POWERFUL DESIGN
As with Q80 Inspiration, our designers worked with in house artisans to understand the inherent beauty of the materials and allowing the structure of those materials to inspire aesthetic gesture of the design. QX50’s flow from the center console to the instrument panel is the signature of this spirit and as a result it is the artists inspiration of material that sets INFINITI’s new interior asymmetry and driver centric DNA.
- Alfonso Albaisa, Senior Vice President, Global Design
A QUALITY, HAND-CRAFTED FEEL INSIDE
As with the exterior, the design of the interior of the QX50 deliberately articulates a sense of advanced human artistry. The cabin espouses a hand-crafted feel, achieved by combining two Japanese approaches to the treatment of materials: Mitate and Shitate. Mitate (pronounced “me-ta-teh”) relates to the practice of curating and bringing together the finest selection of materials. Shitate (“she-ta-teh”) is the desire to tailor the chosen combination of materials to bring out their best characteristics. This fine attention to detail in handling materials creates an appearance and ambience greater than the mere sum of their parts.
Specialty trim and color combinations allow for personal expression inside the QX50. Interior package options give customers a choice of trim colors and materials. Colors include Black, Dark Blue, Mid Brown and White, with each used across a variety of surfaces, from the center console leather to other parts of the trim. Smooth leather or quilting is used for seats, with open-pore wood or aluminum adorning the dashboard, while the customer's preferred color options are evident throughout the cabin.
Using bespoke manufacturing methods, ‘wrap and sew' detailing is a highlight of the hand-crafted ambience. The leather on the dash is selected for its quality and is hand-wrapped over the edges of the panels. The seats, door panels and dashboard feature a laser hole-cut stitch pattern specifically tailored to follow the curves of the interior surfaces. Contrast color stitching is used on the seats, paired with 3mm piping for a premium look and feel.
Even items that are typically complicated to manufacture, such as the instrument panel's wave form, use wrap and sew production methods. The skin of these interior elements has been curated by the human hand, combining leather and synthetic materials.
Where many premium vehicle interiors use high-gloss wood surfaces to create the perception of quality, the QX50 is finished in genuine, matt-finish open-pore maple wood. The wood is treated to retain its natural characteristics in texture and appearance. Running a hand over it, the grain of the wood is still detectable to the touch, demonstrating a high level of craftsmanship to create an authentic, modern and highly tactile dashboard.
