Infiniti Is Betting Big on Its New Sport Sedan. Will the Q50 Deliver?

What Is It

Fans of the G35, G37, and Q50, rejoice! After several years without a sedan in its lineup, Infiniti is bringing back the Q50, and like its predecessors, the new car will be rear-wheel-drive based. Even better, it will be available with a manual transmission. That factor alone will set the next Q50 apart from the prior model, and it should herald a greater emphasis on driver engagement and performance.

Why It Matters

In a world increasingly dominated by SUVs, Infiniti is taking a calculated risk that bringing back the Q50 will pay off. It believes that a sizable portion of its customer base still appreciates the way a sedan drives, and it makes sense to offer an alternative as a result. But just as important, if not more so, given there are far fewer sport sedans on the market today than there were a decade ago, it affords Infiniti with an opportunity to attract new buyers to the brand.

Expected to arrive sometime in 2027 as a 2028 model, it likely won’t be a high-volume seller, but if done right, the new Q50 could help reshape the perception of the brand. We’re also fans of what Infiniti’s styling team has been up to lately, and we’d love to see some of those cues translated into a low-slung sport sedan along the lines of what our illustration imagines.

It’s a car that could also rekindle some of the emotional appeal Infiniti was known for in past decades, particularly in the early aughts when the 2003 Infiniti G35 took home our Car of the Year award. Many enthusiasts who grew up admiring the G35 and G37 are now in their 30s and 40s and have the means to buy a premium sport sedan. The new Q50 could potentially play off that nostalgia factor and give younger enthusiasts a reason to visit an Infiniti showroom for the first time. Again, if done right.

Platform and Powertrain

Infiniti has been tight-lipped to this point about what could underpin the upcoming Q50. There’s the aging rear-drive platform that formed the basis of the past Q50 (one that’s still used for the present Nissan Z), but reusing that architecture seems unlikely. Given Nissan has all but announced a new rear-drive Skyline for Japan and other markets on the same timeline as the Q50, it stands to reason that a new platform is being developed to serve as the foundation for both vehicles (as well as a new Z and potentially other SUVs), much like Nissan and Infiniti have done in the past.

As for what would power it, a version of Nissan’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 and six-speed manual transmission combo that presently serves duty in the Z is the obvious candidate. An all-new gasoline engine is another possibility, though we’re betting against it. Odds are Infiniti will heavily rework the existing V-6 to make more than the 400 horsepower it presently outputs in the Z.

A hybrid powertrain is also a potential candidate for non-manual transmission cars, especially one that could be shared across multiple future products. It could offer a way to increase power without sacrificing efficiency and fill a gap in Infiniti’s current lineup, which lacks a dedicated hybrid offering.

• Estimated Price: $60,000
• Estimated On-Sale Date: 2027