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New details emerge on Inifiniti QX50’s unique new variable-compression engine

Infiniti will release the world's first production variable-compression engine when it releases the 2019 QX50 midsize SUV sometime next year. Now we have some new details on the innovative new engine, which Infiniti is calling VC-T, for Variable Compression Turbo, after the luxury brand offered a prototype test drive. We wrote extensively about the complicated technology underpinning the new engine last year. It's the latest novel development that could represent a range-extender, if you will, for the embattled internal combustion engine in an era when automakers and governments are shifting their focus to electric vehicles. The VC-T is a new inline-four, 2.0-liter that combines the power of a high-performance turbo gasoline engine with the torque and efficiency of an advanced diesel engine, but without the latter's notorious emissions. It features the ability to seamlessly raise or lower the stroke of the pistons in the combustion chamber, depending on the driving conditions it detects and inputs from the driver, to select the best compression ratio—anywhere between 8:1, typical for high-performance engines, and 14:1 for high efficiency. In essence, it delivers the performance of a V6 but is much more efficient, with improved fuel efficiency of between 10 to 15 percent with its best competitors, per Car and Driver. You can view how it works in motion via the video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. It's also quieter, more lightweight and compact than V6 engines with comparable power outputs, estimated at 268 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque. In a prototype test drive, Car and Driver writes that the engine "felt very conventional" and responsive, with strong and smooth acceleration. "The only indication you have that the compression ratio is changing is from an indicator in the instrument cluster next to the boost gauge." The engine is expected to deliver fuel economy gains of 27 percent in combined city-highway EPA rating over the outgoing QX50, which had a 3.7-liter V6. The 2019 model, fitted with the VC-T, should get about 26 mpg in combined fuel economy, and it will get to 60 mph almost one second faster than its four-cylinder counterparts, Nissan's chief powertrain engineer, Shinichi Kiga, told Automotive News. The VC-T engine is the result of 20 years of development spanning more than 100 prototypes and around 300 patents at Nissan.

Infiniti is blazing an unconventional path to electrification

When it comes to electrification, Infiniti has a history of speaking a great deal but doing little. The Nissan-owned company's plug-in offensive will start in the 2020s, and it provided preliminary details about the technology that motorists can expect to find in showrooms in the not-too-distant future. Eric Rigaux, Infiniti's general manager of product strategy and planning, told Roadshow the firm's engineering department is putting the final touches on two forward-thinking electrified powertrains. The first one will run solely on electricity, while the second one will rely on a gasoline-powered generator to provide more range. Both are being developed to fit into a flexible new platform. Technical details about the electric setup remain vague, so we don't know how big of a battery pack Infiniti will use, or how many motors will draw electricity from it. However, Roadshow learned the gasoline-electric layout will never need to be plugged in, because a 1.5-liter, three-cylinder engine equipped with Infiniti's innovative variable-compression technology will produce the electricity it needs to run. The triple won't directly spin the wheels; it will channel the juice it creates to a battery pack. It's not a zero-emissions solution, but it's one that makes a lot of sense, because users won't need to wait for a charge, and they'll be able to drive for about 500 miles between fill-ups. The now-defunct Chevrolet Volt featured a similar drivetrain, but owners had the possibility of plugging it in. Infiniti won't give motorists that option; there won't be a plug anywhere on the car. Fluid-filled motor mounts and active noise cancellation will ensure the passengers don't feel or hear the triple whirring away. Meanwhile, two electric motors (one over each axle) will deliver between 248 and 429 horsepower; final specifications haven't been signed off yet. And, because power will come from gasoline, there's no need to integrate a bulky battery pack into the chassis. Infiniti's future gasoline-electric models won't require anything bigger than a 5.1-kilowatt-hour unit, which can unintrusively be stuffed under the trunk floor or sandwiched between the floor and the rear seat. Infiniti chose a crossover to inaugurate its battery-electric powertrain; the QX Inspiration concept (pictured) unveiled during the 2019 Detroit Auto Show shed light on what the model will look like.

Infiniti lifts veil on Q60 Concept in final teaser shot

Well, here it is. Ahead of its official debut at next week's 2015 North American International Auto Show, Infiniti has given us our final "teaser" image of the new Q60 Concept. Teaser, though, applies only loosely, as this is a full-frontal shot of the new two-door, meaning all we're waiting on is the glut of information that will follow ahead of next week's show in Detroit. Overall, it's a very attractive piece of sheetmetal. There are a lot of interesting design touches, including the new nose, which is very, very heavily inspired by Infiniti's partnership with the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team. Aside from that, many of the company's most notable styling touches have been toned down on the Q60 Concept, particularly the double-arch grille, which has been softened noticeably. The slim headlights, aggressive kink in the beltline behind the B-pillar, strong character line and the air-curtain-like element behind the front wheel arch are the other big styling features. We'll have far more on the Q60 Concept on Sunday, January 11, when it makes its official debut on the eve of the Detroit Auto Show. Until then, take a look at the final teaser up top and let us know what you think of Infiniti's latest efforts in Comments.