Infiniti battled through a tough 2020 that resulted in the biggest one-year U.S. sales decline in the brand's history.
But help is on the way.
The Japanese luxury brand is bringing two crossovers to the market this year — the redesigned three-row QX60 and the QX55, a new compact nameplate with a coupelike design.
Pope: QX55 huge for dealers
Infiniti had been telling dealers for several years that fresh options were on the way, but the timeline always seemed to slip farther away, said Jeff Pope, group vice president of Infiniti Americas.
"I told them today, I said it's not two years away anymore, it's here," Pope told Automotive News after the brand's NADA Show make meeting.
Ed Lennon Jr., chairman of the Infiniti National Dealer Advisory Board, said it's good to see the product drought nearing an end, and none too soon after Infiniti's U.S. sales plunged 32 percent in 2020 to 79,502.
Pope said the QX55's segment attracts younger buyers and having an entry there will be "huge" for dealers.
Lennon said dealers received additional product information and approximate pricing on the QX55. They also saw footage of the QX60 and were given some powertrain details.
"We would have liked the Infiniti team to take us further into the future with product," Lennon said in an email, "but we'll have to wait until ... we can have an in-person, long overdue all-dealer meeting."
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