The 2011 Infiniti QX56 was unveiled at the New York Auto Show with more power, better fuel economy, but the same price as the 2010 version.

Several photos of the new Infiniti QX56 have leaked online, looking expectantly similar to its recently unveiled Middle East cousin, the Nissan Patrol. The makeover does big things for the big luxury SUV, which always had awkward proportions. The overall look of the massive truck is now more swoopy and in line with the rest of the brand’s design language. But don’t worry QX lovers, it’s still muscularly large and it keeps its Escalade-like front grille.

Infiniti has already made it clear that it will bring an electric car to market and according to recent reports, the luxury EV will be based on Nissan’s upcoming Leaf electric car. Due out around 2014, the Infiniti version will be zero-emissions, but it won’t be slow. By that time, Nissan/Infiniti plans that lithium-ion battery advancements should allow a range similar to the Leaf (roughly 100 miles), while offering improved performance. Currently, the Leaf is rated at 107-hp and 207 ft-lbs of torque.

Infiniti has had tremendous success with the G series of “entry-level” luxury sport sedans, rivaling industry leaders like the BMW 3 Series, but when it comes to full-on flagships, Nissan’s luxury arm has only ever produced failures.

To celebrate 20 years since it first began selling cars, Nissan’s Infiniti luxury division has announced 20th Anniversary Editions of the brand’s most popular model, the G. These special editions models get an ultra-premium Graphite Shadow paint with Monaco Red leather interior. The Coupe and Convertible come with Red-toned Maple accenting and the two Sedan models have the new Shodo-finish aluminum trim. All models come equipped with the Premium and Navigation packages, which include such items as heated and cooled seats, summer high performance tires, a blacked-out front grille, new side skirts, mode aggressive front and rear fascias and a standard rear spoiler on both the coupe and sedan.

With Infiniti having just joined the European marketplace in recent years, the luxury arm of Nissan is looking to make a big impression by introducing fuel efficient diesel models, as well as the brand’s first ever hybrid.

Infiniti made a last minute decision to show its products at the Chicago Auto Show and so it took some searching to find the brands new 2011 M model tucked away in a back corner. But it was worth the hunt. Infiniti actually showed the car to us at a private event during the LA Auto Show, but the car’s Chicago Auto Show debut will be its first public appearance.

While the media was given a sneak peak at the all-new 2011 Infiniti  M37 and M56 models at a private event a few months back, the cars will be on public display for the first time at the Chicago Auto Show. After dropping out of most auto shows last year, skipping LA and then Detroit at the start of 2010, Infiniti and parent company Nissan made an 11th hour decision to attend the Chicago show.

With companies like Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Lexus all looking down-market, it’s no surprise that Infiniti is exploring its future and its expansion possibilities with a new entry-level model. What is surprising, however, is news that an entry-level Infiniti may in fact be a front-drive model.

Nissan has confirmed that after missing out on a long list of auto shows, it is preparing for the New York Auto Show in late March. The company is launching eight new models in the next 12 months and has announced that the new QX56 full-sized luxury SUV (pictured in spy photos above) from the brand’s Infiniti arm will bow at the Big Apple show.

Later this year, Infiniti will launch a turbocharged 2.5-liter version of its G sedan. This new model will directly target entry-level luxury competitors like the BMW 328i, Lexus IS250 and AudiA4 2.0T.

Nissan’s next generation of the iconic GT-R may be a hybrid sports car. According to a report in Japan’s Best Car magazine, the R36 GT-R could use a 440-hp gasoline engine mated to a 160-hp electric motor. This would allow the car to output as much as 600-hp in some modes, while attaining impressive fuel economy in another mode.

After previous reports had suggested Infiniti’s stunning Essence concept would never be any more than a shinny piece of auto show metal, word has now emerged that the luxury automaker may turn this fantasy into a reality.

Choosing to forgo the pomp and circumstance (not to mention the price) of the LA Auto Show, Infiniti unveiled a mid-cycle refresh of the G37 sports sedan alongside the all new 2011 M37 and M56. The G wasn’t exactly looking dated, but as the most important product in Infiniti’s lineup, the company didn’t want to risk falling behind.

Infiniti has just unveiled the latest generation of its M cars at the swanky SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. The M will be offered as both an M37 and M56, with both models being either RWD or AWD. Like the G37, the M37 is powered by a 3.7-liter V6 engine with 270 ft-lbs of torque. As for the M56, it gets a massive 5.6-liter mill with an impressive 420-hp and 417 ft-lbs of torque. In total, the new top-level M gets 95-hp and 81 ft-lbs of torque over its predecessor, the M45.

With Infiniti already having announced that it would debut the all new 2011 M at a private event the evening before the LA Auto Show, news has now leaked that the automaker will use the venue to showcase two more vehicles.

With Infiniti’s parent company (Nissan) have made it clear that it would not display at the LA Auto Show due to budget concerns, the automaker is preparing to use the event to its advantage by showing the all new 2011 Infiniti M37 and M56 at a private event the evening prior to the show.

Nissan President Carlos Ghosn has confirmed that the automaker is getting ready to bring several electric vehicles to market, including one sold under the Infiniti brand. Ghosn made the announcement at the Tokyo Auto Show, where the brand officially unveiled the Nissan Leaf electric car as well as the strange Land Glider concept, which is also being studied as a fourth electric vehicle.

An Infiniti electric concept vehicle is currently being prepared that will be a compact four seater with typical Infiniti luxury and style.

No additional details were given, including if the four-seater would be a small sedan or a 2+2 coupe. Regardless, it is sure to take design cues from the Essence concept that was first shown at the Geneva Autpp Show last March.

Official release after the jump:

As seemingly impossible as it sounds, Nissan is contemplating bringing its Land Glider concept to North America and badging it as an Infiniti. The half-car, half-motorcycle electric vehicle concept is set to debut tomorrow (October 21st) at the Tokyo Auto Show and is certainly seems like the sort of wild one-off creation that is used to inspire production models, rather than become one itself.

Nissan has chosen the Tokyo Auto Show to debut the next generation of the company’s top-level Fuga luxury sedan. Sold in North America as the Infinti M, it’s not clear if Nissan plans to offer the same 3.7-liter V6 (M37) and 5.6-liter V8 (M56) engine choices. Nissan will, however, deliver a hybrid model, similar to the M35 Hybrid that the company announced yesterday. Engineered comletely in-house, this new hybrid model promises increased performance with increased fuel economy and will use a lithium-ion battery pack, combined with an electric motor and Nissans 3.5-liter V6 engine.

The 2011 Infiniti M luxury sedan hasn’t even made it’s debut yet and already Nissan’s luxury arm has announced that a hybrid version of the M will be offered.

Thanks to a budding spy-photographer with a cell phone camera we have these images of the next Infiniti QX. Reportedly taken at a private event in the middle-east, the photos show a significantly revised look with much of the old luxury SUV’s odd proportions smoothed over.

While the real stars of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance are the vintage autos, the Concept Lawn is a special place where future show-stoppers are put on display. While some of the models are actually concepts, many are rare coachbuilt models and a few are full-production cars.

As promised Infiniti gave a “virtual” preview of the upcoming 2011 M today at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Using state-of-the-art 3D video mapping technology, an image of the new M was projected onto a molded styrofoam shape, revealing the third-generation of the sedan that is both sporting and luxurious.

Nissan is looking to turbochargers as a method to deliver high-output performance with low fuel-consumption in its future lineup of vehicles. Tetsuya Takahash, a top engineer at Nissan, made the exciting comments to the folks at MotorTrend.

Infinti first introduced its current M class of mid-level luxury sedans (pictured above) back in 2005 with the ’06 model and so it’s no surprise that the Japanese luxury brand is now hard at work developing a follow-up. According to a report by Motor Trend, the luxury arm of Nissan is getting ready to show off the new third-generation vehicle at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in August… sort of.

While Japanese luxury brands have been encroaching on traditional German car territory for over two decades, in the entry-level luxury convertible segment companies like BMW have been unchallenged, until now.

Nissan has just announced the release of the Skyline Crossover in Japan, but it’s not what you might expect. Yes, it’s all-wheel drive, but noticeably absent are two turbochargers strapped to the vehicle’s V6 engine. That is because this is actually a Japanese version of the Infiniti EX.

To help promote the launch of the Infiniti brand in the U.K., the luxury Japanese automaker will bring its stunning Essence Concept to the Goodwood Festival of Speed in September. Alongside the Essence will be Infiniti’s brand new G37 Convertible. Sadly, Infiniti explicitly points out in its press release that while the G37 will be on sale this year in the U.K., the Essence will not.

The BMW 3 Series has long been held as the pinnacle of what the modern sport sedan/coupe should be: compact, relatively lightweight, excellent power and nimble responses. Despite the billions of dollars spent by dozens of manufacturers to come up with a ‘3 Series Fighter,’ they have all come up short in one aspect or another.

We’re sorry to report that Infiniti’s breathtakingly beautiful Essence Concept will not see production, this according to a company spokesman.

After watching from the shadows for years as Toyota dominated the hybrid market, Nissan is finally preparing to launch it’s own ground-up hybrid vehicle; except it won’t be a Nissan, it will be an Infiniti.

Quick, name four luxury automakers. If you’re like most folks, you’ll name – in no particular order – Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, and Jaguar. You might have also named Rolls-Royce or Bentley. But chances are, you probably didn’t think of Infiniti on your first try.

While we all wait patiently for Infiniti to bring news that the Essence Concept car, (unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this month), will go in to production, a small part of it is already scheduled for use in upcoming models.

Oh hell yes!

For a car to be a top pick it must have ranked at the top of its class in an overall test score, which includes 50 individual tests. A Car must also have an average of better predicted reliability rating and must perform “adequately” in safety tests by the NHTSA or IIHS. Consumer Reports also stipulates that for any car to be a top pick it must have stability control (ESC).

Having just stepped out of Infiniti’s FX35, I slide myself into the FX50 and I begin to wonder why the more powerful version costs almost $15,000 more (especially when the two vehicles only differ in price by $8,000 in Canada). The interiors of the two SUVs are almost identical – that is, if you happen to have the $2,350 Premium Package on your FX35 that comes with quilted leather seats (which are standard equipment on the FX50).

With the launch of the new 2009 Infiniti FX line, the more powerful FX50 has been stealing all the headlines, but thanks to many changes the higher-volume FX35 might be all the crossover you need.

While the G37 Sedan has a long list of competitors, the luxury sports sedan is one of fewer options for consumers to choose from in the all-wheel drive category.

According to a report by Edmunds InsideLine, Nissan will move production of the 2010 Quest and Titan, as well as the Infiniti QX56, outside the United States – a move that is sparking rumors that several Nissan models might be on the chopping block.

Heavier, slower and more expensive; it’s the price you pay to have the sun on your face no matter what convertible you opt for, and the G37 is no exception. All convertibles do have a certain mystique, however, and Infiniti’s drop-top version of the G37 is definitely a stunning piece of work.

Interestingly the G37 Convertible is actually wider out back to accommodate the hard-top convertible roof. The body of the car is 1.1-inches wider and incredibly the track is even extended 1.4-inches.

Power is supplied by the 325hp 3.7-liter Nissan V6 with a seven-speed automatic standard and an optional six-speed manual.

In total the G37 Convertible weights 442 lbs more than the coupe.

Official press release after the jump:

Welcome to the AutoGuide.com News Blog, your comprehensive source for breaking automotive news. Our staff of writers and contributors will keep you updated on all aspects of the auto industry, from vehicle unveilings, to concept cars, to news from auto shows, the aftermarket and the world of motorsports.

The new Infiniti EX35 crossover is up against stiff competition, but after a week with one not too long ago it’s clear the competition doesn’t have it easy either. Selecting the model with Infiniti’s intelligent AWD system with ATTESSA E-TS (Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All Electronic Torque Split) adds $1,400 and is well worth the price, but be careful because it’s not hard to drive the original $35,450 price tag over the $46,000 mark.