Infiniti's new badging confusing..
 

Perhaps some can educate me on this. For the longest time, I thought the number on the model of the vehicle represents the engine size (Ex: RX300 would be a 3.0L engine, RX330 would be 3.3L V6 engine, etc.) Now that Infiniti is launching their new line of models, it's confusing:

Infiniti Q50 (I thought it looks very much still like a G37S) is a 3.7L V6 coupe
Infiniti Q60 is still a 3.7L V6 coupe
Infiniti Q70 is either a 3.7L V6 or a 5.6L V8 sedan(looks like the M Class)

I'm guessing the numbers after the letter doesn't me engine displacement no more?:uh:

No the numbers and letters signify the model's position within the lineup. Higher numbers indicated higher end car.

A lot like Audi, A3, A4, A5, A6 etc... just with two numbers and a Q for Infiniti.

Pretty much this is how it goes:

Car wise:

Q50 = G37 Sedan
Q60 = G37 Coupe or IPL
Q70 = M37 / M56

SUVs = gets even more confusing..

Even with traditional makes like Lexus and Mercedes, the number now no longer indicates displacement. RX450h is 3.5 liter, LS600h is 5.0 liter, Merc C250 is 2.1 liter, S550 is 4.7 liter, etc.

Now, the number either shows you placement within the model range, or that the power is equivalent to the larger displacement engine, or tradition/heritage. S550 sounds much better than S470. lol

Lexus is still displacement = numbers except the hybrids.. I guess hybrids need their own number is why lexus up it 100, 350 to 450h, and 5.0 to 600.. :D

Yeah not automaker uses the cars moniker to depict engine displacement. With Lexus the ICE cars are still name = displacement. As a typical rule of thumb with Lexus with some exceptions (CT200h = 1.8 and RX400h = 3.3) the hybrid gets a full liter more than the ICE equivelant. In cars cases like the CT, for marketing purposes they decided on CT200h because Americans care about higher numbers. No one wants a CT180h. Mercedes latest 63 AMG engines are not 6.3 but rather 6.2 and now even the 6.2 has been phased out for a 5.5 unit and Aston Martin's infamous 6.0 V12 is actually a 5.9.

Lexus should have kept it clean and simple..

RX-h, ES-h, GS-h.

I told the story before of the G35 guy who honestly thought the Q50 was a 5.0 V-8 until I popped the hood and showed him it's the same VQ.

.What makes things even more off is they renamed the cars randomly and they stated so the engine inside the car isn't part of the name but they slap 3.5 and 3.7 badges on front fenders indicating the size.:uh:

Maybe if they stick to the names for 20 years people will get it but today it has caused confusion.

don't see what's so complicated...

Q - for sedans, coupes and convertibles,
QX - for crossover and SUV models.

Each model will be further identified by a double digit representing hierarchy within the range.

I've had 3 Infiniti's in the past and this new Naming scheme is ridiculous and sad.. Infiniti should also change there Brand name to "I-Suck".. Where in the world did they try to resurrect the Q name from the 90's.. when it took them almost 15 years to earn the Respect from the "G" & "M" lines.. If I ever buy another Infiniti, i'm de-badging it.. :p

Thank you. I almost think people are intentionally trying to make this harder than it is.

Points of change are tough for people. Infiniti claims the move will make more sense as more cars become hybrid and/or electric, or as smaller displacement turbos might be positioned above certain gas engine variants.

It's not that hard overall. It's very similar to Volvo's naming convention.

I don't like it because you need to dig deeper to find out what the powertrain is.

For example, you get an Audi A4, and you need to ask to find out what the powertrain is.
But if you get a BMW 328i or a Lexus IS250, you know immediately (and a general span of model years).

Mercedes, BMW, and Lexus provide engine/powertrain information with their nomenclature; maybe it's a "bragging" methodology to elicit desirability. Porsche gets away with the S and Turbo badging. Acura, Volvo, and (now) Infiniti do not use this method.

Oddly enough, super high end cars such as Aston Martin, Maserati, and Ferrari don't do it; but then again, their powertrains are consistently changing on a yearly basis with tuning modifications here and there.

really? maybe with the is250 (which is going away), but not with the bmw.

a 328i has meant MANY sizes and cylinder counts over the years.

now it means 2.0 4 banger. :uh: from bmw's website:

:egads:

i don't see anything confusing with infiniti's naming, except that it's new and different from what they had before. it's actually a lot simpler now and more consistent.