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The 2019 Infiniti QX50’s Interior Is A Huge Step In The Right Direction

When it comes to Infiniti, the thing that lets these cars down is the interior. The quality is there, and the materials are there, but from a visual standpoint and concerning onboard gadgets, the Nissan-owned premium automaker falls short of other players competing for the same piece of the pie.
2019 Infiniti QX50 25 photos
Photo: Infiniti
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The 2019 Infiniti QX50 changes that, ushering in the best interior design Infiniti is capable of offering. Even in comparison to the refreshed QX80, the mid-size SUV manages to outclass the body-on-frame behemoth that competes with the Lexus LX, Cadillac Escalade, and Lincoln Navigator.

Because it’s a crossover…ahem, sport utility vehicle, the QX50 also happens to be roomy for the segment it’s competing in. In fact, Infiniti argues that the “all-new platform provides unrivaled space and efficient packaging.” The most telling specification in this department is wheelbase, with the QX50 boasting 110.2 inches from front to rear axle. It's not the best in class, though.

For refernce, the newcomer from Infiniti slots between the Ford Explorer (112.6 inches) and Toyota Highlander (109.8 inches) in this department. What none of its rivals – or any car in the world – can brag with is variable compression. The only engine option in the QX50 is the VC-Turbo, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that’s certain to revolutionize internal combustion engine technology in the same way Mazda’s upcoming SkyActiv-X will.

In FWD configuration and with 19-inch tires, the 2019 Infiniti QX50 with the VC-Turbo is EPA-rated 31 mpg highway, 24 mpg city, and 27 mpg combined. That’s hugely impressive for the mid-size segment and an ICE-only vehicle, even though similar-sized hybrids and plug-in hybrids chug less fuel.

Despite the fact the Xtronic CVT isn’t geared for performance, the QX50 can thrust to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds (AWD; 6.7 for FWD model), and it keeps on gaining speed until the speedometer reads 143 mph (230 km/h). The continuously variable transmission replicates an automatic in manual shift mode, which is a nice touch considering how abysmally awful CVTs of old are.

Scheduled to hit dealer showrooms in the first quarter of 2018, the all-new QX50 is the first Infiniti to integrate Nissan ProPilot semi-autonomous driving technology. Or as the more well-informed motoring enthusiast calls it, an enhanced cruise control. Production will kick off in the coming months at the Aguascalientes plant in Mexico.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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