Infiniti Hints at New Compact SUV Based on Nissan Rogue
With production of the Infiniti QX50 and QX55 set to end in December, Nissan's luxury brand will be down to just two vehicles, the QX80 and QX60. The former was given a complete redesign for 2025, while the latter will receive a major update for 2026.
A coupe-style QX65 is due to arrive next year as a new entry-level product, which some people see as a sign that Infiniti is looking to move upmarket and sell more profitable vehicles. However, it now appears that a new compact SUV is indeed in the pipeline.
- Also: 2026 Infiniti QX60: A Timid Refresh During a (Trade) War
- Also: All the Vehicles Built in Canada and Mexico That Are Sold in the U.S.
Rumours have been circulating for some time about a spinoff of the upcoming Nissan Rogue PHEV. A few U.S. media outlets reported on Monday that this vehicle could launch towards the end of 2027, according to what Nissan Americas manufacturing manager David Johnson recently told suppliers.
To be clear, Infiniti's future compact SUV would share its platform with the next-generation Rogue (expected in the first half of 2027) and would also offer an electrified variant. However, there would be major differences in terms of exterior and interior design, as well as the driving experience. Inevitably, Infiniti’s SUV would offer more technology than the Rogue, too.
The automaker is expected to decide by the end of the year whether to give the project the green light or not. With Infiniti's survival once again at stake, the lack of success enjoyed by the current QX50—which was supposed to save the brand—prompts us to temper our expectations. Sales of the QX50 have dropped by 42 percent in the U.S. over the last five years. In Canada, just 800 units were sold last year.
One last thing to consider: while the QX50 and QX55 are both manufactured in Mexico, their eventual replacement will likely be assembled at the same Tennessee plant as the Rogue in order to skirt the recently imposed U.S. tariffs. For consumers up north, unfortunately, this could become a problem—unless, of course, there's a new trade agreement between the U.S. and Canada.
