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An Interview with Infiniti's Eric Ledieu (Bonus Episode)
00:16:34
Jill chats with Infiniti Vice President of the Americas Eric Ledieu about the all-new QX65 luxury crossover, the future of the brand, and renewing public interest in sedans.
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- [00:03]
A
Whether you drive a car, need a car, or just occasionally bum a ride with friends, you've come to the right place. Join Jill and Tom as they break down everything that's going on in the auto world. New car reviews, shopping tips, driving green electric cars, classic cars, and plenty of great guests. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast.
- [00:24]
B
Hey, all, this is Jill Ciminello, and we are here in Nashville today for a special edition of the Car Stuff podcast. And we are here with with Eric LeDoux, who is the vice president of Infinity Americas. And we're going to talk a little bit of Infinity today. So thank you for agreeing to meet with us.
- [00:43]
C
Yeah, thanks for coming.
- [00:44]
B
Yeah. I hear you had a really hard travel to get here today.
- [00:48]
C
Yeah, about 30 minutes on the interstate. That's about it. Well, you know, so welcome to town.
- [00:53]
B
Rough travels. Thank you. It's good to be here. So I just wanted to kick this off and talk a little bit about Infinity in general before we dig into the QX65. And so just wanted to ask you, Infinity has gone through a lot of reinventions, reincarnations, and I'm just wanting to get your insight a little bit on what does the brand stand for today, right now?
- [01:17]
C
Yeah, the brand today is really what it's always been about. Right. Which is ultimate luxury for our customers, an ownership experience that is like no other and that really gets delivered to the customer in many ways, whether it's through the product, whether it's through our retail network, whether it's enjoying the interior of a vehicle or the driving dynamics of our products. So it really manifests itself in a lot of different places. And to this day, even sitting here looking at a new QX65 that's coming, but we've got a QX80 that delivers on all of those fronts I just mentioned, and we got a QX60 that does the same. We got a few QX50s and 55s left over. We've only got about 60 of them left around the country, but obviously the days for that vehicle are no longer. But they delivered on that as well. And so, yes, we've had some iterations of products coming and going, but the brand is very much still the same.
- [02:11]
B
So, speaking of comings and going, so right now you have the QX60, the QX65, which we're going to be talking about, and the QX80, but you've got some new things on the horizon.
- [02:20]
C
Yes.
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B
So what can you tell me about what's coming?
- [02:23]
C
So we have really. This is the 65 is the continuation of our product renaissance. So call it chapter two, but we got a lot of chapters coming after that. So next year we have a high powered, high performance V6 sedan coming to be offered to the market not only in automatic, but also in manual transmission, which the enthusiasts are absolutely going to devour. Not long after that, the year after, we come out with a midsize SUV sitting and slotted below QX65, lots of volume to be done there. So super excited about that being developed in all wheel drive with, with a electrified powertrain. Right. Some sort of hybrid electrification for us. And then beyond that, we continue to build on that momentum with frame based vehicles that are being developed as we sit here today on a family of five vehicles that three of which will be Nissan's, two of which will be Infiniti's. So we are right smack in the heart of not only the market with the next couple of years in terms of what we're bringing to the market, but also continuing to develop some really exciting products.
- [03:35]
B
So that's a lot. You're talking about a sedan, you're talking about body on frame SUVs. So who would you say that your customer is?
- [03:44]
C
Our customer is. Well, it really depends on the product. Right. So Think about a QX60 customer today who is likely has family, a need for that third row, a very full agenda and lifestyle. And now we bring in QX65 that doesn't have the third row, but it might be an empty nester either before they start a family or an empty nester before or after they've had their family. So every product kind of plays a little bit of a different role. When we're done with that product renaissance that was just sharing with you. Over the next few years, we feel like we'll have about 85 to 90% of the luxury market covered.
- [04:23]
B
So how are you going to be differentiating yourself from Nissan moving forward?
- [04:29]
C
You know, the one thing that's very clear to us is we are very much a luxury brand that is in reach right today. Think about our vehicles, right? Full size luxury SUV starting in the 80s going well into the hundreds, a midsize SUV starting in the 50s going into the 60s, that's very, very competitive. And then when you start to look at what you can actually buy for the money in each of our different executions, the value for the Infiniti brand is very much there and we'll continue to deliver that. If you look at the Nissan brand, comparatively speaking, obviously priced very differently and much wider price Band and in their case starting I believe in the mid-20s. Right. So very different socioeconomically. The product offering is very different. That being said, our playbook going forward is very much about platform sharing. Right. And we believe that in order to do that, you have a healthy brand with Nissan, you have a healthy brand with Infiniti. And they need one another to make those platforms make sense as we invest in the future.
- [05:42]
B
That makes complete sense to me. So what would you say the two or three most important pillars of the Infiniti brand are that are shaping this strategy as you're moving forward?
- [05:52]
C
Yeah. So number one, without question, you know, be where the customers are. So 65 now going into the heart of the market where we have about, I think 40 to 41% of all buyers. And you'll see this tomorrow, you know, as you sit down with, with, with our team, that is where all the volume so be where the customers are. So QX80 is definitely where the customer are. QX60 is definitely where the customer Q65s are where the customers are. And next year, by the way, with this performance sedan, there's, there's a segment of luxury that wants a sedan, B performance. So be there as well. And then year after that you come out with a, we come out with a midsize SUV sitting below QX65. A lot of volume to be done as down there as well. So it's really about being where the customer is. And that's why I talked about coverage a little bit ago, that we believe that really for us to be viable and healthy in the long term, not only for ourselves, but also for Nissan, that being in the heart of the market is really important. And I think in today's automotive industry we think platform sharing is really one of the results of that, of that decision making is in order to go forward you have to be able to share that investment with other brands.
- [07:07]
B
So as you are, I don't want to say pivoting, Tom hates that word. But as you are making these big changes, what obstacles do you have that you see and how are you overcoming them?
- [07:22]
C
You know, right now I would say the biggest obstacle we had and it's really over the last few years is time. Right. How quickly can we get this 65? How quickly can we get this, this high performance sports sedan and then the SUV behind that and then the frame based vehicles behind that. But we've been able to bring some of these vehicles to market. When it's all said and done, this high performance sedan is going to end up coming into market in under 30 months. That is for us, lightning speed versus what used to be four to five years. So to me, I'd say the biggest obstacle is time, especially as the competition is becoming more and more nimble. We have to be able to be nimble with it and being able to deliver and develop products on a faster cadence and react to the marketplace and what their needs are, I think is what I'm really proud of the company for being able to pull off. And we're the beneficiaries of that.
- [08:19]
B
So time is the obstacle. What does success look like when you get there? What is success going to be for Infiniti?
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C
Yeah, I think success is one of two things. One is that we are absolutely a pillar to Nissan's future. A healthy Nissan exists with a healthy Infiniti and vice versa. And so that, to me is paramount. Matter of fact, our CEO stated that last week. He stated five key pillars around the company's future. One of those pillars being an absolutely healthy and vibrant luxury brand in Infiniti. So to me, that really is what success looks like, is being part of that future equation where Infiniti can't see itself without Nissan. Nissan can't see itself without Infiniti.
- [09:06]
B
That makes sense. Okay, so moving to QX65 more specifically, this kind of is, I think, a different vehicle for you and that it is a fastback suv. It definitely has, you know, sporty proportions. So is this kind of helping to set the tone moving forward or what is this vehicle for you?
- [09:30]
C
So don't let the design language fool you. And what I mean by that is you're going to see tomorrow a beautiful fastback vehicle that has amazing proportion, that has very much continuation of our, of our, of our design language. But there is a ton of functionality in this vehicle. There's tons of space in this vehicle, both in the back row, but also in cargo space. So what I would say versus maybe other fastback executions, either from the competition or even in our history, that may have been. You feel like you're giving up a little bit of utility and convenience by having a fastback. That won't be the case with this car at all. This SUV absolutely will deliver not only in looks, but also in its ability to, you know, to hold people and hold cargo.
- [10:20]
B
So I haven't, I haven't been in it yet. So looking forward to tomorrow. But I know one of the complaints that people see with fastback vehicles often is that adult sized adults, I'm not an adult sized adult. I'm about five feet tall. So, like taller adults would have problems fitting in the back.
- [10:37]
C
Yeah. So think back to our heritage. Right. 2003, we brought out the all new Infiniti FX. Quite honestly, that not only inspires today's design language, but also created a whole new segment. That vehicle, to your point, was not the easiest if you were a tall human being to get in and out of the bath. You will see tomorrow. And we actually, last week we had our offline ceremony at Smyrna assembly here down the road and there were four of us that got in the vehicle to drive it off the line and the two gentlemen who were behind me were really tall and really like kind of big dudes. They were sitting back there, they could have almost crossed their legs. That's how comfortable they were. So super comfortable. Lots of space in the second row and then, oh, by the way, behind them, plenty of room for luggage and anything else you want to take with you.
- [11:26]
B
Because that's a question I get asked a lot. They're like, I see you sitting back there, but how does everybody else fit?
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C
Oh, no, you will be very comfortable in the backseat.
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B
Tomorrow I'm going to be lounging. I'm not going to lie.
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C
You will be able to lounge 100%.
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B
So you currently are putting the turbocharged four cylinder engine in the QX65. Do you have any plans to bring any other powertrains to, to this vehicle or.
- [11:46]
C
Yeah, so the, the first of the VC turbo done amazing work with the engineers to tune it to the appropriate levels that the design would suggest. And what I mean by that is, to your point, sporty vehicle, fun to drive. You're going to experience that tomorrow. Plenty of torque, really responsive. In terms of looking at other powertrains, we're always looking at other powertrains. Right. Whether it's bigger displacement, whether it's electrification, whether it's hybrids. You know, that's part of our announcement last week was actually to really simplify the Nissan's lineup around the world, including of course Infinitis, and to take that extra R and D and really pour it into powertrain diversification. So we're always looking, we're always looking to see whether it makes sense either in the current vehicles that we have, maybe sometimes it's performance derivatives, maybe it's something that we're hearing from the market that they want in the vehicle, a little bit of both. So, yeah, always looking. Don't have anything to share today, but we will continue to be looking. And if there's something in this vehicle a few years from now that might not be the same as today or maybe as an alternative to today's engine. Don't be surprised.
- [12:51]
B
Got it. I like don't be surprised. It's way better than that. We don't talk about future product comments. So thank you. So, you know, you have, as you've said, a couple of hybrids coming out, body on frame vehicles coming out. Stan, sports sedan with a manual transmission. Thank you for that coming out. What do you think is going to be the most compelling of these things that you're bringing out for the Infiniti brand?
- [13:17]
C
I think in the short term, of course, QX65 because of its importance to the showroom and importance to the Marketplace. And again, four out of every 10 buyers in the luxury space is in that space. So very compelling, but for a different reason. I think to me, the sports sedan right behind this thing, I mean it's the heritage of this brand is all about fun to drive, performance, and there will be plenty of that in spades on this vehicle. So I think, you know, I'll call it in the near term that'll be compelling for a whole different set of reasons. But back to my comment earlier on there is a heart. There is a part of the market that matter of fact, there was just an article I think I read yesterday talking about just the younger people kind of want sedans. Right. They don't want what mom and dad drove or are driving or both. And so I could see a resurgence of sedans coming back and oh, by the way, in some cases, sedans coming back also for affordability.
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B
Yeah.
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C
Right. So now we don't, in luxury, we don't have to worry as much about affordability, but you still want to be able to bring something that's packed with value to the consumer for a certain price. We think that the sedan will be able to do that.
- [14:25]
B
Yeah. I have to say, like pulling back into my personal archives, one of the most memorable vehicles I've ever driven was the Infiniti G37IPL with the manual transmission, real wheel drive. So much fun. So will we see that kind of like heart and soul end up in this sports sedan?
- [14:44]
C
Yes, yes. You'll see. Matter of fact, one of the things we're talking about is what to name this vehicle. Right. We still haven't named it.
- [14:52]
B
Okay.
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C
But what, what should it hold in terms of its nameplate out there? And you know what, what promises should that name make when you bring it to market? And so, yeah, you're going to have a lot of that dynamics in the vehicle. Like I said, at least 400 horsepower. A rear wheel drive performance sedan. It'll be a lot of fun to drive.
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B
All wheel drive be available?
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C
Nope.
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B
Okay.
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C
No.
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B
Okay.
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C
No. Right now the plan is rear wheel drive.
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B
Okay. And when is the date range of when you might be naming this vehicle?
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C
That's a good question. I don't even know the answer to that question. But by the time we take the covers off the vehicle, which would probably be sometime around this time next year, we would think we'll have named it by then for sure.
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B
Okay. Well, as we wrap this up, is there anything else that you want to say about the Infiniti brand or the outlook or what you have in your pocket moving forward?
- [15:44]
C
Yeah, we've talked about it a lot. I hope you can sense my excitement. Infinity is back. And Infinity is back in many, many ways. And to be able to sit here today knowing that we got this exciting new product coming out in the next few weeks and then knowing that we're just getting warmed up is super exciting. So, yeah, Infinity is back.
- [16:02]
B
Awesome. Well, thank you so much for your time today, Eric. And we are going to look forward to see what's in the works and what's coming. And I'm personally especially going to be looking forward to the new sedan with the manual transmission.
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C
Absolutely.
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B
All right. Thank you.
- [16:14]
C
You bet.
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A
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