Here we are in 2020 and “coupe SUV” models have become all the rage – BMW must be thinking back with pride to that moment in 2008 when the original X6 was being presented to a bewildered world. Now, just about every premium brand needs to have at least one such derivation to keep up with the trend... and Infiniti happily joined the roster.
More so, the luxury brand prepared something special for the online reveal of the 2022 QX55 - “a one-of-a-kind streaming concert experience from Los Angeles featuring superstar Aloe Blacc, powered by Live Nation.” Yeah, after all, this year has been all about thinking outside the box for creative new ways of capturing the attention of customers.
We can’t say the QX50 sibling wasn’t too fresh either, but the 2022 QX55 is pushing the envelope even more, with styling inspiration from the FX series of lore, standard Intelligent All-Wheel Drive for the U.S., and Canadian markets, and the “provocative shape” or “decadent interior” making a “connection to (the) soul of the brand.”
Looking past the marketing speak, the 2022 QX55 is a trendy compact crossover SUV indeed, with an arching roofline that’s very much “coupe SUV” not just to follow the trends, but also to remind us of the original FX. As far as the cockpit is concerned, we thoroughly checked up the attached picture gallery and found nothing to suggest “a state of moral or cultural decline.”
Instead, there’s a question to be asked – why is Infiniti going for a neat exterior and drops the standards when it comes to the cockpit?! After all, we thought this decade was all about fully-digital instrument clusters and minimalist dashboards, not analogic readouts and double central displays to get lost into trying to find a simple setting...
Anyways, Infiniti promises the 2022 QX55 will become available in the United States and Canada starting next spring, with additional markets (Middle East, Russia, and Asia) to follow later. Customers will have the option to specify one of three grade levels – Luxe, Essential, and Sensory – with U.S. and Canadian fans treated to standard AWD, wireless Apple CarPlay, and sliding second-row seats, among other perks.
A Head-Up Display and Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist semi-autonomous driving aid aren’t missing from the options list, either. Also, under the hood sits an inline-four turbo engine, with the variable-compression 2.0-liter packing 268 hp 280 pound-feet of torque. Hooked up to the CVT and the proprietary Intelligent AWD, it enables performance and mileage ratings... that haven’t been announced just yet.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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