Infiniti Confirms 550+ HP Flagship, Defends Name Change
Recently, Infiniti announced an unprecedented and arguably awkard decision that would see almost every model in its lineup sporting a new name starting with the 2014 model year, and in a statement defending the move, the brand also confirmed a new 550 hp, V6 powered flagship.
Using its old nomenclature, Infiniti hinted that the new car would have been called the M30, which means the new flagship is powered by a 3.0-liter V6 powerplant with “potent charged induction” and could be a sedan.
The statement went on to exlpain the new nomenclature. As the Japanese automaker expands into a global brand, new markets are confused by its current naming scheme – is a JX better than an FX, for example – so the change is to not only ensure all its new models will have non-trademarked names, but that its nomenclature simply makes sense. Ordering the cars by numbers makes things simple, as a Q70 will undoubtedly be more expensive and more of a car than the Q50.
The new names were also caused in part because Infiniti plans on releasing several new models over the upcoming years and ran into the situation of finding alphanumeric combinations that weren’t already taken by another automaker.
SEE ALSO: Infiniti Q, QX Nomenclature Announced as New Naming Strategy
Infiniti also confirmed that all-wheel drive models will no longer be designated by an ‘X’ in its name, but will simply be indicated by special badging that describes the feature on the car and will not be part of the model name.
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[Source: Infiniti Facebook]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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