The big Japanese automakers are gearing up for a major transition to EVs which will completely dominate their lineups by 2030-2035. And while Nissan remains silent about its future plans, we’ve got a report suggesting the Skyline will debut as an electrified sedan in 2024, followed by a “Skyline Crossover.” It’s a really complicated change that even we struggled to comprehend.
Japanese scoop website Best Car Web has proven a reliable source of information in the past few years, but the stories they’re publishing these days are quite wild. They’ve suggested the R36 GT-R will be an all-electric rival to the Porsche Taycan. The Skyline will do something similar, even though these nameplates have stopped using the same platform after the R34.
The new Skyline model is supposed to debut in Japan as early as 2024, and it’s not a revival. The Infiniti luxury brand never got introduced to Japan, so instead, they sell the Q50 sedan under the Skyline name. So actually, this new 2024 Skyline could be coming to the United States as a Q50, even though it’s supposed to have a really strange powertrain.
It’s supposed to get a new AWD dual-motor system with e-POWER, Nissan’s electrified tech which you normally don’t see in the States. It uses a 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine with turbocharging and variable compression ratio, the KR15. There’s already a similar system in the X-Trail crossover, the European version of the Rogue. The two electric motors produce a combined 213 horsepower and the 1.5-liter engine only charges the battery.
2024 Nissan Skyline / 2025 Infiniti Q50 expected specs
Our source claims the 1.5L turbo produces 144 hp, although that doesn’t really matter because it doesn’t go to the wheels. The two motors produce a little bit more horsepower than the X-Trail.
The front motor makes 204 hp and 243 lb-ft of torque (330 Nm), while the motor at the back makes 136 hp and 144 lb-ft of torque (195 Nm). These EV motors already exist. However, the total system output will only reach 230-250 horsepower, unlike normal EVs where the output is directly added from the two motors.
While the 2024 Skyline could technically be considered an electric car with a range extender, we expect it to have quite a limited EV range. the X-Trail, for example, only has a 2.1 kWh battery pack. We suspect the Infiniti Q50 will have other powertrains as well because this one doesn’t seem ideal for the way Americans drive. However, with the way the platform is set up, the Q50 will be more like a luxury Altima than the tail-happy, V6-powered sports sedan available today.
So why not just have a regular hybrid? Well, EV motors are more responsive, quieter, and have better responses. In short, they provide a great, simple driving experience.
The other powertrain choice will likely be a conventional hybrid in Japan and a 2.0-liter VC-Turbo with 248 hp in America. The new Skyline is seat to measure approximately 4,800mm long (189 inches), riding on a 2,800mm wheelbase (110 inches). That would make it about 4 inches shorter than the current Q50 sold in North America, and it will also be about 2 inches narrower.
The Skyline SUV will be the sporty one
Believe it or not, the Skyline SUV is nothing new. I first noticed that Japan was using the “Skyline Crossover” name for what was essentially just the Infiniti EX37.
A new one is being developed right now, although it won’t use this strange hybrid or electric powertrain. Instead, Nissan is reportedly developing it as a successor to the Q60 Coupe, which will be discontinued, and will use the Q50 platform. So is this a replacement for the QX50, the EX37’s modern cousin, or the QX55? And won’t this create confusion, with the QX60 already existing as quite a big crossover? Unknown. However, US dealers will love getting any new 4×4.
