Photo: Infiniti
Infiniti tried to reinvent the EX into the QX50, but the second generation falls short of expectations. The VC-Turbo engine is a marvel of engineering, but the continuously variable transmission is too sluggish when compared to a torque-converter automatic or dual-clutch transmission.
Previewed by a brushstroke at the 2019 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the QX55 is expected to launch in 2020 with the same underpinnings as the QX50. Infiniti highlights in the press release that you’re not looking at their first coupe-crossover model, and that’s cheeky by all accounts.
In the day and age when everyone and their mother buy coupe-styled crossovers in a heartbeat, Infiniti should look in the mirror before putting the exterior design on a pedestal. The FX is the first utility vehicle from Nissan’s luxury brand with a coupe silhouette, and as opposed to the QX55, the mid-sized SUV featured the FM platform for rear- and all-wheel-drive applications.
“A fusion of athleticism, elegance, and utility,” the newest utility vehicle from Infiniti is too little too late for the automaker that announced it’s pulling out of Europe because of sluggish sales. 2020 is also the year when Infiniti will focus on strengthening its operations in core markets such as the United States, Russia, and China, but little details were offered in this regard.
Heading over to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website, the number of consumer complaints concerning the QX50 beggars belief. Owners aren’t happy with the abysmal gas mileage, the ProPilot Assist system, glitches with the rearview camera, and random braking for no apparent reason.
These niggles set the standard for the QX55, and given the poor reliability of the JATCO continuously variable transmission, we still wonder if Infiniti knows what people want from a car. Styling does sell, but in the long run, the exterior design of the QX55 will be irrelevant by anyone’s standards.
On an ending note, the BMW X6 isn’t the first-ever coupe crossover. Nissan showed the Trail Runner concept in 1997 at the Tokyo Motor Show but never made it into production. Further back in time, the crossover’s humble beginnings can be traced back to 1979 and the AMC Eagle.
In the day and age when everyone and their mother buy coupe-styled crossovers in a heartbeat, Infiniti should look in the mirror before putting the exterior design on a pedestal. The FX is the first utility vehicle from Nissan’s luxury brand with a coupe silhouette, and as opposed to the QX55, the mid-sized SUV featured the FM platform for rear- and all-wheel-drive applications.
“A fusion of athleticism, elegance, and utility,” the newest utility vehicle from Infiniti is too little too late for the automaker that announced it’s pulling out of Europe because of sluggish sales. 2020 is also the year when Infiniti will focus on strengthening its operations in core markets such as the United States, Russia, and China, but little details were offered in this regard.
Heading over to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website, the number of consumer complaints concerning the QX50 beggars belief. Owners aren’t happy with the abysmal gas mileage, the ProPilot Assist system, glitches with the rearview camera, and random braking for no apparent reason.
These niggles set the standard for the QX55, and given the poor reliability of the JATCO continuously variable transmission, we still wonder if Infiniti knows what people want from a car. Styling does sell, but in the long run, the exterior design of the QX55 will be irrelevant by anyone’s standards.
On an ending note, the BMW X6 isn’t the first-ever coupe crossover. Nissan showed the Trail Runner concept in 1997 at the Tokyo Motor Show but never made it into production. Further back in time, the crossover’s humble beginnings can be traced back to 1979 and the AMC Eagle.
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