Sneak Peek: 2013 Infiniti JX

If there was ever a gap in Infiniti’s lineup it would be a full-sized, flagship car slotting above the M. Infiniti needs a world beater; a car to compete with Mercedes-Benz’s S-Class, BMW’s 7 Series and Hyundai’s Equus—not a full-size, seven passenger crossover slotting above the FX and just below the QX. While we’ve known it was coming for awhile, we can’t say we’re prepared. The first image of the 2013 JX was released today, concurrently with two new Infiniti ad campaigns, showing how Infiniti “challenges the status quo.”

The picture that Infiniti released of the upcoming Nissan Murano-based JX crossover doesn’t tell us much about it. What the picture—a shot of the driver said headlight and ensuing profile—does tell us though is that this thing is going to be massive. The JX, which is set to begin production in the spring, will be Infiniti’s first seven-passenger crossover. According to Infiniti Vice President Ben Poore, the 2013 JX will fill a very important niche in the marketplace. “Families don’t have many luxury vehicle options today,” said Poore. “The new Infiniti JX will be the seven-passenger antidote to the ho-hum luxury crossovers that are out there right now.” Right.

In celebration of the JX’s seven-passenger capacity, Infiniti is also launching the “Power of 7” social media campaign—cleverly on the seventh day of the seventh month of the year. The Power of 7 campaign will release seven images of the JX through Infiniti’s Facebook and Twitter accounts every Thursday for the next seven weeks, leading up to the concept’s debut at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 18. The production version of the 2013 JX will debut at November’s Los Angeles Auto Show.

In somewhat related Infiniti news, Infiniti is also launching a new series of TV ads today, touting Infiniti’s record of bucking “the status quo.”

According to Infiniti, it’s “challenging the status quo” by first releasing the minute long spot to its Facebook fans and Twitter followers first, before the commercial, titled “Challenger” hits the airwaves during the MLB All-Star game next week.

The ad touts Infiniti’s contributions to society, like the camera monitor system on its massive QX56 SUV and its blind spot warning hardware available on the M, and then compares them to Albert Einstein’s famous E=MC² conservation of energy equation and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Infiniti justifies its audacious comparisons by essentially saying like the Berliners, they too challenge conventions and push the boundaries. “When it comes to automotive luxury, there’s lots of vanilla out there, cars that can literally lull a buyer into boredom,” said Poore. “Infiniti’s definition of luxury is different. Our new brand spots demonstrate Infiniti doesn’t take a conventional approach, we never have and never will.”

Thanks to: Motor Trend