Having tested so many cars over course of many years tends to stagnate one’s excitement factor. Yet, the virgin sight of the all-new 2019 Infiniti QX50 glimpsed from the squint of my eyes at last year’s Vancouver Auto Show rekindled the original awe for design I once felt from within.
The starting price of the QX50 Luxe base model comes in at just $44,490 preloaded with AWD, power lift gate, blind spot monitoring and a dual screen infotainment center console. You even get a panoramic sunroof included. Upgrade trims to the highest Autograph model and you get spoiled with upgraded white premium grade leather with quilted stitching and Bose premium series 16 speakers.
REFRESHING DESIGN
Doing what they do best, the all-new QX50 continues to impress with wavy contours embodied with chrome accents on the front grille and door handles as well as contemporary curvatures to bring the design ahead of modern trends.
Interior appoints quilted premium leather and revamped styling with more lavish paneling. The natural sunlight provided by the panoramic sunroof makes the overall interior a bright and vibrant space. New for this year also includes a dual screen center console with the lower screen used for climate controls and vehicle settings while the upper screen displays media information and GPS navigation.
PERFORMANCE AND DRIVE
Infiniti made a bold move to ditch the well-appraised 3.5L VQ35DE V6 in favor of a ground-up redesigned 2.0-liter VC-Turbo 4-cylinder engine. And the decision paid off. Surprisingly, the smaller turbocharged V4 produces more power and torque than its V6 predecessor at 268hp and 280 lb-ft compared to 265hp and 248 lb-ft of torque with its counter V6.
Infiniti’s proprietary Variable Compression technology as derived from its engine name doesn’t compromise its high power output for fuel economy either. Its ability to dynamically adjust its compression ratio between 8:1 for more power, or 14:1 for more efficiency via a multi-link engagement system helps the QX50 achieve a high score of a combined 27 mpg for both city and highway.
It all started with a loud bang with the feisty VC-Turbo V4 and respectable power output and torque – that is until you realize it’s running on a CVT. Still, the merits of improved fuel economy and the emulation of an actual automatic transmission still makes the drive an exciting one.
Direct Adaptive Steering technology also makes its way into the QX50 to enhance driving experience by filtering out road vibration and giving a higher sense of control to the driver. Compared to conventional electronic power-assisted steering, Infiniti’s method offered a smoother and more consistent feedback when cornering, which gives a better sense of road authority especially under tight turns.
All is not without quirks though, and that’s merely impossible to achieve on a first design iteration. There were noticeable instances of turbo lag and delays were present for the variable compression system to switch; though switching to Sport mode via the drive selector alleviated most of that effect. Still, a bit more fine tuning could be done with the powertrain; but otherwise, a job well done!
