Infiniti’s Chairman, Peyman Kargar, recently set out the second step in a three-phase plan that will assert its role as Nissan’s flagship premium brand. That will be kicked off by a new QX80, set to be previewed later this fiscal year.
The next-generation QX80 is expected to arrive in late 2023 or early 2024, but its design will be teased before March 31, 2023, thanks to the near-production QX80 Monograph, reports Automotive News. Serving as both an indication of the brand’s new design language and a vehicle that embodies its branding strategy, the SUV will aim to impress.
The brand is working to improve the QX80 and make it more premium to get it further upmarket from the Nissan Armada, with which it shares a platform. The ultimate goal is to make it a stronger contender in the premium SUV segment and to help it take on rivals like the Cadillac Escalade and the Lexus LX.
Read Also: All-New Infiniti Crossover Coming In 2025, Redesigned QX80 Also Inbound
Kargar said the new QX80 will be a “flagship for the company,” and it will be followed by renewal efforts for its other vehicles, including the QX50. It also plans to enter new markets.
The new brand identity will extend beyond simply cars, though. Infiniti is also working on a new “dealership identity,” though that will only be for new buildings, existing dealers won’t necessarily have to update their locations.
Infiniti also wants its brand identity to be established with ephemera. Kargar said the brand will have a signature scent for showrooms and galleries. It will have a sound signature that will greet customers on Infiniti apps, websites, and call centers.
“We are going to have a full package of what Infiniti is as a brand,” Kargar said. “We are going to make this coherent and consistent in all aspects on every touchpoint with the brand.”
The second step in a plan that saw Infiniti first become more sustainable as a company, this second step will be followed by an electric push starting in 2025. The brand will start its foray into the electric with a sedan that succeeds the Q50.
“The dealers are happy. But their question is whether we are going to continue in this healthy way in the future,” Kargar said. “And that’s exactly what we are going to do.”
