With all sorts of new car debuts, Monterey Car Week has cemented its role atop the new American car show paradigm. Infiniti has long had a presence at the event—which is interesting because nobody can figure out what Infiniti actually does—but it did preview what it calls a “new design language” in the Infiniti QX Monograph Concept. That’s funny, because I swear I’ve seen this before.
I’m trying to find a photo of it. Hold on. No, that’s not it.
Wait, no, that’s not it either. Hold on. I got this.
No. NO. That’s not it yet either.
There we go! The fourth time’s the charm.
The QX Monograph looks extremely familiar, an evolution of Infiniti’s large SUV styling language we’ve seen for more than a decade. It’s grown sharper and busier, but there’s a strong familial link to the past. Infiniti’s Escalade-fighting SUV adopted a cybernetic hippopotamus look in 2011 and has run with that ever since. Sure, the headlights have moved further up on the front fascia, but we’re still talking about a giant squircle on wheels.
I’m digging the heavily-stylized segmented daytime running lights, the sculpted grille slats, and the strong lower valence.
I didn’t know it was possible to run a multi-ton SUV through a trouser press, but Infiniti seems to have done it. Everything’s just 10 percent crisper in all the right ways. The hood shutline is much better located than on the current production car, the fender vents don’t look straight out of AutoZone, and the blacked-out roof is a clever illusion.
The past few years have been chock-full of transformative SUV reinventions. The Lexus GX went from a mall-crawler to a trail-crusher, the Land Rover Defender grew into sometime more refined and livable, the Hummer has been reborn as an EV, and the Hyundai Santa Fe is now a five-eighths scale Land Rover Discovery. Infiniti had the potential to go so much further with this concept car, but instead, it just looks similar to a production car you’ve been able to buy off dealer lots for ages.
Then again, the QX80’s been a top-seller for this brand, so it’s them doubling down on what works. But it’s a shame to see the innovation go by the wayside.
When Infiniti felt stagnant in the early 2000s, a massive product offensive was launched. The fairly average front-wheel-drive G20 sedan was replaced by the rip-snorting BMW 3 Series-fighting rear-wheel-drive G35. The FX crossover wrote a new rulebook on luxury soft-roaders, the M45 was the coolest U.S.-market large sedan to come out of Japan, and the Q45 was absolutely packed with groundbreaking technology.
In contrast, Infiniti of 2023 seems to have no ambition. Its best-selling car is the QX60, a poshed-up Pathfinder, a good car but not one that proves intent in the luxury segment. (Editor’s Note: I drove a QX60 from upstate New York to the city for a colleague who needed a car moved recently, and my God, was it an utter disappointment in every regard. This is not a brand ready for all the disruption that’s coming soon. —PG)
The Q50 is knocking on the door of a decade old, the QX80 is ancient, and the product pipeline feels emptier than a discarded chip packet. Infiniti’s been playing around with a new badge and a new scent, but marketing gimmicks don’t sell cars—good product sells cars.
Will a production version of the Infiniti QX Monograph sell? I’m sure it will, but it’s not the car Infiniti needs to get ready for the future. We’ll have to see over the next few years whether Infiniti continues to waste away or if something properly revolutionary is in the pipeline.
It sucks to see a brand not do well, but Infiniti needs help ASAP, and no champagne-fueled Pebble Beach party is going to fix that.
(Photo credits: Infiniti, Nissan)
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That is the dictionary definition of fugly.
Just bring back the FX (but update the interior). That thing was muscular and aggressive, ahead of it’s time.
As you step out to work, early in the morning, open the door to you car and sit down – even you, the owner, can’t tell the difference between Infiniti and Nissan until the sun rises up and you can read the badge on the steering wheel in front of you.
I really question those people who elect to pay more money to get an Infiniti over an identical Nissan. Perhaps they’re the same people who refuse to buy store brand groceries, despite both coming from the same food production line as the brand-name separated only by their different label, thinking somehow it’s beneath them.
sad that the same company that brought out the j30 and the fx35 continues to put this tired crap in the marketplace.
I thought it was the new Nissan Rouge
Thats underwhelming. Their target of “250k plus income and over $1MM in net worth” is not going to go for this.
all they’ve managed to do in 10+ years is move the lights further up and also somehow further down. also that taillight is horrendous.
seems like every new large SUV reveal has turned into Range Rover but make it *insert brand here*
Mrs. Things and stuff drives a 19 Q50. Plenty of hate around here on infinity but we bought it in fall of 2019 for 31k with 6k miles. Sticker price new was 47k. She loves it, it’s a fun car to drive and hasn’t needed anything other than maintenance and tires because of stupid run flats.
Agreed. I bought a G37x new in 2013 because I got a screaming deal on it. It’s basically a 4 door 370Z. Over 10 years and 95k miles it’s needed nothing other than routine maintenance and tires (I run summer & winter tires).
Is it dated? Yes. Is it fun to drive? Yes.
I plan to keep it until it gets replaced w/ a reasonably priced electric vehicle.
With all the squee over heckblende tail lights, the QX Monograph makes the styling concept look ridiculous. There’s definitely tails done worse, but this tries way too hard.
It trips me the f out
How unfortunate that the front end is still a hideous, bloated mess. While the rest of the vehicle looks good but generic, they are going to have to do something about the grille.
Back when Infiniti was willing to put cash on the hood of the QX, so like 5+ years ago, it wasn’t actually a bad vehicle when compared to a mid-trim Tahoe/Yukon or Expedition. The problem now is they really want to sell at luxury prices, and the aren’t worth that – not just because the design is ancient, but also because Infiniti just doesn’t have the brand recognition anymore.
Like others have said, too little, too late for Infiniti to make a comeback.
Am I missing something? The new monograph in the header image is exactly the same as the “haven’t we seen this before; fourth attempt” image, under the red Nissan.
That’s the joke: they all look the same. 🙂
It’s probably hiding a Y63 Patrol somewhere deep underneath.
Hopefully Nissan finally wakes up and we’ll get an offroad-oriented Patrol equivalent, in addition to the watered-down Armada.
I keep wondering if a Y63 is coming or not.
*probably hiding a Y62 Patrol somewhere deep underneath
Call the patrol an Xterra and it would sell here pretty well
I don’t really think it looks THAT much like the older Nissans, but it is very much giving me “we have an Escalade at home” vibes.
Infiniti QX Mimeograph Concept
Are the people on this website old enough to remember the mimeograph machine? The purply color, the distinctive smell.
Sadly, yes we are…
Ah, the smell! I always get a chuckle from that scene in Fast Times. Brings back memories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu3iCvAQCHg
*audible, exceedingly wet fart*
Infiniti is dead. Stick a fork in em already. They had one decade when they were cool and it was over a decade ago at this point. Nissan was Ghosn’d beyond recognition and this just isn’t the place they should be putting their dwindling resources right now.
If they really want to make Infiniti a thing again they need several compelling products. This is the same exact thing they’ve been selling for 20 years at this point. It’ll be leased or financed at 17% APR to upper middle class folks with questionable credit that are desperately trying to pass as wealthy and falling short. I guess it’ll look good in front of their rapidly depreciating cookie cutter McMansions when they go live on Instagram for whatever MLM has pulled them in this week.
Where exactly are these depreciating house?
I still don’t like it. However, I doubt Nissan can take any chances right now
I feel like people who buy these types of SUVs do so for the badge more than anything. If Infiniti is to succeed they need to be regarded as premium like BMW or Mercedes. I think Genesis struggles with this also
They sure do, and their cars are depreciating just like every Korean car, which makes them a poor investment. They just don’t have enough brand recognition to pull folks in and for some reason they’re being very stubborn about it. There’s tons of new Genesis inventory everywhere right now and yet I don’t see any discounts or specials being listed other than on the Hypnotoad lookin EV.
Not to mention they’re not actually any cheaper than the competition once they’re equipped similarly either. The list of standard features on the Genesis cars is really barren for a luxury brand and the materials aren’t competitive until you equip the nicer packages…and at that point you’re in BMW/Lexus/etc. territory.
It’s a bit of a shame. I personally like Genesis and I own a Hyundai, but outside of the GV70 and 80 (which they correctly did the most homework on) the products just aren’t competitive right now. So discount them already!