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2019 Infiniti QX50 gets fancy-pants Autograph interior

The 2019 Infiniti QX50 has primarily garnered attention around car enthusiast circles for its variable compression engine. It's a marvel of engineering that uniquely changes its compression ratio to maximize power and fuel efficiency. It can also switch between Atkinson and regular combustion cycles, utilize multi-point or direct injection, it's turbocharged, and even features an electric motor that controls the variable compression ratio. Nifty stuff, but it seems likely that all that technobabble will make the average buyer of Infiniti's new compact SUV go crosseyed. It may not even be mentioned. "It has an engine? Great, let me see the inside." Well, dear car shopper who doesn't give a hoot about the greasy bits, have we got a bit of QX50 news for you. Infiniti has announced the QX50 Autograph package, a special $2,000 option with a seriously upgraded interior. Fancier materials and unique color schemes were selected, drawing inspiration from luxury beach resorts and being awfully similar to those found in the latest Pantone Fashion Color Trend Report. It's probably best to turn things over to the press release at this point. "Starting with warmer color tones, the rich chocolate brown replicates wood applications in the (beach) resort and the surrounding trees, followed by a creamy off-white representing the sand on a beach. The highlights of a cooler dark navy blue on the center console, reminiscent of ocean water, strike the proper balance between warm and cool, creating a comfortable, yet invigorating environment." Have you gone crosseyed? Well, now you know how it feels when describing the greasy bits to a non car person. Those cream, brown and blue bits are the Pantone colors, which, respectively, are known as "Coconut Milk," "Emperador" and "Sailor Blue." In the QX50, the Sailor Blue-esque blue is applied to the center console, dash and doors in Ultrasuede. The Emperadorish brown is on the steering wheel, leather-wrapped dash top and doors, outer portions of the seats and the lower door portions. Coconut Milk is indicative of the creamy dash color and the seat leather, which is diamond-quilted and contrast-stitched. There's also open-pore wood trim. Though I made light of this, the QX50 Autograph interior is actually quite striking. As Infiniti points out, consumers are starting to embrace color, which is worth celebrating. Give me Coconut Milk, Emperador and Sailor Blue over beige, grey and black any day.

Infiniti Q30 is the company's first small hatchback

Well, here it is. Despite every attempt to show us the car via teasers, Infiniti has made it to the week of the Frankfurt Motor Show before introducing the all-new Q30, the company's version of the jointly developed Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback and the first compact from the Nissan-owned luxury marque. The Q30 will be available with a wide and varied array of gas and diesel powertrains for its appearances in other markets. There will be two 1.6-liter gas engines, in 120-horsepower and 154-hp varieties, and two diesels. The oil-burners, which will not be coming to the US, displace 1.5 liters and 2.2 liters, respectively. As for North America, the Q30 will follow in the footsteps of its Mercedes cousins, the CLA- and GLA-Class, and offer a single 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder with 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Although it displaces just as much as the CLA's 2.0-liter turbo and matches that car's output, enthusiasts will appreciate the six-speed manual transmission being offered alongside the Mercedes seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic. Say what you will about its Mercedes roots, but Infiniti's decision to offer a six-speed stick here in the US should be respected. The specific set of drive wheels isn't mentioned, although if the A-, CLA-, and GLA-Class are any indication, the Q30 will offer standard front-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive. That's speculation on our part, but it's a logical assumption. The Q30 has retained the A-Class' front McPherson struts and rear multi-link suspension arrangement. But while it uses an identical design, Infiniti has tuned the shocks to its own specification. Depending on trim, the Q30 will ride on either 18- or 19-inch wheels. Speaking of those trims, there are three of them. The base trim is, um, basic – Infiniti spilled very little ink on the entry level model. In fact, aside from a few simple descriptions, equipment details on the other two trims are quite scarce. Choosing the Premium line will net you unique 18-inch wheels, LED fog lamps, heated door mirrors with body color housings, and twin chrome exhausts. The Sport brings a bit more to the table, making a functional change by lowering the ride height by 0.6 inches and fitting 19-inch alloys. Gloss black and dark chrome accents on the more aggressive front and rear fascias round out the exterior enhancements.

2019 Infiniti QX60 and QX80 Limited, now with more chrome, Alcantara

Just ahead of the New York Auto Show, we get our first glimpse at new trims on the 2019 Infiniti QX60 and the refreshed 2019 Infiniti QX80. The Limited trim is the range topping spec for both crossovers and adds some new colors, trims and visual changes you won't find on lower-tier models. Pricing hasn't been announced, but the new models will be on sale this summer. The QX60 is Infiniti's best-selling model. The 2019 QX60 Limited has a new dark chrome finish on the grille, fog lights and door moldings. The roof rails, cross bars and rear bumper also get a darker finish. There are new 20-inch wheels that are exclusive to the Limited model. Inside, the QX60 Limited gets new trim with contrasting stitching, leather-wrapped grab handles, dark silver wood accents, quilted leather seats and door panels, and unique floor and cargo mats. Similar treatments can be found on the 2019 QX80. The Limited model gets 22-inch wheels, stainless-steel running boards, satin chrome trim and roof rails, and a unique design on the front and rear bumpers. There's also one exclusive paint color, Anthracite Gray. Inside, the QX80 Limited has a two-tone leather and Alcantara interior. It also gets some slick looking matte-silver wood trim. Other features include illuminated kick plates, puddle lights and special floor and cargo mats. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.