Infinity Q50 to be called Skyline in Japan
The Nissan Skyline is set to continue its life as a slightly tweaked version of the Infiniti Q50 Hybrid in Japan.
Nissan has confirmed that the iconic nameplate – which dates back to 1955 – will live on with the new version being almost identical to the Q50 sedan meant for other global markets, and in something of an unprecedented move it will also defy traditional rebadging logic by using both Skyline and Infiniti badges.
The front grille will sport an Infiniti emblem, the rear of the car will do away with any Infiniti references and replacing them with a Skyline badge. That’s pretty much the only modification that will be made to the model, which will officially be called the Nissan Skyline and will be sold exclusively through the Nissan dealerships in Japan.
The previous Infinity models that were sold in Japan did not feature Infiniti badges, replacing them with the Nissan logo on the front grille – these models included the G35, G37 and EX37 crossover have received this treatment.
According to the company, the decision to take this course of action is threefold. The first one is that despite the fact that the brand is 24 years old, the Infiniti has never been sold in Japan, excepting the car being badged as the Q50. This means that the car will be the first to at least wear an Infiniti badge in Japan.
The second reason is that Nissan says Japanese consumers are aware of Infiniti and they are keen to be reminded that Skyline is a world-class car, so this is the reason for keeping the Infinity logo.
The third reason is that Nissan says the Skyline badge is simply too iconic to do away with.
The ‘new’ Nissan Skyline will only be offered with the Q50’s hybrid powertrain and not the car’s optional 3.7-litre V6. Both rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive layouts will be available even though at this stage it isn’t yet known if there will be a successor for the outgoing Skyline coupe.
