After three generations, the Infiniti Q70 – formerly known as the M – is no more. Nissan’s luxury brand has quietly withdrawn the model from the US market and there’s no clear indication yet what will replace it. For the 2020 model yet, that leaves just the related Q50 sedan and Q60 coupe in Infiniti’s passenger car line-up.
Infiniti’s neglect of its flagship sedan largely correlates with the car’s declining sales. When this generation was introduced all the way back in 2011, Infiniti shifted around 10,000 units in the US market. Since then, sales have declined except for a modest spike when Infiniti introduced the long-wheelbase Q70L. Last year, Infiniti sold 4,479. Even more disappointing for Nissan, the second-generation M sold much better – in 2006, Infiniti sold over 25,000 examples of the M35 and M45.
To give you an even better idea of how disappointing the Q70’s sales have been, in the third quarter of this year it was outsold by every rival bar the Jaguar XF and Acura RLX. That includes the Lexus GS, which has been dogged by persistent rumors that it, too, won’t be replaced. It was also outsold by the Cadillac CT6, which may be withdrawn from the US (the plant in which it’s built has been saved from closure but GM hasn’t confirmed production will continue) and the Lincoln Continental, which may end production soon.
It’s an ignoble end to Infiniti’s flagship. When it was first introduced in 2003, the M45 slotted in beneath the moribund Q45. A heavily Americanized version of the JDM Cedric/Gloria, complete with the Q45’s 4.5 V8 and a new dashboard, the M45 was an attractive yet obscure Q-ship.
The second generation was a ground-up redesign, using the same FM platform as the smaller G35 and Nissan 350Z. The G35, along with the svelte FX crossover, had thoroughly rejuvenated Infiniti’s image. The brand became somewhat of a Japanese BMW, being sportier than relatively staid rival Lexus. The M45 and its new, V6-powered M35 sibling were now available with all-wheel-drive and were slightly sensible bigger siblings to the hot-selling G35.
With the third generation, Infiniti used a refined version of the same FM platform but shook up the car’s powertrain line-up. The new 3.7 V6 became the base engine, necessitating a rename to M37. The old 3.5 V6 was mated to an electric motor to create Infiniti’s first hybrid, the M35h, which had 0-60 times that matched some V8 rivals (including Infiniti’s own M56!) and fuel economy that put V6 rivals to shame. At the top of the heap sat the aforementioned M56, using the 5.6 V8 from Nissan’s trucks.
Styling was revolutionized. With its muscular, loping fenders and long hood, the new M was almost feline in appearance. The rather stubby tail ruined the illusion somewhat but it was a much more daring design than the relatively conservative second-generation model.
The newfound boldness carried over to the interior. Though it kept the same basic theme as the second M, dominated by a bulging center stack, there were more curves and intricately stitched door panels resembling wings. The look was polarizing, sure, but the material quality was superb.
And then… nothing. The infotainment that paled in comparison to the also new-for-2011 F10 BMW 5-Series was never updated. The interior kept its early-2000s vintage shifter and its switchgear shared with cheaper Nissans. The powertrains never changed.
There was a handsome facelift for 2015 but, beyond improved front and rear-end styling, the changes across the board were minimal – some tweaks to the suspension tuning and the shuffling of option packages.
There were two new variants available after 2015. European buyers had access to a Mercedes-Benz-sourced 2.1 turbodiesel four, joining the existing Renault-sourced 3.0 turbodiesel V6. North American buyers could now buy the Q70L, with a 5.9-inch longer wheelbase. Though stretched luxury mid-sizers are common in China, the Q70L’s introduction to the North American market was highly unusual. Infiniti had no full-size luxury sedan, however, so the Q70L was the next best thing. It did seem to give the line a modest bump in sales, too.
At least initially, Nissan seemed to really try with the M/Q70. With three different engines, available features like four-wheel active steering, and a choice of rear- or all-wheel-drive, the M/Q70 offered buyers plenty of options and a distinctive identify of its own. Critics were initially quite complimentary of Infiniti’s flagship sedan, though some noted the powertrains lacked refinement compared to rivals and the ride quality was never quite as settled and compliant as the segment’s best. The Germans were and remain the ones to beat in this segment, both in terms of sales and critical reception, and the A6, E-Class and 5-Series were all replaced during the Q70’s run. That left the Infiniti a stagnant stalwart, facing tough competition not just from the Germans but from newer, fresher products like the Cadillac CT6 and Genesis G80.
That’s not to say the Q70 was a bad car or that it didn’t have anything to offer. The hybrid’s balance of performance and economy was enticing. A Q70L 5.6 AWD offered something nobody else did in the segment in North America (a longer wheelbase) and something fewer and fewer rivals have (a V8).
With Infiniti’s axing of the Q70 in North America following its discontinuation in markets like Europe and Australia, the executioner may soon come for its overseas variants. In the Japanese market, for example, it’s sold as the Fuga, while a unique long-wheelbase hybrid model is offered as the Cima.
The Fuga and Cima were also sold in Japan as the Mitsubishi Proudia and Dignity, respectively, though both were already discontinued in 2016.
There’s no word on what, if anything, will replace the Q70, though Infiniti is said to have an electric sedan in the works inspired by the Qs Inspiration concept.
What was a compelling mid-size luxury sedan in 2011 isn’t really worth considering in 2019, at least not without the lure of massive incentives. As a used buy, however, the Q70 tantalizes. I’ve shortlisted it for my next car…
Unfortunately, the Q70 was another product Infiniti left to wither on the vine (see also: EX/QX50, QX70). It’s a shame to see how Infiniti has treated what was once a viable rival to the Germans.
Related Reading:
CC Editorial: Infiniti – What They’re Doing Right, What They’re Doing Wrong
I know I was out of step, but I loved the styling of the original M45 more than anything I have seen coming out in that segment since, well, I’m not sure. There was something about the combination of the shape and the power that really called to me. Unfortunately, they sold poorly and used ones have been tough to find, not that I was ever in that market. A reasonably big and definitely powerful sedan has not been on my shopping list for awhile. Guess I’m not alone.
CC effect, saw one yesterday on the Garden State Parkway. Blew past me like a speedy ghost. Hadn’t seen one in who knows how long. Truly a stately looking sedan
It was a crisp corrective to the growing bulbosity in the segment, and auto design overall. I remember seeing my first one in my old parking garage in NYC, which also played host to a Toyota Century. I remember thinking it seemed very narrow, then read it was a JDM market car.
It’s successor sold well, but suffered from styling too closely tied to its smaller brother – a problem Nissan shares with the Altima/Maxima. I never warmed to this final version with its overwrought front end with more than a hint of ’61 Dodge in its fender ridges.
In the bigger picture, you really have to wonder how many luxury sedans will be on the market 5 years from now…
There aren’t enough old people to buy sedans anymore, even Japanese ones.
I don’t harbor ill will towards Infiniti, but really, the entire line can fold and it won’t hurt or help Nissan either way.
The main differentiation offered by Infiniti was that it was a sportier version of Japanese luxury. Lexus was a version of MB, Infiniti was a version of BMW, and Acura was….. Acura. A nice Honda. Now, Infiniti is an expensive Nissan. And Nissan is in trouble. No longer really sporty, not fresh, not high quality and not up to date in tech. Shuttering Infiniti will save some money, piss off a few dealers, and few but their supporters will notice they are gone.
OTOH, should they suddenly become a way for rebadging Renaults and bringing them over as Infinitis, I am all for it. An Alpine as the sports model? Yes please. A nice Talisman? Sure, why not? I bet PSA would love to see it to test American acceptance of French cars, and Renault has enough voting power with the company to make it happen.
I guess it’s being replaced by a crossover. Admittedly I’m not interested in luxury sedans these days since I need to haul stuff that doesn’t play well with short rooflines and my go to for sporty and Japanese is Mazda. Infiniti was interesting while it lasted but seems to have outlived its usefulness
Sad to hear but I’m not surprised. I really liked this third generation M35, er Q70, when it came out, but Infiniti definitely let it grown too long in the tooth.
Am I the only one who thinks Nissan’s move to titling anything Infiniti as being either Q or QX was a completely boneheaded decision? As in worse than Cadillac’s naming, and probably as bad as Lincoln’s MKwhatever.
Mainly because you can’t tell what class vehicle you’re getting from the name, can’t guess engine size, and have no real idea of where the individual model fits against the competition.
At least with the old markings, you had a good sense of what model was what, and you could draw comparisons against other marques. The G’s ran up against the BMW 3’s and Mercedes C-class, the M’s against the 5’s and E-class. Now, who knows what a Q50/60/70 is?
At least Cadillac kept a set differentiation between their models.
100%. As a car guy, I can hardly remember which Infiniti is which, so I’m sure non-car people really have no idea. I really think Acura, Cadilac, and Lincoln all messed up big time just like Infiniti did with dropping well-known names to try to get a little more brand recognition.
I don’t disagree that a lot of people were confused by the move. But, really, it’s no different from the Germans — the higher the number, the bigger or more expensive the car. With time, it’ll make sense, just like the old “system” did.
At least you’ve made the solid point that there’s no indication of engine size. A lot of people just scratch their head and say “what’s the difference between a Q50 and a Q70?” when they have no problem separating an Audi A4 from an A8.
I get that the G nameplate in particular became quite well known but let’s not pretend Infiniti’s old system made any sense. G, M, Q, EX, FX, QX. We got used to it because… we got used to it, not because there was any rhyme or reason.
I think we can both agree, though, that Lincoln’s system was worse. The designations weren’t even in any kind of sequence and there was no delineation between cars and crossovers.
The G was the only genuine hit Infiniti ever had, not the Q. The Q was always a floundering albatross in the lineup, but because it was the model that launched the brand Nissann/Infinityseemed to have a sentimental affinity to not only keep it alive but rename every single model as such.
I’m not saying G was a great name, but people whew what they were and knew they existed. Any returning customer with an old G would look at the current lineup scratching their head as to which was the successor.
I do argue Q was in fact worse than Lincoln’s MK_ scheme. Lincoln dumped heritage models left and right with unappealing fancy Ford’s filling the lineup leading up to it. MK was awful alphabet soup, no question about it, but the product hurt the brand, not the naming convention. I genuinely believe Q cost Infiniti customers.
Around 2 years ago, that customer was my father. My father bought a 2003 Infiniti G35 sedan, RWD with basically all the options (including what was the first navigation system in a car we owned – and every one since has had one, thanks to that car). He loved that car, especially the way it drove, and I have fond memories of it as well. When car shopping 2 years ago, we went and looked at Infiniti again. My father always had a soft spot for the M35, and at one point considered trading up into one, but at the time, he felt it was too big. Long story short, we went to look at two lines of cars he had fond memories of, only to determine that both had horrifically slow seat heaters (an issue in Ottawa), the Q70 was rather ponderous and the Q50 was not at all very good in comparison to the G35, for a number of reasons. Oh, and the dealership experience was far from pleasant. To top it all off, by the end of our time there, he still had no idea which car was which or what designation meant what. He bought an Audi A7. He’s also vowed never to consider an Infiniti (or Nissan product) again. I think you are correct in your assessment.
Ah for the bygone days of the Special, Century, Super and Roadmaster. Never a doubt what the pecking order was there. Ditto for Biscayne, Belair, Impala and Caprice. And everyone knew an Olds 98 was better than an 88. Easy to remember model names that stuck around for years.
I’ve totally given up on deciphering Lincoln’s current vehicle models. They seem to change every year and give no clue to their place in the line up.
CPJ, as much as I prefer regular names (and I commend Lincoln for returning to them — there’s just one acronym name left in their line-up!), I’d argue that old-fashioned pecking order of names doesn’t actually make any more sense than 3-Series/5-Series/7-Series or A4/A6/A8.
Consider:
1) Names would get shuffled further and further downward. The Bel Air was a top-spec model at one point, then fleet fodder at its end.
2) To an outsider who knows nothing about cars, there’s nothing immediately clear from those names which one is better/pricier. They’d need to see the cars, see the extra chrome and gee-gaws, and then get used to the names.
Re: Lincoln’s names, they stuck with the acronyms for about two generations. There’s only one left, the MKZ, and that car is probably getting axed soon.
“Ah for the bygone days of the Special, Century, Super and Roadmaster. Never a doubt what the pecking order was there. Ditto for Biscayne, Belair, Impala and Caprice.”
Is this meant to be sarcastic? If I was an outsider, I would truly have no idea what the pecking order was.
I for one had no idea what a Q60 is supposed to be (apparently a coupe). Yet the Pathfinder clone is the QX60.
Yeah, MT, that’s where the scheme kind of breaks down for me.
Like, at least BMW numbers their coupes and coupe SUVs similarly, e.g. 4-Series, X4.
Infiniti and Cadillac name changes were both implemented by the scourge of the automotive industry, Johan de Nysschen.
One can argue that any naming convention is at its core absurd, but as long as it is consistent over a long period, it works.
The Corolla, the Accord, the Camry, all long selling, and all different than as originally presented, but the market understands what the name implies as to the model. Maybe that is part of their long success.
Until all the recent hubbub about its pending demise, I didn’t even know Infiniti still made a full-sized car. Never came close to making my short-list or even long-list, and I am a sedan buyer right in their target demo.
My ex had an M35. The seats were unbelievably, miserably hard. After 5 minutes of riding, I was fidgeting around trying to find a comfortable way to sit; there was none. It went 10 years and about 150000 miles before it started to ?burn? oil and got traded for an Audi Q5. it was a nice car. The one thing I’d like to point out about the M35 is despite its bland (to Me) styling it seems like Every. Single. Manufacturer copied the arched roofline, trapezoidal windows, and triangular rear quarter window with the cut up. Impala, there was a Fusion which looked like this, Jetta, Passat, there was probably a Hyundai/Kia in there somewhere, of course it trickled down to the Altima/sentra . . . oddly influential styling.
I unexpectedly got a 2018(?) Q70 3.7 as a rental car this summer. It was a decent cruiser, though the “infotainment” was, as mentioned, 10 years out of date–and the little screen was obscured by glare most of the time the sun was out. The interior was spacious and comfortable, the ride quiet, acceleration and pickup quite good. I liked the looks, at least a little.
But my regular car, an E39 BMW 528i, gives more confidence in almost all driving situations. It’s slower to get to speed, but easier to keep at speed, than the Q70. I don’t know what other cars in the Q70 class and price range drive like, but I just can’t imagine the Q70 winning on “handling,” “feel,” or anything like that. I suspect that’s not the reason Infiniti couldn’t sell these, but it can’t help, either.
We have these in regular Nissan badging Fugas are quite a popular used import I see a lot of them about,
I can’t believe the Acura RLX (AKA fifth-generation Honda Legend) is still in production, given how poorly it sells even compared to the Q70 – about half the Q70’s paltry yearly sales! And the pricing is delusional. $55K for front-wheel-drive? Come on.
They gave up trying to sell the Legend in Australia. They stuck with the last-generation model until the bitter end but the new RLK/Legend was never introduced here.
It’s not that it’s a bad car per se but there’s really no reason to buy one over anything else in that segment, and that segment is teeming with excellent options.
I’m also so tired of Acura’s interior designs. Pick a new design theme, guys, it’s been over a decade of similar-looking interiors. And they never looked amazing to begin with…
Worth noting, too, that Acura pretty much survives on US and Chinese sales. They never bothered to introduce it to Europe or Asia-Pacific markets like Australia. Even Infiniti had loftier aspirations, though it’s pulled out /is pulling out of the European and Aussie markets.
I had to look up what the RLX interior looks like. It honestly doesn’t look much nicer than the TLX I drove 4-5 years ago, which I thought was just okay at the time. Definitely not Lexus-grade, and definitely nothing I would spend $55K on.
Oh, and the base FWD RLX comes with a laughable “P-AWS” badge. Passive all-wheel steering…whatever that is. More like a badge of shame!
I see one of these, the same one, nearly every day. In the flesh, they look bulbous and ostentatious. Giant wheels with relatively small brake rotors. Small details that serve no function. Slap on an Infinity badge, and you have yourself a vehicle that doesn’t do much to draw positive attention.
Smell ya later!