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2016 Infiniti QX60 Quick Spin

UPDATE: The original version of this story called Mazda's range-topping CX-9 the Platinum. This is incorrect. The top-of-the-line model will be called the CX-9 Signature. The story has been edited accordingly. When it comes to selling cars, getting customers into showrooms is half the battle. For Infiniti, one of its biggest draws is the QX60 – the three-row CUV originally known as the JX35, based on parent company Nissan's Pathfinder. QX60 buyers are young, female, and – most importantly – nine out of ten are new to the brand. The facelifted QX60, which was originally introduced in December, is here to maintain those stats. That's important, especially now, as increasingly premium mainstream offerings are proliferating throughout the market. This isn't a new trend – GMC's Acadia Denali predates the JX35, for example – but now the QX60 has to contend with things like the Ford Explorer Platinum, Honda Pilot Elite, Dodge Durango Citadel, and the upcoming Mazda CX-9 Signature. These vehicles are similarly priced, and offer similar capabilities and accoutrements to the QX60. Infiniti timed its QX60 update well, then, with a focus on aesthetics and maintaining the same driving dynamics. In the end, Infiniti offers a freshened CUV that should have no trouble keeping foot traffic flowing into the brand's showrooms. Driving Notes This might not be the popular opinion, but to our eyes, the QX60 is the best-looking product Infiniti currently makes (of course, the Q60 Coupe will trump that when it enters production). This thing has presence – we caught ourselves staring a number of times. But our lingering glances make sense when you look at the QX60 alongside the original JX35. The former lacked real hard edges or sharp details. Look at this comparison gallery to see the difference. What's remarkable is that Infiniti made this big visual improvement as part of a mid-cycle refresh. Yes, the front and rear fascias, headlights, and taillights were swapped out, but the cumulative effect is a dramatically more premium and refined aesthetic. We dig the way the dark grille integrates more neatly with the lower intake, and the LED running lights give the sharper, more aggressive headlamps a piercing effect. Out back, a revised rear bumper and a wider chrome strip produce a more substantial, upright appearance. These are little changes, to be clear, but taken as a whole they feel far more sweeping. The same can't be said of the cabin.

Infiniti QX Sport Inspiration Concept previewed ahead of Beijing debut

Infiniti's exterior design has been on point lately. The Q50, QX30, and especially the new Q60 Coupe are among the best looking vehicles in their respective segments. The company's designers even managed to make the homely QX60 look good. And now, those same stylists have issued their official preview of the successor to the QX50. It's called the QX Sport Inspiration Concept and will make its official debut tomorrow at the 2016 Beijing Motor Show. It's not hard to look at this stylish concept and imagine the second-generation QX50, formerly known as the EX. The proportions are just right, for one. The rear overhang is perilously short and the rear glass is raked aggressively – both work with the squat greenhouse and powerful hood to cut a sporty silhouette. The QX Sport Concept's headlights are better looking than the current model's, but still provide a menacing scowl as they flank the trademark Infniti grille. We like the large, air-curtain-style vents behind the front wheels, too; they're a more aggressive, functional take on the current QX70's side vents. The QX Sport's cabin is bisected by a high transmission tunnel, emulating the cockpit-like layout of the current model. And like in that car, this driver-focused layout demands driver-focused interfaces, like the flat-bottomed steering wheel and aggressive, single-piece bucket seats. We wouldn't count on that last item making the production shortlist, though. We'll have more on the QX Sport Inspiration Concept when it debuts tomorrow evening. Stay tuned. Related Video:

Analyzing De Nyscchen's 25-year comeback plan for Infiniti

"It took us 25 years to bring Audi back in the US. This kind of thing takes a long time."
When Johan De Nysschen left his post at Audi of America last year to take the seemingly thankless job of leading Infiniti's global operations, it seemed like a familiar scenario. Like Michael Dukakis going from one of two men that could have won the White House to teaching political science at an obscure Florida college.