Infiniti is on the back foot for electrified powertrains today.
The luxury automaker quietly shelved its hybrid powertrains in the past few years in the buildup toward an all-electric lineup sometime in the next few years.
On Wednesday, ahead of the 2019 Shanghai auto show, the Infiniti Qs Inspiration concept sedan gave us a glimpse of what may be coming in 2021 or shortly thereafter.
READ MORE: Is Infiniti now ready to launch an electric car, after all?
The Qs Inspiration sport sedan concept follows the QX Inspiration crossover, which made its debut at the 2019 Detroit auto show, and the Q Inspiration sedan that bowed at the 2018 Detroit auto show. Unlike those models, the Qs Inspiration sport sedan is light on details—no approximate wheelbase or range was offered by the automaker initially.
Instead, Infiniti pushed the ball slightly forward by hinting that the production model based on the Qs could have a slightly higher driving position and that all-wheel drive would be standard on upcoming electrified models. Infiniti has committed to an all-electric architecture in the near future, and it's likely that the production model based on the Qs Inspiration would be a relative of a sedan and crossover with common components.
Infiniti Qs Inspiration concept
The sport sedan concept skips Infiniti's past of sculpted body sides and rounded corners for a flatter, angular look that's punctuated by a handful of body creases. The automaker's philtrum—worn by the current Q60 coupe and QX50 crossover—appears on the new Qs Inspiration, too and draws down from the hood toward the front of the solid nose and extends to the bottom of the front fascia. A deeply set Infiniti badge is plunked in the middle of the nose, underscored by a wide "INFINITI" brand that's framed by a chrome baseline underneath it, similar to the QX Inspiration.
DON'T MISS: Infiniti QX Inspiration concept sets design direction for brand’s electric future
A blacked out A pillar draws the hood back toward the rear of the car but the roofline's rake doesn't appear to be as elegant or gently curving as the Nissan IMs concept, which we saw at the 2019 Detroit auto show. The Qs Inspiration's doors are creased in the middle, which creates a positive and negative space that breaks up the visual weight of its otherwise straight sheet metal. The long and thick beltline lifts the sedan higher, even though Infiniti promises a low center of gravity from its electric powertrain.
We'll have to wait to hear about details such as size, range, charging, battery capacity, and driving features, but we expect Infiniti to start shaping up its electrified future soon.
