Way back in 1989, Nissan and Toyota each launched a new luxury brand, Infiniti and Lexus. In the more than three decades since those debuts, the brands have taken divergent paths from a success perspective with Lexus proving to be far more popular than its rival. This year, as the event formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show transitions into the Japan Mobility Show, Infiniti is kicking off its “New Dawn” with the debut of a sleek electric sedan concept called Vision Qe and the announcement of four new models coming soon.
At their respective launches, Infiniti and Lexus each had a full-size luxury sedans, which many critics compared to the BMW 7 series and Mercedes-Benz S-class. The two Japanese brands took inspiration from the design and driving dynamics of the respective Germans with the Infiniti Q45 having a decidedly sportier, more BMW-like feel to it. The one exception from an aesthetic perspective was the large badge on the Q45 that many felt looked like a fancy Texas belt buckle.
The star of Infiniti’s New Dawn event in Tokyo is the Vision Qe concept, a bold, fastback sedan. While the Qe’s overall shape is far less like a BMW than the original Q45 was, there is still one key element that seems to take some inspiration from the Bavarians in the face. Just as the current high-end BMWs have a light signature framing the twin-kidney grille, The Vision Qe has a bold, lit-up outline in the form of a stylized version of the brand logo.
The Qe’s nose has a sharp, shark-like profile to it with a cow-catcher element below. The entire lower portion is framed by a gold, angular version of the Infiniti logo. The upper edge of the peak features a strake-like lighting signature across the full width of the fascia.
The large wheels have a design that looks like woven strips of fabric although Infiniti says it is meant to represent the tightly wound copper coils of the electric motor. Like the rest of the car, the accents are in gold with the inner strips featuring narrow gold lines while the outer portions have wider strips.
The overall fastback profile has a maximized cabin with the base of the windshield pushed forward and then a continuous curve over the roof to the rear edge of the car. A slim taillight curves around that trailing knife-edge from one wheel to the other. As has become the fashion in recent years, the Qe surfaces have been polished like a stone that has spent decades in a stream. There are contours that flow, but the only edges are those gold lit elements that contrast against the deep blue paint.
If this Vision Qe is representative of the design language for the next generation of electric Infiniti models, the brand just might actually be set for a new dawn. Following the Tokyo show, the concept will be on display at Infiniti’s headquarters in Yokohama for the next several months.
By 2030, Infiniti plans to electrify most of its lineup, but in the near term, the brand will launch four new models. One will be an electric sedan, and if it carries much of the Qe concept to production, people might actually get excited about both sedans and the Infiniti brand again. However, the first EV from the brand is expected to be a crossover coming in 2025. Based on the teaser image that Infiniti provided, at least most of the front lighting signature of the Qe is expected to make it to production.
While the existing QX55 crossover coupe was said to take inspiration from the original Infiniti FX, it lacks the bold style and performance of that early-2000s pioneer. The new QX65 may finally be the true successor to the FX that can compete with the likes of the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE Coupe if not the Porsche Cayenne coupe.
However, the first of the new models to hit the streets will be the next-generation QX80. Infiniti already previewed the look of this full-size luxury SUV this past summer with the QX Monograph that was unveiled at Pebble Beach. Based on the Monograph, the new QX80, should be a sleeker evolution of the current QX80 design language, much as Range Rover has continuously polished off the edges of its flagship over several generations, while retaining the classic design language.
If all of these models come to fruition and are executed well, Infiniti could be in for some positive days in the coming years.
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