TOKYO -- Infiniti has a new crossover on the way for next month's Detroit auto show and is considering "very concrete" options for an electric vehicle, the luxury brand's global president said.
Speaking to reporters in a conference call, Roland Krueger declined to say whether the show vehicle would be a concept or a production model. But the vehicle will play off the QX Sport Inspiration concept shown in September at the Paris auto show, which is expected to foreshadow a 2018 replacement for the aging QX50 crossover.
"We've given some hints in Paris, but we will be a little more specific in Detroit, showing that we focus on the growth markets and the growth segments," Krueger said. "The main topic is definitely the growth in SUVs."
The new crossover will preview Infiniti's push to bolster its light-truck lineup, which accounted for 61.3 percent of its U.S. sales through November.
Krueger also said Infiniti is considering "very concrete" concepts for an EV. Infiniti put its EV ambitions on hold in 2013 to focus on rebuilding its core models. But electrification, including hybrid electric vehicle technology, is increasingly moving mainstream.
"It's going to be both HEV, and also we are looking into concepts for EVs," Krueger said. "These are very concrete concepts that we're looking at."
