As Its Parent Company Stumbles, Infiniti Hopes to Shine

Newsweek

7 days ago

Infiniti, like its parent company Nissan Motor Corporation, is in the midst of a pivotal year. The premium arm of the Japanese company has fresh product to offer customers and a lineup that is bringing in more affluent buyers than ever before in North America.
Deliveries of the redesigned, full-size, three-row Infiniti QX80 are ongoing and a refreshed QX60 is making its way to dealer lots nationwide. In the next fiscal year, Infiniti is expected to begin selling its new QX65 SUV, and two years later, an all-electric Infiniti SUV will come to market.
"This is a very important year for Infiniti. We have now the QX80 at full speed. We're going to have QX80 for the full year," Tiago Castro, vice president of Infiniti Americas, told Newsweek.
"We had the best-ever QX80 month in February and the best-ever March, which made the best-ever first quarter of the calendar year for QX80. So that tells me that we're building the momentum," he said.
QX60, a midsize three-row SUV, is more popular with U.S. audiences in 2025 than the QX80. Its design and technology refresh is focused on lifting it in a fashion similar to the success the company has had with QX80.
"What we're trying to do with QX60 with this refresh is bringing the design cues of QX80 into the QX60 so they're really showing that family resemblance. And then parallel to this, bring all the same technology, things like the Google infrastructure that supports our IT system that gives your ability to do so much with the Klipsch audio system with up to 20 speakers, which is pretty amazing," Castro said.
The company will introduce Sport versions of both SUVs, a package that adds darkened fascia and wheels to the model in place of brighter finishes. Unique upholstery options and badging are also included.
"These next few years are make-or-break for Infiniti. Once a legitimate contender in the U.S. luxury space, especially in the 1990s and early 2000s with performance-oriented sedans and a clear design identity, the brand has since lost momentum and market relevance. Years of underinvestment, shifting leadership, and an unclear product vision have left Infiniti struggling for identity in a crowded luxury market dominated by German, Korean, and even electric startups," Paul Waatti, director of industry analysis at AutoPacific, told Newsweek.
Castro is relatively new to his role. He had one full day on the job before the Trump administration's first major tariff announcement. "It's been very educational," he said.
Instead of standing still and taking time to settle into the role, Castro dove in and took immediate action. "I've been meeting with dealers throughout the country. We set up Zoom calls. I met over 20 of them the other day in Nashville. We had dinner with another ten," he said ahead of the New York International Auto Show in mid-April.
He relayed that the dealers have expressed to him that the QX80 is "extremely exciting." Castro said: "It started to build momentum, and we needed to stay consistent, focused on that model to really create a halo for this brand. And, they believe the QX60 now has a lot more potential than we have shown [in the past]. So, we need to work together with the retailers to continue to consistently deliver results and build momentum and let customers know how great the product is, but more importantly, how great the client experience is."
Reports late last year indicated that Nissan Motor Corp. was on the brink of bankruptcy. On May 13, the automaker revealed the Re:Nissan plan, a pathway forward to enhance performance and create a leaner, more agile business. There is considerable cost savings planned for the current fiscal year. This and future restructuring under the plan is expected to create "a framework to secure operating profitability and free cash flow in the automotive business by fiscal year 2026," the company said in a press release at the time.
Despite the very public woes of Nissan Motor Corp., Castro said, "There's a lot of optimism. The new management team coming in with Christian Meunier [Nissan America's chairman who was appointed in January], who is extremely focused on product. He believes in Infiniti wholeheartedly, and the new [Nissan Motor Corp.] CEO Ivan Espinosa. In fact, Christian, Ivan and I worked together for three years in Brazil. So, we know each other well. Ivan is very aligned with this direction. So, we're going to build a product plan that will continue to build on the momentum."
Grille of the 2026 Infiniti QX60.
Grille of the 2026 Infiniti QX60.
Infiniti
Waatti said: "Compounding the challenge facing Infiniti is the instability of parent company Nissan. As Nissan battles global restructuring, resource constraints, and a still-fragile brand perception, Infiniti is left walking a tightrope—tasked with reinventing itself while relying on a parent brand fighting its own battles."
"That said, the next phase offers a narrow but real opportunity. If Infiniti can capitalize on electrification, modern design, and an improved ownership experience, while finally delivering products that compete head-to-head with luxury stalwarts, it may reclaim relevance. But make no mistake: this is a final proving ground. There's little room left for incrementalism or misfires," he said.