Having already shown the QX Sport Inspiration concept in Paris last year, Infiniti gave us an even clearer picture of what to expect from its next-generation mid-range crossover with the unveiling of the QX50 Concept in Detroit just a couple of months ago.
As you can see from these spy shots, though, the Japanese automaker isn’t wasting much time before putting the next-generation QX50 into production. And the prototypes are already looking very close to the concept’s design, albeit not without some concessions to reality.
Shared with us by the good folks at Wheelwell, these spy shots were snapped on the streets of San Francisco. And given the concepts we’ve seen before, there’s little question over what we’re looking at.
Though the badges are all covered up, it’s unmistakably an Infiniti; that much you could tell just from the shape of the grille. The design also bears some striking similarities to the concepts’, from the “snake’s head” hood through the sculpted shoulder line curving towards the rear. Even the wheels look similar.
Of course, there are certain things that need to be changed from the concept to the production version. The front bumper looks to have been beefed up a bit. The mirrors are more substantial. And there are actual door handles. There are also parts that remain hidden from our prying eyes even on the outside, like the C-pillar design and the vents at the bumpers’ outer corners.
But overall, from what we can see, it looks pretty darn close to the show car we saw just a couple of months ago. It also looks like a significant improvement over the current model introduced in 2013, and a more compelling challenger to the likes of the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes GLC, and Volvo XC60.
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