Infiniti to cease production of QX50 and QX55 in Mexico

MEXICO - Nissan's premium brand, Infiniti, will end production of the QX50 and QX55 models in Mexico. This announcement represents a critical moment for the COMPAS plant, located in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

This facility, a joint venture between Daimler and Nissan that began operations in 2017, was conceived to manufacture premium vehicles from both companies, including models from Mercedes-Benz and Infiniti. However, Infiniti's decision to cease these models leaves an uncertain outlook for the plant.

The two models assembled at COMPAS were primarily destined for the U.S. market. But 2024 was a tough year in the U.S. for Infiniti, with a 10.2% decline in sales. The QX50, although it remained its second best-selling model with 10,722 units delivered, faces withdrawal from the market along with the QX55.

“Constantly, and until 2030, we will be launching new models. There will be changes,” said José Román, global director of Infiniti, in an interview last December.

The end of QX50 and QX55 production looks to make way for other successor models, with a focus on more expensive products and higher profit margins. In their place, Infiniti will launch the refreshed QX60, a three-row SUV, and the new QX65, a two-row coupe-style model, in 2026.

Both models will be designed to capture higher-income customers, with prices topping US$43,000 (about P889,000) for the QX50 and US$50,150 for the QX55 (P1 million). However, it is unclear whether any of these vehicles will be produced in Mexico, increasing doubts about the future of the COMPAS plant.

In June 2024, the company and the union implemented a “separation plan” to manage the departure of workers in an effort to mitigate the effects of the production reduction.