Infiniti cars are subbrand of one of the world’s biggest car manufacturers: Nissan Motors. Though luxury cars may not have been Nissan’s forte, Infiniti has proven that the Japanese manufacturer can compete with U.S. and European luxury car brands. Here’s a look at the history of Infiniti Cars as well as their current line of luxury cars.
November 1985 may not have been the year it was launched, but it was during this time when the Horizon Task Force came out with what would be Nissan’s best investment outside of Japan. This team was tasked with the mission to create a performance luxury car that rivals U.S. and European luxury brands in the American market. Not only did Nissan want to break into the luxury car scene, they also wanted to create a whole experience for the car owners from purchase to ownership.
July 1987 marked the month and year that the car was named ‘Infiniti.’ Two years later, Infiniti was launched in the U.S. with two models: the Infiniti Q45 (which was also sold in Japan as the Nissan Infiniti Q45), a performance luxury sedan; and the M30, a driver-oriented luxury performance coupe. Combined with the Infiniti Total Ownership Experience, Infiniti quickly rose through the ranks and started outselling U.S. and European luxury brands, much like its competitor Acura.
2001 marked the introduction of Infiniti’s Intelligent Cruise Control, a laser rangefinder designed to maintain a driver’s selected driving distance. It was one of the first ones seen on production cars. Other advancements soon followed, and in 2003 Infiniti became the fastest growing luxury brand in the U.S.
The Q50 is Infiniti’s best offering today. With a whole host of features, luxuriously-designed interior, a sleek exterior and a powerful engine, there’s no reason not to like the Q50 .
Under the hood, it is powered by a 3.7-liter, 24-valve V6 that puts out 380 hp. While most would call that gas-guzzling, its 30 MPG rating says otherwise. Just thinking about all that power and fuel efficiency will get even the stingiest of buyers to look twice at this pride of Infiniti cars. Combining this with Infiniti’s Direct Adaptive Steering technology and Intelligent AWD yields the perfect blend of power and handling in a package that’s sleek, luxurious and sporty.
The latest in hands-free technology also comes with the Q50. The Infiniti Intouch Vehicle Apps let drivers monitor their car right from their seat. The Infiniti Connection allows drivers to stay in touch with their Q50, even when they can’t physically do so. The Sirius XM lets people in the car listen to music commercial-free, as well as sports, news, talk, comedy, entertainment and anything else they might want to listen in on. Available on trial with all Infiniti cars, car buyers also get a set of Q50-specific options.
The Q50 has been awarded a 5-star rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) under the agency's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). This means the car is as safe as can be, thanks to this list of safety systems:
All these features combined with Infiniti’s Ownership Experience make the Q50 one of the best luxury cars drivers can own right now. The Q50 is available starting at US$ 37,150, while its hybrid version, the Q50 Hybrid, starts at US$ 44,400.
Nissan continues to be one of the world leaders in car manufacturing, and Infiniti is a testament to that. With a wide range of luxury sedans and SUVs, a whole host of technological advancements unique to their models, and one of the best experiences in owning a luxury car, Infiniti cars will continue to be one of the best purchases for luxury car enthusiasts.