With auto shows borked until next year – assuming that’s even possible – automakers need to show off concepts one way or another.
So it is that yet another livestream reveal took place tonight – this one showing the Infiniti QX60 Monograph. Which isn’t a production vehicle so much as it is an expression of what Infiniti wants to do going forward, in terms of design.
In this case, the brand wants to take the QX60 three-row crossover even further upscale.
“We commenced the design of the Monograph knowing this was an opportune time to start a discussion about where we are planning to take the QX60 in the future and more broadly, where we are heading as a brand with our design language” said Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president, Global Design, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., in a statement.
Infiniti says the Monograph is more than a “design study” or concept. Translation: The company has already decided this is the design they’re going to use, but it’s not quite production-ready, so here’s a preview. Expect the Monograph to look similar, if not exactly the same, as what you see here, when it’s unveiled in 2021.
“In crafting this Monograph, we wanted to change the tonality of the QX60 and transform the nameplate from a sculptural and architectural point of view. We raised the visual center of gravity, giving it a strong, straight shoulder line that carries through to the hood, with a higher, more prominent grille, and longer-looking cabin to deliver a sense of muscularity and a commanding presence” Albaisa said in the statement.
The stance will be wider, and the QX will be more aerodynamic, compared to the current model. There’s a gloss-black rear spoiler, and large wheels. A black roof is meant to provide contrast to the body color, and the design is meant to give occupants a feeling of openness.
Infiniti claims Japanese origami inspired the pattern of the grille mesh, and that the panoramic roof was inspired by a “kimono fold” pattern.
The QX60 uses “piano key” lighting front and rear, and the Infiniti logo lights up. Tinted tail lamps have a wrap-around look.
Infiniti isn’t just previewing a new crossover, but a new way of doing things. Tonight’s unveiling included an augmented reality aspect. Viewers could use AR to see what a QX60 would look like in their driveway.
The Monograph will be shown at the 2020 Beijing Motor Show this weekend.
At least some auto shows are happening, it seems.
[Images: Infiniti]
The fully concealed D pillar is nice, but I bet that doesn’t make production.
My Legacy wagon has a fully concealed D pillar. New cars would just need more mass behind the glass.
But the more I look at this, the more it looks like black painted plastic.
Auto show got borked? LOL, but Nissan absolutely trumped it with QX60.
This seems like making a lot of noise about the same-old-same-old tweaked slightly. It has the mandatory rising belt line ans sagging roof look. I guess it isn’t easy making something like this — basically a minivan/station wagon — not look too slab sided and bloated. Gotta make the boring family hauler try real hard to not look like a boring family hauler. Wait till the guy whose semi they stole those wheels off of finds out.
Full credit to Infiniti: with ‘Monograph’ they found a name suitably-pretentious to match the PR bumpf. Oh, and the vehicle.
Flip the grille upside down and the front looks like one of the new Cadillacs. Overall, nice looking, but not a jaw-dropping design break through.
Will it still be based on Nissans FWD pathfinder joke of a chassis? Lol no thanks.
Drop that style grill on a sedan and I would be interested in one again.
Another SUV. The future. When it comes to the suv surge and the fall of sedan sales one thing nobody talks about is trunks and trunks SUCK on today’s cars. Since the early 2000s trunks have become less and less usable. A trunk once was wide open space to place items down into. Now a trunk is a hole to insert items into. THink about it. Look at the modern sedans trunk and what its
like to load and unload parcels now compared to a sedan from 20 years ago. I used to be able to simply drop items in the trunk and only had to worry about the lid closing. Now in my 2015 accord I must look and ask,
can I insert this object into this hole? Can it clear the top lip? will it scrape the bottom lip? will the lid close? What order do I have to insert things to ensure I can fit everything? It’s a pain and the more I have to use the trunk the more I miss my Grand Marquis and want an suv or pickup. It’s no wonder why people want SUVs and pickups now.
Oh and i forgot to mention with todays trunks you are literally crawling into a hole to unload all parcels and empty it. I donno about you but I dont like crawling onto holes.
I can get as much in the trunk of our ’14 Avenger as I can in our ’13 Rogue, unless I block the rear window in the Rogue. The Avenger has more rear seat legroom as well. The Avenger has 100hp more and gets better fuel mileage.
Sedans are getting the roofline pushed back for aerodynamic efficiency. They just need to offer more liftback sedans to compensate for the squished trunk openings.
That corporate-speak in the press release is absolutely first class stuff.
Dear Infiniti,
THANK YOU for skipping the dimly-lit ‘teaser’ images showing one character line, and jumping straight to the real pictures.
THANK YOU for skipping the completely-unrealistic ‘concept’ vehicle and jumping straight to something closer to production-ready.
THANK YOU for softening some of the angular happenings in the body sides.
Sincerely,
Me
Dear ToolGuy:
THANK YOU for not noticing that we completely forgot to include door handles.
THANK YOU for not noticing that there is no interior, which is why you
can’t see through any of the windows, including the windshield.
THANK YOU for not noticing that the exhaust ports have no exhaust pipes attached to them, and that we forgot to make the holes in the one on the left side.
THANK YOU for not noticing that the front grill treatment is actually the face of a creature trying not to vomit on the nice clean sidewalk after eating a plate of yesterday’s leftover oyster sushi.
Sincerely,
Infiniti
Same huge grille / tiny lamp arrangement that’s already played out.
Nice high, strong shoulder though. And kudos on nixing the long saggy roof look everyone else has been doing for years: I get that it’s aero and all, but there’s no point in a big car with no rear headroom.
Looks like a discount range rover velar
It looks one hundred times better than the Hyundai Palisade.