Infiniti QX60 review

It’s the Infiniti QX60, the crossover SUV from the forever brand nobody remembers.
Oh, that’s mean, even for you guys.

It brings us no pleasure to say so, but Infiniti, a brand that once pioneered what’s become standard for the luxury car shopping experience, has faded into the background over the years. Apart from it being a title sponsor for Red Bull F1 (the FX Vettel Edition is permanently etched into our cerebral cortex) over a decade ago, your memories of Infiniti are either of the QX70 SUV, which had no Nissan counterpart, or the rather good Q60 coupe, a more premium 370Z.

If your fondness for Infiniti stems from your days as a G35 driver, good news! What you used to spend on hair gel can now get you a round-trip flight to Turkey.

So what’s this new car, then?

Oh, right. This is the QX60, one of three cars in the current portfolio. The others being the hulking QX80 and the QX65 (essentially a 60, but with a coupe-like roofline). So perhaps it’s more accurate to say Infiniti makes two and a half cars?
Details, please.

The QX60 is a stylish crossover SUV with either front- or all-wheel drive, though AWD comes standard in the top tier trims, of which there are four. All are powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that whips up 268hp and 286lb ft of torque. It’s sent to two or four wheels by a nine-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters. The whole package rides on an independent suspension and a set of 20s, save for the base model which is fitted with 18-inch wheels.

And what are the trims?

Pure is the base, which sheds some of the more premium appointments for affordability, which is followed by Luxe, Sport and Autograph.

Luxe, as you’ve probably guessed, is outfitted with more stylish options while Sport is similar, though its touches give it more of an active appearance as opposed to something more formal. Autograph is as full luxury as the QX60 gets, stuffed with everything Infiniti has to offer plus a superior 20-speaker sound system.

So the Sport drives…?

… the same as the others, generally speaking. That’s a good thing though because the driving QX60 surprisingly kind of slaps.

Go on.

Infinitis have long been sort of round and bulbous, and though the QX60’s more modern styling has retained this, it looks fairly aggressive, particularly with the sharp Sport trim. Good start.

We mention this because it sort of sets the expectation that it will be fun to drive, despite knowing there’s a mere 2.0-liter under the hood struggling to motivate the whole affair. With that said, nobody seems to have told the QX60 it’s supposed to be an underpowered family commuter car, and thus it starts behaving like its more sporty ancestors when it’s under a heavy foot.

Sure, the I-4 struggles – loudly – but it does so earnestly. Furthermore, the way the QX60 puts down power is encouraging but it doesn’t leverage the AWD for sport, and it shows, behaving like an overweight FWD hatchback, torque steer and all.

Wow, didn’t see that coming.

A pleasant surprise for sure, even with all the quirks. It’s worth mentioning the Infiniti is quite docile and comfortable when you’re not driving it like a hot hatch, which we suppose is something people who aren’t us would like to do from time to time. Both FWD and AWD versions are estimated to provide up to 24mpg combined, which is another incentive to ease off the throttle from time to time.

What’s it like inside?

Up front, the QX60 is sharp and elegant, if a little busy. Between the center console and the steering wheel, there’s a vast number of inputs, almost making it look dated in comparison to other modern vehicles that have made efforts to hide most of these functions behind a touchscreen. Those of us who are crying to the automotive heavens for the return of physical buttons will find the QX60 a breath of fresh air, but there is indeed a trade-off.

You still get a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, along with another 12.3-inch display behind the steering wheel, and while we’re speaking of tech, the Infiniti benefits from its version of Nissan’s safety suite. Top trims also include ProPilot assist, the automaker’s intelligent driver assist function.

Unfortunately for rear passengers, all the good stuff is up front. The second row is a tight fit, and the provided third row is punishingly small, which also does the modest cargo space few favors.

And what if I’m not convinced by this?

You could always get the Nissan Pathfinder. It’s not as pretty, but its price tag is, and it comes with a V6 that doesn’t get as out of breath as the Infiniti’s I-4. Acura’s MDX is another premium-forward SUV that’s surprisingly fun to drive, and for about the same price. Lastly, there’s the Buick Enclave that provides just as much comfort as the Infiniti, though none of the extra thrills.

The Infiniti QX60 is an elegant crossover that should certainly be on everyone’s radar far more than it is currently. While hamstrung by its diminutive power unit, it makes the most of what it can provide, offering up a surprising amount of playfulness to liven up daily errand-running.

Similar SUVs make better use of the interior space, but whomever you end up cramming into the cabin will appreciate how well put together everything is, along with the upmarket materials. Perhaps it’s far from a sleeper hit, but that doesn’t mean you should sleep on this.