Infiniti Gives Pre-Show Peek at Q60 Concept

DETROIT – Infiniti shows off its Q60 concept here tonight at the Museum of Contemporary Art, ahead of the car’s debut tomorrow at the 2015 North American International Auto Show.

The Q60 concept, with an aluminum monocoque chassis, hints at the next-generation of Infiniti’s midsize coupe due next year. The current Q60 is the former G37 coupe, last fully redesigned in 2007.

Infiniti touts the strengths of the Q60 concept as being its “eye-catching contours” and “high-quality premium finishes.”

“The Q60 Concept is Infiniti’s most emotional and accessible concept so far,” Francois Bancon, Infiniti vice president-product strategy, says in prepared remarks.

Character lines extend from the car’s double-arch grille to its rear spoiler.

A future Infiniti design cue is a small crest at the center edge of the hood, mimicking the peak of the Infiniti logo.

The car’s 21-in. wheels, with matte-black and high-gloss-black chrome spokes, dominate the body-side view, another future Infiniti design direction.

The coupe concept’s headlamps adjust to steering, speed and elevation to better light the car’s path and, in a nod to “human-centric” styling, have filaments of LED lights that mimic “lines of the iris radiating from the pupil.”

Another human-centric design cue is the deep shoulder dips reminiscent of chiseled cheekbones.

Elements of 2014 Infiniti concepts appear on the Q60, including the Q80 Inspiration’s low roofline and the Q50 Eau Rouge’s Formula One-inspired lower intake.

The Q60 concept’s interior has three-dimensional textures and attention to the “smallest detail,” Infiniti promises.

The leather-wrapped, black-and-white instrument panel, steering wheel and door inserts are hand-stitched; seat leather is premium saddle with a quilted design.

Carbon-fiber inserts on doors emphasize the car’s performance attributes. The Q60 concept is fitted with the same 3.0L direct-injected V-6 seen in the Q80 Inspiration concept car unveiled at last year’s Paris auto show.

The 3.0L, also boasting twin-turbocharging, is part of a new smaller, lighter, more powerful and fuel-efficient Infiniti engine lineup due within two years.

The concept coupe employs driver-enhancing technology, Infiniti says, such as the luxury brand’s Direct Adaptive steer-by-wire system that independently controls tire angle and steering inputs and already is on the Q50 sedan.

The Q60 concept has a new Infiniti InTuition system, which allows up to four drivers to customize and store their preferred audio, climate, navigation and telematics settings.

As with the outgoing Q60, the concept seats four passengers.

Infiniti Q60 sales last year tallied 7,740 units, a 118.3% increase from 2013, WardsAuto data shows. The size of the sales jump largely is due to Infiniti transitioning to the Q60 name from G37 in 2013.

Infiniti’s total U.S. sales were flat in 2014, rising just 0.8% to 117,330 units.

The Nissan luxury brand this year will launch an all-new model, the Q30 compact CUV. Infiniti has said the Q30 will hit Europe before its late-2015 U.S. launch.

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