Infiniti has revealed a new crossover concept ahead of next week’s Beijing Auto Show. The QX Sport Inspiration shouldn’t shock anyone with its sleek yet brawny design, which has become common on recent Infiniti concepts and production vehicles.
While some of the design cues are certainly not production-ready, the corporate grille, vertical air inlets, LED headlights, and swoopy roofline all look ready for primetime. Styling from the latest Q30 and Q60 models are massaged into the QX Sport’s exterior perhaps as a preview of the next generation QX70.
Some of the QX Sport’s more standout features include air channels behind the front wheels, a rounded D pillar, and chrome trims to outline character lines. New-for-Infiniti designs include rectangular exhaust ports and a satin diffuser incorporated into the rear bumper.
Inside, the center console angles towards the driver, front passengers are treated to sport bucket seats, and there’s a flat-bottomed steering wheel, along with a few other hints as to the concept’s performance intentions. Considering how hot sporty SUVs have become lately, there’s a very good chance Infiniti is considering a “Red Sport” version of one of its models or a standalone performance crossover vehicle.
On the technology side, the QX Sport features a digital driver display and a tablet-like infotainment system.
As far as powertrain details are concerned, it’s all speculation at this point. That being said, a twin-turbocharged V6 seems like the right fit and could be borrowed from the 2017 Q60 to churn up 350 or more horsepower. Though Infiniti has yet to dabble much in electrically assisted platforms (beyond the hybridized Q50), a performance-oriented gas-electric hybrid setup may also find its way into the production QX Sport.
Should Infiniti give the concept a ‘go’ for assembly, its main rivals would include the Jaguar F-Pace, Porsche Macan, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC, all in their high-output designations.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.