Infiniti Hybrid

Infiniti turns 30 at the 2019 NAIAS.

Infiniti makes plenty of good cars, crossovers and SUVs. The premium Japanese brand also has a well-defined presence in racing on the world's largest stage in the form of a partnership with Red Bull in Formula 1. What Infiniti doesn't have, though, is a range-topping halo car.

Nissan sells more pure electric vehicles (EVs) than any other automaker, but the EV market remains tiny. The hybrid market, while also just a small percentage of new vehicles sold, is bigger – and it's a segment where Nissan hasn't really been playing. The Altima Hybrid, for example, was killed off last year

Appealing To Both The Fast And Frugal

Recently, Nissan unveiled its "Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians" (VSP), a technical name for the noise-adding system found on the automaker's Leaf electric vehicle. Introduction of the VSP system on the Leaf and similar setups found on vehicles like the Eric Loveday

2012 Infiniti M35h Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Infiniti M35h - Click above for high-res image gallery

Infiniti M35h - Click above for high-res image gallery

Infiniti M35 Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Nissan's three-cylinder HR12DE engine

2010 Nissan Fuga/Infiniti M35 Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

2010 Nissan Fuga/Infiniti M35 Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

File this under: spotlight on China. First, General Motors committed to Chinese market-specific hybrids and plug-ins, now Nissan wants in on the action. Case in point, Nissan will release its Leaf electric vehicle in China followed by a possible hybrid Eric Loveday

We're expecting Infiniti to launch its first hybrid sometime in either 2010 or 2011, likely based on the M35 luxury sedan. Unlike past hybrids from Nissan, parent company of the Infiniti brand, this new technology will not be a licensed version of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive. Interestingly, reports out of Japan indicate that this new hybrid tech could filter on down the line to find itsel

We're expecting Infiniti to launch its first hybrid sometime in either 2010 or 2011, likely based on the M35 luxury sedan. Unlike past hybrids from Nissan, parent company of the Infiniti brand, this new technology will not be a licensed version of Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive. Interestingly, reports out of Japan indicate that this new hybrid tech could filter on down the line to find it

Hints of a luxury hybrid from Infiniti have been around for a while (see these 2007 posts: 1, 2) and peaked with the word back in January that the Nissan brand would release its own hybrid next year. The

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Infiniti Essence Concept

Nissan, one of the Japanese Big Three automakers and a major player in the United States market, doesn't yet offer its own hybrid technology in a production model. Instead, it opts to license the fuel-saving bits and pieces from rival Toyota for its Altima midsize sedan. Not any longer. News is coming in from John Capps, who serves as chairman of the Infiniti National Dealer Advisory Board, that Nissan's upmarket lu