Assembly of the 2027 INFINITI QX65 began this week at Nissan’s Smyrna plant in Tennessee, marking the start of production for a two-row midsize luxury SUV positioned at the heart of the premium segment. The vehicle starts at $53,990 before destination and reaches U.S. retailers in early summer 2026.
The QX65 represents a strategic shift from the three-row QX60, which has been INFINITI’s best-selling model. In 2024, INFINITI delivered 58,070 vehicles in the U.S., with the QX60 leading that total. The move to a two-row configuration puts the QX65 in a different competitive set than its predecessor, which competed against three-row models like the Acura MDX, Lexus RX, and Audi Q7.
The Smyrna plant now assembles the Nissan Murano, Pathfinder, Rogue, plus the INFINITI QX60 and QX65. The facility has been building INFINITI models since 2012 and added the QX65 after investments in tooling, training, and assembly processes. With over 6,500 employees and an annual capacity of up to 640,000 vehicles, Smyrna is Nissan’s largest U.S. manufacturing site.
The production start follows a reveal in late March. INFINITI has framed the QX65 as the opening move in what it calls a product renaissance, though the brand has not disclosed what follows. Two-thirds of the INFINITI lineup is now assembled in the U.S. using domestic and imported parts, a regional manufacturing strategy Nissan has emphasized as it positions vehicles closer to their primary markets.
The $53,990 starting price excludes a $1,545 destination charge. INFINITI has not released pricing for upper trims or detailed option packages, which will determine where the QX65 lands against competitors in the two-row luxury SUV segment once those comparisons become possible.
A shopper cross-shopping this segment in early summer will be able to evaluate whether the QX65’s two-row proposition, starting price, and whatever INFINITI delivers on the driving-dynamics promise are enough to pull volume from better-established nameplates. The QX60 managed to lead INFINITI’s U.S. sales in 2024 despite the brand’s modest overall volume. Whether the QX65 can do the same in a narrower segment is the question Smyrna production has now been tasked with answering.
Source: Infiniti. Images courtesy of Infiniti.
