Tag Archives: Infiniti

News

INFINITI advises you on how to prepare for winter driving

As winter squeezes temperatures downward and holiday travel kicks into high gear, INFINITI is reminding drivers that cold-weather confidence starts long before the first snowfall. Sure, winter prep sounds like the usual checklist—tires, fluids, visibility—but INFINITI’s approach blends those fundamentals with the brand’s quietly sophisticated toolbox of engineering, testing, and tech features designed specifically for harsh climates.

“Cold weather can put extra stress on a vehicle,” says James Mastronardi, Senior Manager of Vehicle Performance Development. “A few simple checks ahead of peak winter are essential for your INFINITI to perform at the confidence-inspiring level it was engineered.”

That confidence isn’t marketing fluff. Each INFINITI undergoes climate-controlled torture testing, low-friction evaluations, and high-altitude winter route trials. Features like intelligent Snow Mode, advanced AWD systems, and robust climate-control engineering are all validated under punishing, real-world winter conditions in the U.S. and Canada. As Scott Hallner, who leads Durability and Reliability Testing, puts it: “Our winter testing is performed in extreme conditions… This ensures vehicles can perform predictably when traction, visibility and cabin comfort matter most.”

So, what does that mean for everyday drivers heading into winter? Here’s the breakdown—C/D style—of how to prep your INFINITI (or frankly, any vehicle) for the cold months ahead.

Tires: Your First Line of Defense

When temps drop, so does your tire pressure—roughly 1 psi for every 10-degree temperature swing. Underinflated tires dull handling, stretch braking distances, and reduce traction.

INFINITI gives drivers a clever assist here. The standard Tire Fill Assistant and Easy-Fill Tire Alert make adding air almost foolproof: just pump until the car honks and flashes the hazards. No pressure gauge required.

But pressure is only half the story. Tread depth is the other. If Washington’s head on a quarter isn’t fully covered by tread—or the wear bars are level with the surface—it’s time to shop for replacements. And if you routinely drive on snow or ice, winter tires or chains (as permitted in your owner’s manual) dramatically improve grip.

A pro tip many drivers forget: in cold-weather regions, fuel stations switch to winter-blend gasoline after mid-September. Make sure you’ve got a full tank of it if your driving patterns are mostly low-mileage. It keeps the engine happier in bitter temps.

Visibility: The Often-Ignored Cold-Weather Casualty

Winter roads punish wiper blades. If your blades streak, chatter, or crack, swap them—winter blades are beefier and better at slicing through ice buildup. Pair that with winter-grade washer fluid that stays liquid below freezing and helps melt thin ice.

INFINITI sweetens this routine with smart touches:

  • Fluid-level sensors warn you before you’re stuck staring through road grime.
  • A wiper service position makes it painless to lift blades away from the windshield for replacement or cleaning—activated by a simple double-tap of the wiper stalk.

Before you drive, fully clear headlights, taillamps, mirrors, and all windows. Heated mirrors and powerful LED headlights in INFINITI models help restore clarity quickly, but they can’t compensate for snow and ice left behind in a rush.

Battery Readiness: Don’t Get Stranded

Cold weather weakens battery output, especially as batteries age. A car that feels perfectly fine in October might struggle in January.

A few essentials:

  • Check for corrosion and clean terminals with a baking-soda mixture if needed.
  • Drive longer, not shorter—frequent quick trips don’t allow the battery to recharge.
  • Know that INFINITI tests cold-start capability in sub-zero climates, but no battery is immune to age and extreme cold combined.

Interior Protection: Yes, Floor Mats Matter

Winter brings slush, salt, and mud—enemy number one for carpeting. Rubber or all-season mats are cheap insurance. And while INFINITI interiors are designed to withstand everyday messes, prompt cleaning with mild soap and water keeps surfaces looking new. For tougher jobs, branded leather and vinyl cleaners do the trick.

Safety and Comfort: INFINITI’s Winter Tech Arsenal

Where INFINITI shines is in the integration of cold-weather-ready features that blend comfort with capability:

Safety

  • Intelligent All-Wheel Drive constantly reallocates torque for traction.
  • Predictive Forward Collision Warning monitors not just the car ahead, but the one ahead of that.
  • Lane Departure Warning helps keep drivers centered when visibility deteriorates.

Comfort & Convenience

  • Heated seats, heated steering wheels, massage seating, and rapid cabin warm-up create a calm, cozy environment even in a blizzard.
  • Remote Engine Start takes the bite out of icy mornings.
  • ProPILOT Assist lightens the load on longer winter road trips.
  • A Motion-activated Liftgate keeps hands clean when loading gear in slushy parking lots.

Winter Emergency Kit: A Must for Every Driver

Even with advanced tech, winter storms can shut down roads in minutes. INFINITI recommends packing essentials:

  • Jumper cables
  • Ice scraper
  • Flashlight & spare batteries
  • Road flares
  • Blanket & warm clothing
  • Portable phone charger
  • Water and non-perishable snacks

It’s a small investment that pays off big if you get stuck.

Winter driving isn’t just about reacting to weather—it’s about preparing for it. INFINITI’s winter-testing pedigree, paired with driver-friendly assistance systems, makes that preparation easier than ever. Do the basics, let the tech do its job, and your winter commute—whether frosty morning school runs or long-distance holiday journeys—can stay smooth, safe, and surprisingly stress-free.

Source: INFINITI

News

Nissan’s COMPAS Plant to Shut Down as Automaker Tightens Global Operations

Nissan’s global restructuring plan is claiming another victim. Earlier this year, the automaker announced it would shutter its CIVAC plant in Cuernavaca, Mexico, consolidating production at its Aguascalientes facilities. Now, the company’s joint-venture COMPAS plant in Aguascalientes—the one it shares with Mercedes-Benz—is also on borrowed time.

Brian Brockman, Nissan’s vice president of communications for the Americas, confirmed to Wards Auto that the COMPAS plant will close “in the near future.” While he stopped short of giving a specific date, production of the Infiniti QX50 and QX55 will wrap up this November. Mercedes-Benz, however, will keep the lights on a bit longer, continuing to assemble the GLB until May 2026.

It’s an unceremonious end for a factory that was once a symbol of collaboration. Opened in 2017, the COMPAS (Cooperation Manufacturing Plant Aguascalientes) facility was a high-profile joint venture between Nissan and Mercedes, envisioned as a flexible manufacturing hub for both brands’ compact luxury crossovers and sedans. But the partnership gradually unraveled as the Infiniti models failed to gain traction and Mercedes quietly pulled the plug on the A-Class in the U.S. market.

Sales numbers tell the story: through the first nine months of the year, Infiniti managed to sell just 4,994 QX50s in the United States—a drop of 36.6 percent compared to last year. The QX55, the sleeker coupe sibling, found only 1,931 buyers. Those figures hardly justify a dedicated assembly line.

According to Brockman, the closure “is part of a previously announced plan and reflects broader strategic shifts within the company.” That’s corporate shorthand for Nissan’s Re:Nissan recovery plan, a multi-year restructuring effort aimed at reducing global capacity and tightening the company’s focus. The initiative has already led to the closure of the Oppama plant in Japan and could claim up to seven manufacturing facilities worldwide.

The math is simple but brutal: Nissan wants to trim annual production capacity from 3.5 million vehicles to around 2.5 million while pushing factory utilization to near 100 percent. Fewer plants, but fuller ones.

The timing, however, is rough. Nissan recently revised its financial outlook for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, painting a picture of cautious progress amid continued turbulence. The company now expects an operating loss of ¥30 billion ($195 million) for the first half of the year—a major improvement from earlier forecasts of a ¥180 billion ($1.17 billion) shortfall. But the full-year outlook remains grim: projected revenues of ¥11.7 trillion ($76 billion) paired with a net loss of ¥275 billion ($1.79 billion).

The company cites the usual suspects—supply chain disruptions, currency fluctuations, tariffs, and geopolitical uncertainty—as key headwinds.

For Infiniti, the end of production at COMPAS leaves big questions about its future manufacturing footprint. The brand has struggled for years to define its identity and justify its existence in a crowded luxury segment increasingly dominated by German and Korean rivals. With the QX50 and QX55 gone, Infiniti’s lineup looks thinner than ever.

As the COMPAS plant winds down, it’s hard not to see it as a cautionary tale: a bold alliance between two automakers that promised synergy but delivered little more than shared losses.

Source: Nissan, Wards Auto

NEW CARS

1,000 Horses of Luxury Madness: The INFINITI QX80 R-Spec Debuts at SEMA

INFINITI just tore up its own playbook. The brand best known for calm cabins, soft-touch leather, and quiet luxury has gone fully unhinged with its latest concept: the QX80 R-Spec, a 1,000-horsepower, twin-turbo V6–powered monster SUV making its public debut at the 2025 SEMA Show.

This isn’t just a warmed-up version of the already-impressive 2025 QX80. It’s an experiment in excess—a fusion of GT-R brutality and flagship refinement that pushes the boundaries of what INFINITI’s badge can mean.

GT-R DNA, Amplified

At the heart of the R-Spec is something truly unholy: a Nissan GT-R–sourced VR38DETT engine, rebuilt and reimagined for SUV duty. The 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 has been heavily modified with Garrett G-series turbos, custom intercoolers, a full flex-fuel system, and a MOTEC engine management setup. The result? A claimed 1,000 horsepower — yes, four digits, and a direct lineage to the engine that powered Japan’s most feared supercar.

INFINITI didn’t just transplant the GT-R’s heart — it borrowed its soul. Carbon ceramic brakes straight from the R35 GT-R have been reengineered to handle the QX80’s extra mass. A custom coilover suspension with three-way external reservoirs and Eibach springs lowers the big SUV closer to supercar stance. Even the 24-inch bronze wheels are a wink to the GT-R’s T-Spec design, wrapped in 315-section Yokohama PARADA Spec-X rubber for grip levels no luxury SUV should possess.

A Supercar in SUV Clothing

The R-Spec looks every bit as wild as it sounds. Its custom widebody kit stretches the QX80’s already imposing proportions, while a functional front splitter, diffusers, and restyled exhaust finishers add aerodynamic aggression. But it’s the paint that steals the show — a color-shifting Midnight Purple wrap inspired by the GT-R T-Spec Takumi Edition, shimmering between deep violet and electric blue under the lights of SEMA.

There’s a sense of deliberate excess here. The QX80’s luxury-first ethos collides with tuner culture, and the result is something rare: a 6,000-pound SUV that looks ready to line up at a drag strip.

No Guardrails, No Apologies

“QX80 R-Spec is extreme, aggressive, and a showcase of what INFINITI can do when our teams take off all the guardrails,” says Tiago Castro, vice president of INFINITI Americas. That’s not marketing fluff — it’s a statement of intent.

After the 650-hp QX80 Track Spec previewed at Monterey Car Week, this R-Spec build feels like INFINITI saying, we can do crazy too. It’s a one-off for now, but the message is clear: high-performance variants are coming. And not just ones that corner politely.

Luxury Still Intact

Despite its race-bred upgrades, the R-Spec remains recognizably QX80 at its core — that means a sumptuous interior, cutting-edge tech, and the same bones that earned the production model awards from IIHS, Popular Science, and the Texas Auto Writers Association for safety and craftsmanship.

It’s a rare combination: visceral performance meets velvet-lined calm. And while this R-Spec may never see a showroom floor, it’s proof that INFINITI’s design and engineering teams still have imagination to burn.

The QX80 R-Spec isn’t just an overbuilt SEMA special — it’s a statement piece. A 1,000-horsepower luxury SUV that blends GT-R hardware with handcrafted extravagance. It’s absurd, excessive, and a little bit brilliant.

If this is what INFINITI’s future of “adrenaline-pumping luxury” looks like, consider us intrigued. And maybe, just maybe, a little terrified.

Source: Infiniti