Infiniti is offering its clients the possibility to cutomize the interior of its cars with great materials. The current QX50 is the latest car to benefit from Infiniti expertise.
 
The materials chosen for the production car are the result of a design process that started as early as 2015, when the brand’s designers produced the first sketches of what would become the 2016 QX Sport Inspiration concept car. Inspired by the notions of ‘mitate’ and ‘shitate’, they experimented with a range of unfamiliar leathers throughout the development of the interior.
 
Black saddle leather, famed for its robustness, created the structure and shapes of the center console and parts of the dashboard, while softer, passive surfaces were trimmed in white matte and Nubuck leather. The adherence to the ‘shitate’ philosophy encouraged INFINITI’s designers to tailor materials in new and unconventional ways. For instance, the speakers inside the door were housed behind stiff black saddle leather, with slashes in the material creating a bold alternative to more normal speaker covers. The range of materials lent itself to the creation of a dramatic two-tone black-and-white interior, contrasted with tan edging – the natural hue of the leather – where black met white.
 
In examining how different materials could be used, the design process for QX Sport Inspiration formed the basis for a new way of creating interiors.
 
The cabin is trimmed in genuine, matte-finish, open-pore maple, treated in such a way as to retain its natural characteristics – both in terms of its texture and its appearance. Running a hand over it, the grain of the wood is still detectable to the touch. The high level of craftsmanship required to achieve this helps to create an authentic, modern and highly tactile dashboard.
 
INFINITI used a new manufacturing technique to wrap and sew the QX50’s leather-bound dashboard, and other surfaces throughout the interior. By adopting this technique, INFINITI’s designers have been able to finish the cabin in a carefully-curated selection of supple, indulgent leathers.