Unlike our friends at the Big Three, Nissan is sensing that a party has ended, and it is time to call it a night. From a report from Autoblog, word is that Nissan is seriously considering axing some undersirable models.
First up is the horribly ugly Infiniti QX. I suppose Infiniti felt compelled to compete against Lexus’ equally ugly, giant SUV’s, but there is just no excuse for this vehicle. The rest of Infiniti’s model line-up is simply too good for the QX to remain. It just does not fit in any meaninful way.
The Nissan Armada is also a likely victim here. The Infiniti QX is built on the same guts, so there is no point on continuing this ugly parade any longer than needed.
Lastly, the Quest, according to Autoblog, appears to be on the list of models to be axed by Nissan. This should not be a shock to anyone-Nissan was never a player in the North American minivan market. I applaud Nissan for making an effort, however. In a crowded market, Nissan got quirky, and offered us some funky minivans. While Honda advertised funk on TV, Nissan delivered weirdness and funk on a level Honda never got close to. But the public never responded.
Nissan had too many trucks and SUV’s available at the same time. It is time to trim the line. Get back to what Nissan knows. No SUV bigger than an XTerra. Nissan may be late to recognize the shift in consumer taste, but not too late.