Infiniti Q80 Hybrid Luxury Saloon To Go Against Merc S-Class & Porsche Panamera

In its attempt to finally challenge the establishment, Infiniti is expanding into new segments with products that it hopes will make an impact on potential customers.

After the Q30 and QX30 compact twins, it is aiming at the opposite end of the spectrum. A source within parent company Nissan confirmed to Automotive News that a luxury saloon is currently under development at the Japanese automaker’s R&D center in Cranfield, England.

The new car will take most of its styling cues from the Q80 Inspiration concept that was displayed at the 2014 IAA show and will, predictably, bear the Q80 nameplate.

With its debut at least three years away there are no specs yet, but we have learned a few things. For example, the car is currently being benchmarked against the Mercedes-Benz S500 plug-in hybrid and the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, so it’s clear what kind of powertrain at least one of its versions will use.

The concept was powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 mated to a hybrid electric system for a total output of 550 HP. Average fuel consumption was, reportedly, kept at a lowly 5.5 lt/100 (42.8 mpg) and CO2 emissions to just 129 g/km.

Head of Infiniti in Europe, Francois Goupil De Bouille, said plug-in hybrids were the natural choice for a low-emissions cruiser: “If you use the car to commute, then an EV is a good solution”, he commented, “but if you are traveling a lot from town to town, maybe a plug-in hybrid is better”.

Measuring 5,060mm (192.2in) in length, 2,010mm (79.1in) in width and just 1,340mm (52.8in) in height, the Q80 Inspiration is just the right size for the class.

Its dramatic styling incorporates Infiniti’s signature – and sizeable – grille and is more of a notchback than a saloon, though the latter will be toned down in the production car for practical reasons (i.e. seeing out of the rear window…). The extremely minimal interior will probably give way to something more down-to-earth, though seeing as it’s supposed to be marketed as a sporting luxury saloon, we expect the four-seat layout to be retained.