Infiniti Q70 reaches the end of the road, won't return for 2020
Another sedan bites the dust.
It's time to part ways with this big sedan.
Americans' love affair with crossover, SUVs and anything with more perceived utility has created another victim. According to a Friday report from Motor Authority, the Infiniti Q70 luxury sedan has reached the end of its life.
Infiniti confirmed the Q70's end in the US (and Canada, for that matter) in a statement. "As consumer demand shifts, we continue to focus on our sport utilities and crossovers, with the all-new QX50 mid-size crossover joining the QX60 three-row, seven-passenger crossover and our QX80 full-size luxury SUV last model year," a company spokesman said.
"We are, however, absolutely committed to the car market," he added, "with the Q50 sports sedan remaining one of the most popular in the Infiniti line, as well as the Q60 sports coupe."
With the Q70 on its way out, it leaves only the Q50 as the sole sedan left in the lineup. The Q60, meanwhile, serves as the brand's coupe offering.
The Q70, Infiniti's largest sedan offering, hasn't received much love from US buyers recently, and the news of its dismissal from the luxury brand's lineup follows the discontinuation of the Q70 hybrid model. For 2019, buyers were left with two Q70 flavors and two engine offerings. A standard Q70 serves as the entry point into the full-size sedan, and a Q70 L provides stretched proportions.
Either a 5.6-liter V8 or a 3.0-liter V6 motivates the sedan and power flows to the rear wheels, or all four with an optional all-wheel-drive system.
While Infiniti hinted at a future electric sedan with the Q Inspiration concept shown at the 2018 North American International Auto Show. However, the near-term will see a QX55 coupeover launch next year. The name of the game is crossovers , and clearly, Infiniti knows this. By the end of this year, there could be good news for the sedan faithful as Infiniti plans to make a final production decision on the Q60 Project Black S, too.
Further out, we'll likely see the brand's models take on a different and more exciting look. Taisuke Nakamura officially took over as the division's chief designer, and he's been responsible for some pretty incredible concept cars in recent years.
Originally published Oct. 25, 9 a.m. PT.
Update, 1:46 p.m. PT: Adds comment from Infiniti confirming the Q70's end.