Inifiniti hopes new SUV can turn around fortunes in the U.S.

Japanese brand Infiniti on Thursday introduced a new midsize luxury SUV called the QX65 as it attempts to make a comeback in the United States.

The vehicle will feature a 268-horsepower VC-Turbo engine with 286 ft-pounds of torque, as well as dual 12.3-inch displays.

The QX65 “accelerates INFINITI into its next era,” Infiniti Americas vice president Eric Ledieu said in a press release.

Nissan’s premium brand Infiniti reached a record sales figure of 153,000 units in 2017 in the USA, one of the most important automobile markets in the world. It sold just a third of that last year, according to the company.

Sales have fallen nearly every year since a record-breaking 2017, according to a report from Haig Partners, which facilitates dealer transactions. Infiniti sales are down 9% in 2025 from the previous year.

“Currently down 65.6% from the peak and with only two nameplates on dealer lots, INFINITI is in a difficult situation,” the report stated.

Compare that to Nissan’s Japanese rival Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus, where sales are up 7.1% in 2025 after a record year in 2024, according to Haig Partners. Even Acura experienced a slight increase of just under 1% during the same period.

Stephanie Brinley says Infinity has been experiencing “product stagnation” for a while Chief automotive analyst for S&P Global Mobility.

“Of course they’ve changed a few times in the last few years,” he said. “And Nissan, the parent company, had a lot on its plate. While there was an intention to support Infiniti, it floundered a bit.”

Currently, Infiniti has two 2026 models in the US. The QX65 will be the third and will be a midsize SUV – reaching one of the largest single segments in the US. With a starting price of $53,990, it’s cheaper than the average luxury midsize vehicle manufacturer’s suggested retail price of about $77,000, according to Cox Automotive.

The brand announced its passion for America with the launch of the vehicle; He chose New York City’s Grand Central Terminal to unveil the QX65 and, as in the past, enlisted NFL stars Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman to host the event.

Brinley also said the QX65 draws from Infiniti’s older FX sport utility vehicle series, which debuted in the U.S. in the early 2000s.

“[Those vehicles] “They were super stylish, performance-oriented and yet really cool and really lively.”

Infiniti said it plans to launch one vehicle per year over the next five years, rather than a more aggressive pace.

“Hopefully they can turn this into a comeback,” Brinley said. But it will take some time.”

The QX65 is planned to be built in Smyrna, Tennessee, and the vehicles will arrive at retailers in early summer.