Infiniti Execs Admit Their Car Names Are Confusing—And a Change Is Coming

Simple and Understandable

I’d like to think that one of the hardest automotive processes is naming the actual car. As simple as it may be, I’m sure countless man-hours and meetings have been spent on naming. Some brands like to use words and come up with unique names, while others prefer to keep it simple with a combination of letters and numbers.

This is usually reserved for the premium brands, but Infiniti is looking to shake things up. After years of using letters and numbers, a change to a more streamlined type of naming process.

Internal Confusion

While it’s understandable that some people are confused by the numbers-and-letters naming style, most have gotten used to it by now. However, it has come to light that some Infiniti executives have expressed confusion about how the brand names its models. In a report by Edmunds, they were able to attend a media session with Nissan Americas’ chief product and planning officer Ponz Pandikuthira.

Pandikuthira candidly admitted to the assembled media that he was frustrated with the current naming process and that Infiniti is working to change it. He isn’t alone in feeling this frustration; he notes that Nissan Americas’ chairman, Christian Meunier, isn’t a fan of this “alphabet soup,” which doesn’t stick to people or resonate with buyers. Most of the confusion centers on the “Q” and “QX” models, introduced in 2012 to streamline the lineup.

This naming convention debuted in 2014, when the G became the Q50, the M transformed into the Q70, and the crossover and SUVs took on the QX (add number here) names. Pandikuthira says that Nissan banks on a lot of great nameplates, that Infiniti lost our on by going alphanumeric, lamenting the loss of the FX, which he claims stood for something.

What Now?

There are a few cars slated for launch still under the current naming convention: the QX65 and the Skyline-platform Q50 are set to make a return. After that, nothing is clear, which could provide Infiniti the opportunity to fix its naming problems.

Some will argue they understand Infinit’s model lineup, but looking at the competition proves Pandikuthira’s point. Alphanumeric works if it provides a clear distinction between models. For example, you understand that the BMW 2-series is different from the 3-series, that the Audi Q5 is different from the Q7, and that a Lexus IS is not the same as an LS.