, Panarama
They need to make a a big a$$, powerful, V8 with at least 400hp, AWD optional, stretched model available, with crazy gizmos 8 speed auto, and make the damn engine quite.
We'll see what happens...but I agree. Infiniti is looked at in the same light as Acura due to the lack of top end prestige.
Lexus was warmly welcomed and highly thought of due to the fact that its marketing is so damn good.
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From: Honozooloo, HI
I think you folks are jumping the gun here. Nowhere does it say Ghosn is "leaning toward" a new Q-Ship for Infiniti. I hate to say I told you so, but...
I think Ghosn's line of thinking is in line with my own. Infiniti has actually come very close to building competent 3 and 5 Series fighters with the G and the M, although they still need to iron out the fine details. What matters even more at this point is the brand's reputation and their marketing, or lack thereof rather. BMW, Lexus, MB and to some extent Audi don't need the amount of marketing Infiniti requires IMO. There are so many people who buy BMWs, MBs etc... on name alone, even when the car is totally not for them. I can't count the number of middle aged women who buy 328is "because it's a BMW" when a G35, C-Class or IS250 would better suit them.
Infiniti missed the boat when the brand was introduced in the late 80s. They had a chance to be the Japanese BMW back then but the Q45s quirky styling didn't sit well with American buyers. Lexus did a good job of building its reputation of being a more reliable Japanese alternative to Mercedes-Benz. Acura did a good job of building fun, funky and spunky FWD cars that despite being comprised of wrong wheel drive cars (sans the NSX) was more in line with the BMW ethos than anything that came from Infiniti excluding the first gen G50 Q. The Integra, Legend and Vigor were definitely more BMW in spirit than the M30, J30, I30 or G20. Throughout the 90s the brand floundered while Lexus continued to build up its rep and Acura continued to appeal to its loyal and dedicated - if not semi niche market - customers.
When Infiniti was on the brink of death in '01, Ghosn put up an ultimatum. Sell cars or the brand dies. The F50 Q was Infiniti's first swing at going head to head with BMW again. Strike one. Infiniti aimed too high and too upmarket to position their comeback. I don't blame them for trying though as the Q was always their flagship since the brand's inception in '89. Swing number two came in '02 in the form of the V35 Skyline Sedan a.k.a. the G35 Sedan. The Coupe that followed was equally successful and was then followed by the FX which shook up the high line crossover utility market and even inspired designs such as the CX-7, CX-9, X6, Enclave and 2nd gen MDX amongst others. We'll exclude the Y34 M as everyone knows it was nothing more than a stopgap until the Y50 M arrived in '06 which was also a pretty big hit for Infiniti.
However, even with all the great product coming out of Infiniti, the brand is still having trouble convincing BMW, MB and Lexus loyalists that it's not just an "alternative" but a brand worth taking a look at on its own merits. This is the big reason Ghosn doesn't want to risk building a new Q just yet. I hope that we'll one day see a 4th gen Q, but I don't see it happening for at least another 3-4 years at the least. IMO, how well the next gen M does will do much in determining whether we'll see a new Q stateside anytime soon.
Originally Posted by bruddahmanmatt
Maybe, maybe not. Any new flagship Nissan/Infiniti conjures up this time around needs to come to the party packing everything necessary to take down the Lexus LS. That means a LOT of R&D and a huge investment for a vehicle that sells in relatively small numbers. And with people's perception that Infiniti is still a cut below BMW, MB and Lexus, I don't think they'll risk it. They need to build rapport with customers first and prove that they can build a capable 3 and 5 Series fighter before they take on the 7.
Infiniti missed the boat when the brand was introduced in the late 80s. They had a chance to be the Japanese BMW back then but the Q45s quirky styling didn't sit well with American buyers. Lexus did a good job of building its reputation of being a more reliable Japanese alternative to Mercedes-Benz. Acura did a good job of building fun, funky and spunky FWD cars that despite being comprised of wrong wheel drive cars (sans the NSX) was more in line with the BMW ethos than anything that came from Infiniti excluding the first gen G50 Q. The Integra, Legend and Vigor were definitely more BMW in spirit than the M30, J30, I30 or G20. Throughout the 90s the brand floundered while Lexus continued to build up its rep and Acura continued to appeal to its loyal and dedicated - if not semi niche market - customers.
When Infiniti was on the brink of death in '01, Ghosn put up an ultimatum. Sell cars or the brand dies. The F50 Q was Infiniti's first swing at going head to head with BMW again. Strike one. Infiniti aimed too high and too upmarket to position their comeback. I don't blame them for trying though as the Q was always their flagship since the brand's inception in '89. Swing number two came in '02 in the form of the V35 Skyline Sedan a.k.a. the G35 Sedan. The Coupe that followed was equally successful and was then followed by the FX which shook up the high line crossover utility market and even inspired designs such as the CX-7, CX-9, X6, Enclave and 2nd gen MDX amongst others. We'll exclude the Y34 M as everyone knows it was nothing more than a stopgap until the Y50 M arrived in '06 which was also a pretty big hit for Infiniti.
However, even with all the great product coming out of Infiniti, the brand is still having trouble convincing BMW, MB and Lexus loyalists that it's not just an "alternative" but a brand worth taking a look at on its own merits. This is the big reason Ghosn doesn't want to risk building a new Q just yet. I hope that we'll one day see a 4th gen Q, but I don't see it happening for at least another 3-4 years at the least. IMO, how well the next gen M does will do much in determining whether we'll see a new Q stateside anytime soon.
Last edited by bruddahmanmatt; Jan 17, 2008 at 07:57 PM.
you guys gotta remember these other cars that are in the SPOT LIGHT are european cars....most which cost alot more and the japanese market in general is stepping up there(what they were know best for gas saying but fun to drive lil fwd cars)..
now remember alot of cars coming in fropm japan where more for economy purposes.plus the alot of people believed BACK THEN buy american but as it shows over the years american quality has fallen off along with there sales....
now i think nissan/infiniti has made and is making barriors...if you been around nissan/infiniti you would know for example-We have always been the underdog and although me might not be the top of the top...we offer the best bang for the buck i guess you can say....
i mean no one even really KNEW about the g35 (hear in the states and not even knowing a skyline meaning and some till this day dont..aka refering to how people want the new gtr to wear that badge..nope not good)That magazine showing it defeated the bmw 3 series(motor trend)i believe made the car sales take off....
so in my opinion Nissan is doing just fine for what i have seen over the last 10yrs.
jasper your comment about "now i'm not big on the infrared temp sensors for the rear passengers like the ls, but toys are cool, and nissan is too focused on performance when people are just as driven by the ride quality and efficiency, and i think that affordability could keep them out of the 'elite' market." nissan is making cars of what you can say BOTH of best world...has the lil toys yet same time has performance.
If you dont know what im talking about lets take the g20 as an example...it was a good looking car for that year plus had descent nice looking interior(and i believe better then some others of the same year when it came out in 98) but it lacking in power....but the handling was good....so that all been in said..im sure if nissan brought the sr20ve in instead of the sr20de ( i love both motors now but the ve puts out about 40 more HP) i think it wouldve sold better......
but im very pleased with how nissans are rolling along and i hope they dont do to much all at once....
now remember alot of cars coming in fropm japan where more for economy purposes.plus the alot of people believed BACK THEN buy american but as it shows over the years american quality has fallen off along with there sales....
now i think nissan/infiniti has made and is making barriors...if you been around nissan/infiniti you would know for example-We have always been the underdog and although me might not be the top of the top...we offer the best bang for the buck i guess you can say....
i mean no one even really KNEW about the g35 (hear in the states and not even knowing a skyline meaning and some till this day dont..aka refering to how people want the new gtr to wear that badge..nope not good)That magazine showing it defeated the bmw 3 series(motor trend)i believe made the car sales take off....
so in my opinion Nissan is doing just fine for what i have seen over the last 10yrs.
jasper your comment about "now i'm not big on the infrared temp sensors for the rear passengers like the ls, but toys are cool, and nissan is too focused on performance when people are just as driven by the ride quality and efficiency, and i think that affordability could keep them out of the 'elite' market." nissan is making cars of what you can say BOTH of best world...has the lil toys yet same time has performance.
If you dont know what im talking about lets take the g20 as an example...it was a good looking car for that year plus had descent nice looking interior(and i believe better then some others of the same year when it came out in 98) but it lacking in power....but the handling was good....so that all been in said..im sure if nissan brought the sr20ve in instead of the sr20de ( i love both motors now but the ve puts out about 40 more HP) i think it wouldve sold better......
but im very pleased with how nissans are rolling along and i hope they dont do to much all at once....
