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2018 Infiniti QX50 high on local arm’s wishlist

The upcoming 2018 Infiniti QX50 is a model the local arm is very keen to get its hands on, according to the company's manager for product planning.

James Wong

00:5115 April 2017

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Speaking with CarAdvice at the local launch of the new Q60 Red Sport coupe earlier this week, Bernard Michel, product planning manager for Infiniti Cars Australia, said a rival to models like the Mercedes GLC, Audi Q5 and BMW X3 would fill a major void in the company's line-up.

"There's one fundamental product we'd like, a mid-sized SUV, and it's definitely under consideration for Australia," he said.

"But, timing, we don't know."

The current-generation QX50 never made it to Australia, and sits in between the smaller QX30 and larger QX70 in the Japanese marque's range in overseas markets.

A concept version (above, top) made an appearance at the Detroit motor show earlier this year, though the finer details of the company's new mid-size SUV are still few and far between.

Last month a heavily-disguised prototype (below) was spied during development testing in Europe, and it appears the production version will stay very true to the concept car that preceded it.

It's unknown at this stage what will power the mid-sized crossover, though it's likely a range of turbocharged four- and six-cylinder petrol engines are on the cards, along with a potential hybrid variant.