Zapped: Infiniti drops Q50 Hybrid for 2019
While it promises a bunch of electrified models in the future, it won't have any at all for a little while.
If you are looking for a hybrid version of an Infiniti car or SUV, your choices have been dwindling over the last year, and barring any unannounced changes, you won't be able to get one at all -- for a little while.
Infiniti has made the decision to drop the Q50 Hybrid sedan for the 2019 model year, Green Car Reports says, citing confirmation from Infiniti spokesman Kyle Bazemore. You'll have to check local dealer inventories if you want to scoop up one of the remaining 2018 Q50 hybrids .
As Green Car Reports points out, this leaves Infiniti without any kind of electrified vehicle for 2019. The automaker dropped the larger Q70 Hybrid earlier this summer, and last year, it moved the QX60 Hybrid SUV to order-only status before doing away with it altogether.
This leaves the Q50 with a few different variants on offer, although none are electrified. The base engine is a 208-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbocharged I4, and the higher-end offering is a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that puts out 300 horsepower. If you want to go bonkers, the Red Sport 400 trim cranks up the output to a saucy 400 hp.
But that doesn't mean Infiniti is giving up electrification -- in fact, it's the opposite. The automaker pledged to offer electrified variants of all its vehicles starting in 2021. In July, it announced that it plans to build an EV platform based on the drop-dead gorgeous Q Inspiration concept. The future is plenty bright when it comes to hybrid Infinitis, even if the present looks a little grim.
