This is Infiniti's hospitable new electric SUV

Try to buy an Infiniti in the UK right now and you don’t have an awful lot of choice. Betraying just how troublesome it is establishing a new premium carmaker in a competitive marketplace, the company’s slimmed its range down to just three models – the Q30, QX30 and Q50. Given the QX30 is effectively a Q30 with mildly more rugged bumpers, that’s basically two models.

A new, proper SUV would be enormously welcome, then. Perhaps it’ll look like this, the QX Inspiration concept which will be shown off at the Detroit motor show later in January.

“The new concept represents Infiniti’s plans for high-performance electrified vehicles, offering complete range confidence,” the company says. In an effort to offer something different to BMW, Mercedes et al, it appears the company may be taking a Tesla-like electric-only turn.

We’re told it displays the new design language of Infiniti, too, one enabled by embracing its new technology. Given it still has the same bonnet length you’d associate with an internal combustion engine-equipped car, we can only assume that relates to the lack of grilles up front.

It’ll be different inside, mind, apparently showcasing ‘omotenashi’, the Japanese principle of hospitality. Whether that means being frequently bowed at and not knowing whether it’s appropriate to bow back (we speak from experience) remains to be seen, as there aren’t yet pictures of the QX Inspiration’s innards.

Like what you see? Reckon an overtly Japanese rival to the Audi e-tron and Jaguar I-Pace is just what Infiniti needs?