Infiniti's model name change explained

Infiniti Q50S AWD at the New York Auto Show (Photo courtesy of Alexis Graf)

Inifiniti fans are probably aware, but most people might not realize that Infiniti has changed the model naming convention for their entire lineup. When we were at the New York International Auto Show we talked with some managers at the Infiniti booth to get some clarification. Starting with the Q50 sedan, which was a Vehiblog pick for our Geekiest Cars of the Year article, all sedans will start with the "Q" designation and all SUV's and crossovers will receive the "QX" designation.

Infiniti Q50S AWD at the New York Auto Show (Photo courtesy of Alexis Graf)

The two numbers after the Q or QX designation will determine where in the Infiniti lineup, and price point, the vehicle will go. The Q50 is the middle of the car lineup while the Q70 is the higher price-point and more luxurious sedan. This leaves plenty of numbers to roll out lower price-point models and the high end models can go to infinity (pun realized, yet included).

Why did they decide to go with Q and QX and not some other designation? The Q45 was Infiniti's first flagship sedan and the QX4 was Infiniti's first SUV. This pays homage to their roots. There's also another very good reason why other letters and numbers aren't used. Q and QX was already with Inifiniti. Most other letter and/or number combinations that would be worth using are either being used or trademarked by other auto manufactures.

If you're interested in the Q50 and our Geekiest Cars article wasn't enough, stay tuned, we're going to do a more detailed write-up soon.

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