Infiniti’s all-new mid-size SUV has just been revealed at the LA Motor Show. The QX50, as they call it, enters the fray technically as a second-generation model, following up from the original launched in 2013. It’s a vehicle they’ve been teasing for a while now, starting with the QX Sport Inspiration concept in 2016.
At the start of this year, the premium sub-brand of Nissan unveiled the QX50 Concept at the North American Motor Show in Detroit, confirming suspicions that Infiniti had a ‘sweet-spot’ SUV in the works and that quite a bit of efforts and resources were being poured into the project.
Now, that car in its production guise has finally been unwrapped under the light of day - in this case, the California sun - and clearly taking aim at the likes of the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Lexus NX, and soon, the Volvo XC60. To be honest, not having a strong contender in arguably the most active segments of the market has hurt Infiniti, and they couldn’t afford to not have a horse in that race any longer.
Visually, the new QX50 follows many of the cues that we’ve already seen on the newest batch of Infinitis such as the Q60 coupe, but evolved to be a little bolder and more aggressive. It’s a good look that might be impactful enough to really worry the established Germans and particularly the ultra-angular NX from Lexus. Infiniti calls the updated design philosophy Powerful Elegance, and outside the pompous overtones, is actually quite an apt description.
Powering the all-new model is an all-new engine, and one that’s quite innovative in being the first and only mass produced motor to feature variable compression ratios. Depending on which profile the onboard control unit thinks is most appropriate, by varying the maximum height pistons travel in the combustion chamber before the air/fuel mixture is ignited, it can alter the cylinder compression ratio from 14:1 (which is more economical) to 8:1 for increased performance.
In its most potent setting, the maximum output of this new 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder of 200kW is achievable. Peak torque, meanwhile, stands at 380Nm. It’s an impressive amount of grunt from such a small powerplant, especially when you consider it’s also capable of averaging a claimed average fuel consumption that would rival a diesel or hybrid (Infiniti hasn’t disclosed the exact figure at the time of writing).
However, with a powerful turbo-petrol, the QX50 in this configuration can sprint to 100km/h in just 6.3 seconds despite drive only being sent to the front wheels. Infiniti wanted the new engine to essentially replace the ageing naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 found in the previous version without sacrificing performance, and for the most part it seems to have succeeded.
What might potentially dampen the portrayal of the new QX50 being something of a sleeper performance SUV - after all, even Porsche will sell you a Macan with a turbo-four - is the transmission: a continuously variable (CVT) unit.
No doubt a derivative of Nissan’s most recent evolution of their Xtronic box, its inclusion underlines the QX50’s positioning as a more luxury-focused entrant, meant for smooth cruising rather than snappy gearshifts, and the efficient nature of having an infinite number of gear ratios does aid the car’s fuel efficiency claims.
Despite the newish design and high-tech engine, it’s still easy to dismiss the QX50 as merely a product borne out of necessity to get the brand’s foot in the door of the very lucrative SUV market. Infiniti, though, sees it as a stepping stone to a whole new generation of cars. For one thing, it rides on a brand new platform that will form the basis for all other models within this generation. The brand attributes the updated underpinnings to the greatly increased cabin space, claiming it offers best in class roominess and improved rigidity and inherent refinement.
Inside, at first glance the QX50 does impress far more than any other Infiniti that has come before. They’re still sticking to that dual screen infotainment/nav setup, but the overall layout is now far more sophisticated. It’s much less cluttered in terms of just the spread of physical buttons and mix of trim materials. Focusing on white leather and a dark blue suede-like material in these pictures immediate distinguishes this new cabin as far more competitive with the interior experience of class leaders.
Naturally, Infiniti also offers the QX50 with their latest ProPilot Assist suite, bring semi-autonomous convenience and active safety features such as traffic jam assist, Autonomous Emergency Braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, and Active Cruise Control among others.
The somewhat controversial Direct Adaptive Steering system returns here too, melding very well we imagine with the ProPilot features. However, customers can also specify the car with a conventional electrically assisted steering rack should they choose.
For more on Infiniti cars, check out our Showroom.
