DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Infiniti flaunts its sexy new rump

Fresh from revealing its all-new QX50 and facelifted QX80, Infiniti has now unveiled the sleek Q Inspiration Concept.

The only problem is we’ve only been afforded a rear three-quarter look at the Nissan premium brand’s sleek new luxury sedan flagship, which will remain a concept car when it makes its world debut at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 15.

The good news about the latest missive in this drawn-out teaser campaign, however, is that Inifiniti says the exterior of the Q Inspiration heralds a new design direction for Infiniti sedans.

And if this image – and the previous teaser shot showing one of the big sedan’s narrow headlights -- is any guide, then the production version of Infiniti’s biggest Q model could indeed “eschew [the] classical sedan forms” of established rivals like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7 Series and Audi A8.

"It is the first manifestation of Infiniti's new form language for an era of advanced powertrains and presents a design vision for vehicles in this segment," said Infiniti, which will display the Q Inspiration show car alongside the Prototype 9 sports car concept at Detroit this month.

“We aim to take traditional sedan architecture to its next stage of evolution,” said Karim Habib, Infiniti executive design director.

“The Q Inspiration offers an alternative form; something more flowing in appearance and muscular in stance, with an unusually long and balanced cabin.

“Experimenting with new proportions in an established segment with the arrival of smarter, compact powertrains, the Q Inspiration features a shorter hood and elongated body, with all the benefits to interior wellbeing, comfort and space that this layout entails.”