Ininfiti‘s QX60 midsize three-row crossover was getting long in the tooth, going nearly a decade without many significant updates. Back in September, we got a taste of what the refreshed crossover would look like with the QX60 Monograph concept. Now the production version is finally here, and it has a lot to offer.
Concept-Inspired Styling
The 2022 QX60’s design has been changed to be more in line with Infiniti’s current offerings, and features styling nearly identical to the aforementioned QX60 Monograph. Infiniti calls it a combination of “powerful athleticism with harmony and simplicity”, and with its thin lighting elements, gaping grille, and muscular yet smooth fenders, we’d say that’s a fitting description.
Also Read: 2022 Nissan Pathfinder Brings Seating For Eight, Beefy Looks And A Proper 9sp Auto
The fine details of the design are meant to invoke the spirit of Japan, with things like kimono folds in the “Digital Piano Key” headlights, origami in the grille mesh, and a rippling pond in the quilted leather interior. The Moonbow Blue paint is said to be reminiscent of a summer sky at dusk and features special pigments that allow for color-shifting on a spectrum from purple to green based on the viewing angle.
A More Premium Interior
The 2022 QX60’s interior is laden with soft-touch materials amounting to a much more premium feel than its predecessor, and its sleek shape is further accentuated by the double-stitched edges. A new Autograph trim level takes things even further with open-pore wood, embossed seat backs, and quilted semi-aniline leather upholstery for the first two rows of seats.
All QX60s feature ergonomically optimized “zero gravity” seats in the first row, which follow the natural curvatures of the spine and minimize pressure on the hips to make for more comfortable driving. Second- and third-row passengers receive their own ergonomically shaped seats that offer more room space than those on the outgoing model. Along with increased sound deadening materials and standard tri-zone automatic climate control, the interior updates should make for a more pleasant experience for both driver and passengers.
Newer, More Intuitive Technology
Arguably where the 2022 QX60 differs most from its predecessor is in its technology, as it sports an available 12.3-inch Dynamic Meter Display in front of the driver, a 10.8-inch heads-up display, a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system, and capacitive climate controls with haptic feedback.
However, the crown jewel of the QX60’s new tech would have to be its ProPILOT Assist semi-autonomous driving suite with Navi Link. It includes features such as automatic braking and steering, traffic sign recognition, and enhanced auto-restart that allows the car to slow to a stop in traffic then continue driving again without driver input for 30 seconds.
A Familiar Powertrain With Some New Tricks
Like the previous generation, the new QX60 is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 making 295 hp (299 PS / 220 kW) and 270 lb-ft (366 Nm) of torque, but this time around it ditches the CVT gearbox for a 9-speed automatic transmission like its newly-refreshed Nissan Pathfinder sibling. As a result, towing capacity is now rated at 6,000 lbs (2,722 kg), a 20 percent increase over the outgoing model.
The QX60 will be offered in both front- and all-wheel drive guise, with the latter featuring a new direct-coupling Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system that can send up to 50 percent of the available power to the rear wheels. Additionally, the system has a torque vectoring function called Active Brake Limited Slip that can brake individual wheels in order to reroute torque to those with more traction.
The 2022 Infiniti QX60 will arrive in North America later this year. Pricing has not been announced yet, but more information will be available in the coming months.
