Month: May 2015

Infiniti Q50 sport sedan recognized with Ritvo Design & Elegance Award by New England Motor Press Association

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – 05.22.2015 – The Infiniti Q50 premium sport sedan has been awarded with the Ritvo Design & Elegance Award by the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA).

Named for the late Gene Ritvo, a veteran concours photographer and NEMPA member, the award recognizes the very best in automotive design. The recipient of the award is nominated with input from the Larz Anderson Auto Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

This year’s honor was among several announced at NEMPA’s annual Automotive Excellence Awards. Held each year during the press association’s annual meeting on the MIT campus in Cambridge, Mass., the NEMPA awards dinner recognizes select manufacturers and personalities within the automotive community for their contributions and successes as identified by NEMPA members.

“Our friend Gene Ritvo would have been proud to see the Infiniti Q50 take home an award bearing his name,” said Craig Fitzgerald, NEMPA president. “In its thoughtful design, it conveys the class and the sophistication, of which Gene was a pure devotee. NEMPA couldn’t agree more with the expressed views of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Larz Anderson Auto Museum that selected the Infiniti Q50 this year.”

Since its introduction in 2013, Infiniti’s premium sport sedan has been recognized with a number of awards for styling, performance and technology leadership. When it was first launched, the Q50 introduced with it a new design language – which would later be incorporated into the rest of the brand’s vehicles – giving the car a decidedly aggressive, athletic look underscoring its on-road performance.

Emanating from the sedan’s signature “double arch” grille is a character line that flows over the front fenders and tightly around the side of the car, culminating on the rear deck lid, giving the vehicle an element of both elegance and strength. Other characteristic design features carried into the rest of the brand’s line-up include its crescent cut c-pillar and distinctive, almost-human like LED headlights and taillights.

The Q50 also introduced a number of world’s first technologies, including Direct Adaptive Steering (DAS), an innovative steer-by-wire system that allows drivers the option of customizing steering sensitivity and feel, while simultaneously helping to isolate road vibrations. Working in conjunction with Infiniti’s own lane-keeping technology, DAS – like each of the brand’s safety and performance technologies – is designed to complement the driving experience, not replace it.

Like parabolic skis, Infiniti Direct Adaptive Steering in the Q50 lets you steer quicker and smoother

05.15.2015 – Direct Adaptive Steering™ (DAS) is the world’s first production steer-by-wire system, providing new levels of control, precision and adaptability. The system uses advanced electronics to streamline the steering mechanism for a more precise feeling behind the wheel.

Developed after more than 10 years of research, Direct Adaptive Steering™ allows independent control of the Q50’s tire angle and steering inputs, transmitting the driver’s intentions to the wheels faster than a mechanical system. This increases the direct driving performance feel by quickly and intelligently communicating road surface feedback to the driver. Over uneven roads, for example, this moderates the need for constant, subtle adjustment, imparting a commanding feeling while helping shield the driver from excessive road vibrations.

While systems such as Direct Adaptive Steering™ will be critical in future autonomous vehicle designs, Infiniti Q50 owners are realizing a real benefit today in the system’s ability to customize steering settings according the driver preference and road conditions. The system allows the driver to change both steering effort and the steering gear ratio.

Infiniti sets new April global sales record

  • 16,700 sold vehicles mark new record
  • Momentum continues

HONG KONG – On the heels of the all-time sales record that Infiniti achieved in the first quarter of 2015, the company successfully carried this momentum into April. Infiniti sold 16,700 vehicles globally last month, an increase of more than 1,700 vehicles or 12 percent versus April 2014. This marks the best April in Infiniti’s history.

“The strong momentum that we gained at the beginning of the year continued in April,” said Infiniti president Roland Krueger. “We continue to implement our growth strategy on our way to establish Infiniti as one of the key global premium brands in the automotive industry. I would like to thank our customers around the world who made Infiniti their trusted purchase.”

Again, all four of Infiniti’s global sales regions contributed to the growth. In the Americas, Infiniti’s biggest sales region, the company recorded more than 11,000 sold vehicles in April, 8 percent up from a year ago.

In China, where Infiniti had a strong showing at the Shanghai Auto Show in April, more than 3,750 vehicles were sold in that month. The increase of 41 percent or 1,100 vehicles over April 2014 marks the best month in history for Infiniti in China.

In the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East and Africa), Infiniti sold more than 1,450 vehicles in April driven by strong results in Western Europe, Middle East and South Africa – all of them up versus last year’s April.

Lastly, Asia and Oceania also achieved a best April ever. Infiniti sold approximately 400 vehicles in the region, continuing the growth with a 19 percent increase from 2014.

In addition to these regional results, markets such as Canada, Mexico, Latin America, South Africa, Australia all had their best April in history.