After the QX80 redesign, Infiniti is once again trying to shake up its lineup with some fresh product — and not a moment too soon.
As I’ve said time and time again, compact crossovers are the most ferociously competitive segment in the current market, and that’s just as true for entry-level luxury crossovers as it is for mainstream contenders. Every automaker is in the game, but it’s been six years since Nissan’s premium brand Infiniti launched the current-generation QX50. A coupe version of the QX55 came along a few years later in 2022, though neither have exactly been flying off the lots. In fact, Infiniti’s latest QX60, which is a segment and price point above the gateway QX50, outsold it by nearly three-to-one in 2024. For the 10,722 QX50s dealers moved, they also shifted 27,808 QX60s. So, something has to change, and this is Infiniti’s confirmed move: Kill the QX50 and QX55 to launch a brand-new SUV in 2026.
A report from Automotive News first alluded to the demise of Infiniti’s smallest current crossovers. Since then, the automaker has confirmed it is indeed ditching the two models for a new two-row, midsize SUV imaginatively called the QX65. It first teased that new model back in 2023, along with two electric vehicles called the Qe concept sedan and the QXe SUV.
As you’d probably expect given Infiniti’s recent naming history, the QX65 is essentially a coupe-like version of the QX60. For the moment, we don’t have technical details, but it’s a reasonable bet that the model will sport the same 2.0-liter VC-Turbo engine and 9-speed ZF automatic transmission as the QX60.
Infiniti also reinforced its commitment to bring electric models into the fold — a strategy almost certainly forged with an eye toward luxury rivals like Cadillac, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, among others. There’s still a shakeup of sorts in the works, then, but we’ll still have to wait for more concrete information as the brand tries to court buyers with the good, but aging QX60 and the new, but expensive QX80 SUVs.
Supposedly, per the AutoNews report, Infiniti will continue building QX50 and QX55 crossovers through this year, winding down production in December to maintain dealer supply through mid-2026, when the QX65 should be hitting the scene.
