Infiniti Changes Their Nomenclature To Q and QX

William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

December 17, 2012

From the Redundancy Department: Infiniti announced tonight that starting with the 2014 model year they would introduce a new nomenclature strategy that would have their passenger vehicles wearing the Q prefix and crossovers and SUVs wearing the QX prefix. The first vehicle that will wear the Q prefix will be the replacement for the G Sedan, named the Q50, to be shown at Detroit.

Why is Infiniti going forth with Q, a prefix that hasn't been used since the departure of the Q45 in 2006. The answer is simplicity. According to Infiniti, going with the Q and QX prefixes is simpler than the current alphabet soup (G, M, EX, FX, JX, and QX).

Umm how? Let me demonstrate the new naming convention against the old one.

• G Sedan = Q50 Sedan
  
• G Coupe/Convertible = Q60 Coupe/Convertible
  
• M Sedan/Hybrid = Q70 Sedan/Hybrid
  
• EX Crossover = QX50 Crossover
  
• JX Crossover = QX60 Crossover
  
• FX Crossover = QX70 Crossover
  
• QX SUV = QX80 SUV
  

Qonfused? (Sorry.) But how will Infiniti show what engine it has? The Q50-37? The Q50 V6? More random letters?

Hopefully Infiniti can make this clearer in the near future.

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.comor you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

Press Release is on Page 2

INFINITI ANNOUNCES NEW NAMING STRATEGY

-- Infiniti models from the 2014 model year to carry Q or QX prefix

--New nomenclature symbolizes new brand direction and the commitment to Infiniti under the leadership of Johan de Nysschen

--The use of Q & QX captures the inspiration within the next generation of Infiniti models, while relating back to Infiniti's roots of the Q45

--New premium sports sedan to launch at the North American International Auto Show in January will be first Infiniti to carry new Q badge

HONG KONG, December 18th 2012: Marking another significant step in its plan to further expand its presence in the premium automotive sector, Infiniti today announced details of a new nomenclature strategy to be applied to its complete product range beginning with the 2014 model year. The first model to carry Infiniti's new Q badge will be the Q50, an all-new premium sports sedan to be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in January 2013.

The premium automotive brand will see its model range simply prefixed either by Q – for sedans, coupes and convertibles, or QX, for crossover and SUV models. Each model will be further identified by a double digit representing hierarchy within the range. This strategic change reflects Infiniti's desire for clarity and cohesiveness as it embarks on ambitious growth plans, including significant expansion of the Infiniti portfolio.

Commenting on the revised naming philosophy, Johan de Nysschen, President of Infiniti Motor Company Limited, said: "Over the past few months, we have talked at length with our retailers, our customers, and our business partners about our brand. The need for a new identity and direction to promote consumer familiarity with our model range as we expand the portfolio became evident. To achieve this, we clearly needed a simple and consistent nomenclature framework. After exhaustive research and evaluation, we concluded that 'Q' captured the inspiration within the next generation of Infiniti models, as well as emphasizing our performance credentials while harking back to our heritage with the Q45 – Infiniti's first iconic flagship product in 1989."

Infiniti's new nomenclature strategy will be implemented in logical stages within the existing product range, as 2014 model year variants are introduced. The brand's future plans include a range of next-generation Infiniti models that will carry Q and QX badging from the outset.