00:00We're here at the Quail, a motorsports gathering,
00:02which is the poshest of all auto shows on the map.
00:07And we are with the new face of Infiniti.
00:10Welcome, Tiago Castro, the new head of Infiniti North America.
00:14It's so nice to see you here.
00:17It's great to see you, Scotty.
00:18Thank you for having me.
00:19Is this your first Monterey Car Week event?
00:22First ever for me.
00:24Not the first one for Infiniti, though.
00:25We've been here for 19 years.
00:27This is a very unique venue.
00:29It gives us opportunity to showcase the Infiniti products.
00:33And today we're testing three new concepts.
00:36We're very focused on simple tasks.
00:39We need to improve the present, accelerate the future.
00:41QX80, our flagship model that we just launched in 2024,
00:45had a record first six months.
00:47So momentum is building.
00:49QX60 built in the US.
00:51We also grew sales year over year.
00:53Now, because of the tariffs, we had to pause for the QX50, 55.
00:57But I'm really focused on, you know, intensifying and improving the sales of those models that we can generate more revenue.
01:04And we have more good news coming up with the Monograph Concept QX65 Monograph behind us.
01:10This is just a little teaser for what's coming next spring, which is the QX65.
01:16This model is a two-row fastback SUV, but it gives us opportunity to position Infiniti in the heart of one of the biggest luxury segments in the market.
01:241999 was a part that was his coupish, powerful car with the FX.
01:35Fast forward 25 years or so, and we got the chance to do a derivative of the QX60.
01:43So we thought it's a very natural to blend a little bit of the personal feeling of the FX, but make it a QX65.
01:53On the side view, it's a bit of an homage to an FX and things like that, but the decision that was a bit intriguing during the process is what kind of character should we give the front?
02:04And because we had just launched the QX80 and we really loved some of the features of that front face, we started experimenting on applying that for the X65.
02:14We split the lamps, we brought the piano keys from the QX80, and we also brought this crisscrossing element.
02:23And then, of course, the split of the piano keys becomes a bamboo, which now has spread out.
02:29It's a bit more organic, but you still feel the structure of the branches and, of course, the way the bamboo locks into the Infiniti logo.
02:40Cars usually end a bit flat and abrupt, but we wanted this feeling of almost the wings, the tail of the bird coming to an edge.
02:50And then we added so much shape, very sculptural, powerful rear end, and also the tail of an airplane or a bird.
03:00We are trying to make a feel more on the sports side, but when you come inside, it will have a beautiful red and black interior full of quilting.
03:10So you're in a sanctuary at the end of the day.
03:12The QX80, it's a luxury SUV, very focused on customers in an urban environment.
03:22On the other side is really how far off the road can the QX80 go.
03:28With both of the cars, we're trying to test the elasticity of the brand, outdoor spirit and on-road performance.
03:38Design is very important for the luxury market, and then we can't forget the client experience.
03:45You've got to deliver something more than just the products.
03:48Recently, J.D. Power scored all the luxury brands in the market for client experience,
03:53and Infiniti was number two in the whole industry just behind Porsche.
03:57That's something we can be really proud about, and we need to emphasize, why not be the number one, right?
04:02Thank you for spending a few minutes with us here at the Quail.
04:06I do have one last question.
04:08What's your daily driver?
04:10My daily driver is a QX80.
04:11A QX80.
04:12A QX80 Autograph.
04:14That's what we're driving this week, and I'm going to say it's a good choice.
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