Infiniti will build on momentum with first hybrid this year
By:
USATodayWhat's next for Nissan's
Infiniti luxury line now that it has just announced the creation of its performance division and offered up a second choice in engines for its full-size sedan.
Answer:
Infiniti's hybrid luxury car. The
M class hybrid will be introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show at the end of the year, says Ben Poore,
Infiniti's U.S. chief. Speaking to reporters at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, he promised it will be "a lot more power in a smaller package." It will have a lithium-ion battery that saves a lot of space, so the trunk will still store baggage and space won't be eaten up by a giant battery.
Nissan has offered the Altima hybrid in New York, California and other selected states for a few years, but it was done with technology licensed from rival Toyota and the marketing has been strictly low key.
So now it seems like
Infiniti is on a roll:
* The
Infiniti Performance Line, or IPL, sedan is on its way, an impressive package of more power, a reworked body that gives the car a more sinister look and impressive interior touches, like red leather seats or black leather with red stitching. That's the car in the picture at top. "This gives us a foothold in the performance market," Poore says. You can see on the chart that he's pointing to in the picture, above, that he believes that
Infiniti can find a sweet spot among performance makers: lots of value with less price. The
IPL will be priced less than $50,000. Look for the line to expand: "There's no reason it wouldn't work on a convertible," Poore says.
* The 2.5 liter V-6, smaller than the 3.7 liter V-6 that will give
M sedan buyers an extra choice. It comes from the Chinese market where it's been a popular choice. While it won't save a lot more gas than the larger engine, which is already fairly efficient, the 2.5 will be cheaper, putting the pricetag of the luxury sedan at less than $31,000.
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