Infiniti Q45

The Infiniti Q45 is a full-size luxury sedan (F-segment in Europe) that was marketed by the Infiniti division of Nissan from the 1990 to 2006 model years. The inaugural product line and flagship sedan of the brand, the Q45 competed directly against the Acura Legend and Lexus LS 400, as multiple Japanese automobile manufacturers began to establish dedicated luxury-vehicle brands in North America during the late 1980s.

As with the Lexus LS, the Q45 also competed against the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, matching them closely in size. Three generations of the model line were produced. The first generation (G50; 1990–1996) was developed specifically for Infiniti; a long-wheelbase version with Nissan President was developed from it. The second generation (Y33; 1997–2000) became a rebranded version of the Nissan Cima (a longer-wheelbase version of the Nissan Cedric/Gloria). The third and final generation (F50; 2002–2006) was again derived from the Cima, again sharing a platform with the President.

First generation (G50; 1989)

The first generation Q45 came to market in August 1989 as a 1990 model with a high-output 4.5-liter VH45DE DOHC 32V V8 engine rated at 278 hp and 292 lbft in North American trim. All Q45s included a viscous limited-slip differential and a multi-link suspension at the front and rear.[4] Nissan chose to position it as a luxurious performance sedan, installing technology that would achieve this purpose, and used the letter "Q" from the western tradition of the Q-car meant to imply that its unassuming appearance hid its performance capabilities. At launch, the US$38000 1989 sedan had a single option, the Touring Package, which added Nissan's Super HICAS four-wheel steering system, a decklid spoiler, and alloy wheels.[5]

In Japan, it was sold as the Nissan Infiniti Q45 beginning in November 1989. The model was exclusive to Nissan Prince Store locations, as its later platform twin the President was exclusive to Nissan Store locations. The G50 chassis continued in production in Japan until 2002 as the President in both regular and extended wheelbase versions. The Japanese version had many options that never appeared on the North American G50. The Infiniti Q45 was positioned above the Y31 Cima, but below the President.

The contemporary upstart luxury marque Lexus (Toyota) had managed to challenge the established dominance of European full-size luxury cars with the LS 400, so the Q45 seemed poised for similar success with comparable specifications and price to the LS 400 while featuring more emphasis upon handling. However, the Q45 did not achieve similar sales volumes, which was attributed to the car's unconventional styling, particularly the grille and lack of interior woodgrain or chrome trim. There was also an unusual advertising campaign which did not include actual photos or information about the car.[6][7][8] By 1995, the price had risen to US$54000 1995, slowing sales.[9]

In 1993 the Infiniti brand was launched in Australia with the sole model on offer being the Q45. With a price of A$140,000, the Q45 sold poorly and the brand was subsequently withdrawn from the market in 1996.[10][11]

Design

According to the design team, the Q45 was meant to "express the Japanese concept of luxury" by incorporating traditional Japanese craftsmanship; as initially released, there was no front grille and no wood paneling on the dashboard.[12] Nissan received assistance from Poltrona Frau for the minimalist interior.[13] A grille was added in 1993 and interior wood had appeared by 1995.

Nissan had launched a program called the "901 Movement" or "901 Activity" in 1985, with the goal of "realizing the No. 1 operating performance in the world by 1990",[14] making Nissan's the best handling lineup in the industry.[15] Other vehicles resulting from the "901" program included the 300ZX (Z32), Primera (P10), Silvia (S13), and Skyline (R32)

Second generation (Y33; 1997)

The second generation Q45 was a lightly revised variant of the Nissan Cima for the Japanese domestic market,[25] which shared a common platform with the Cedric / Gloria (Y33 generation). For most of its vehicles, Infiniti uses a naming convention that combined a letter indicating the series or market position, followed by a two-digit number for engine displacement; for instance, the first generation Q45 (G50) name designates the flagship (Q-series) followed by 45 for its 4.5-liter V8; the second-generation Q45 was an exception (as was the QX4, derived from the contemporary Nissan Pathfinder), as it used a smaller 252 cuin VH41DE engine.[25]

Design

Styling featured an inverse curve C-pillar, and a pronounced full-length horizontal character beltline. Despite the shorter wheelbase in the Y33 compared to the G50, rear legroom increased by 3.9 in; however, the trunk was faulted by owners as being small, with a volume of 12.6 ft3.[26] Standard features for the second-generation Q45 included traction control, leather interior with faux wood trim, single (later dual) zone climate control, Bose audio system with eight speakers and in-dash single disc CD player, auto dimming rear view mirror, automatic light on and delay off timer, steering wheel-mounted cruise control and head unit controls. Also standard was a memory system for the driver's seat and steering wheel.[26] Available options included an integrated satellite navigation system, 6-disc CD autochanger and heated seats.

The touring package, again badged as the Q45t, featured 17-inch wheels and tires, electronically modulated performance-tuned suspension, blackout grille, blackout headlight treatment, and performance style steering wheel.[26]

The front suspension was changed to a MacPherson strut; rear suspension was similar to the G50, using a multilink design. The second generation Q45 (Y33) was equipped with a viscous LSD and electronic traction control as standard features. Compared to the first generation (G50), the Y33 was approximately 200 lb lighter, and the steering ratio was slowed further, from 17.0:1 to 18.5:1.[25] As Edmunds noted for the 1997 model year, "The Q45 no longer has aspirations to be a sport sedan, its prime duties now are interstate cruising."[27]

Performance

The Q45 (Y33) equipped with the VH41DE producing 199 kW and 278 lbft was able to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in approximately 7.5 seconds.[28]

Updates

The Q45 front and rear fascias were slightly revised for 1999; HID headlights and an analog clock became standard equipment.[27] Five-spoke 17" aluminum alloy wheels and an electronic adjustable suspension became standard on the Q45t.

The Q45 Anniversary Edition, limited to 3,000 units, offered highest trim level available for the second-generation Q45, available on 2000 models and standard on the 2001 models. The package included all features of the Q45t model along with "Anniversary Edition" markings on the tailgate badge, ignition key, front seat embossing and floor mats as well as genuine wood trim, wood tone/leather steering wheel, special bright machine finish 17-inch performance wheels and exclusive body color door handles.[29] <li>New front seatbelt pretensioners,[27] mechanical odometer replaced with a liquid crystal display unit from January 1998 production.[30]</li> <li> New standard features included power rear-window sunshade, power trunklid pull-down, and high-intensity xenon gas headlights. Taillights were removed from the boot lid.[31]

model code	G50
aka	Nissan Infiniti Q45 (Japan and Australia)‡R1R‡
model years	1990–1996
production	August 1989 – June 1996
related	Nissan President
engine	4.5L VH45DE V8
wheelbase	1990–91: 2875 mm 1992–96: 2880 mm
length	5090 mm
width	1825 mm
height	1990–1993: 1430 mm 1994–1996: 1425 mm
weight	1780 - 1840 kg
transmission	4–speed automatic
designer	Shunji Yamanaka (1987)‡R2R‡‡R3R‡

First generation (G50; 1989)

Design

Second generation (Y33; 1997)

Design

Performance

Updates

Third generation (F50; 2001)

Design and features

Replacement

Sales

Sales

External links

References

Equipment

Models

Performance

Updates