ELECTRIFIED BY DESIGN
The INFINITI design aesthetic has always been linked to the powertrain. Where a V8 engine might move the interior rearward, electrification has allowed us to the move the interior forward and provides for a balanced profile. But that doesn't mean that you don't express a new kind of power. The power of the electric powertrain is expressed through the robustness and fullness of body.
- Alfonso Albaisa, Senior Vice President for Global Design, Nissan Motor Co.
- Proportions of concept hint at the car's electrified powertrain
- Balanced silhouette with a cab-forward stance and aerodynamic lines
The design of the QX Inspiration – from its dimensions to its details – hint at the potency and character of INFINITI's future electrified powertrains.
INFINITI's earlier SUVs, such as the iconic 2003 FX, have been characterized by their long hoods – a nod to their powerful V8 and V6 internal combustion engines – and a cab-rearward silhouette. The QX Inspiration concept proposes its own uncompromisingly modern silhouette, inspired by its fully-electric powertrain. Without the need for a large engine, INFINITI's designers adapted the proportions to accommodate a more balanced overall shape, a cab-forward design with short front and rear overhangs (855 mm and 945 mm, respectively) and a shorter hood. The concept's overall length is 4,650 mm.
Locating the powertrain low down in the body and between the axles (2,850 mm apart) enabled INFINITI's designers to create a bold and powerful lower body, blending its smooth, expansive surfaces with fascinating new proportions. The sleek, long roofline peaks at 1,630 mm in height, at a point directly above the front row of seats, then flows downwards into the car's aerodynamically efficient Kammtail rear.
Without the need for a large front grille to cool an engine, the QX Inspiration nonetheless retains shapes that define what would have been an air intake. The smooth surfaces replacing the grille feature an illuminated INFINITI logo, book-ended by channels that divert air over and around the body. A closer look at the thin headlamp strips reveal laser-like etchings, with a highly technical pattern echoed throughout the interior and exterior. The pattern also features in the wing-shaped light strip that spreads across the tailgate, adding a clean trailing edge to the rear of the car. Housed within wheelarches clad in contrasting black protective material are 22-inch wheels that feature a similar louvered pattern and an aerodynamic design to divert air along the flanks of the car. The QX Inspiration hints at a developing INFINITI design signature. Sitting in the sharply-angled D-pillar is a vermilion signature line emboldened with a gold highlight. Surrounding it is a stylish quarterlight, which enhances the cab-forward profile.