2022 Infiniti Qx80 Luxe on 2040-cars

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2022 Infiniti QX55 marks the company's foray into crossover 'coupes'

Using a formula proven by the major German luxury car companies, Infiniti is now getting in on the crossover "coupe" game. The 2022 Infiniti QX55 takes the QX50 small crossover and adds a fastback roofline for a sportier look. Infiniti says the design makes the QX55 a spiritual successor to the FX crossover of the mid-to-late-2000s and early 2010s. We're not sure if the mechanical bits live up to the rear-drive-based FX chassis, but the low roof and curvy body do share a connection to that old SUV. In fact, the QX55 looks rather striking, and the flowing lines work nicely with the simple, arcing roof. Some other small tweaks to the base styling emphasize the QX55's style focus including a more pronounced grille with larger air intakes surrounding it at the front. At the back, the license plate mount has been moved to the bumper, allowing for prominent Infiniti lettering on the hatch. Additionally, 20-inch wheels are a standard feature on all QX55 models. The rest of the QX55 is basically the same as the QX50. It shares the turbocharged, variable-compression engine making 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. It's mated to a CVT and all-wheel-drive, which is standard on all QX55 models. The interior is carry-over with dual infotainment screens and an asymmetric, driver-focused dash design. Like the QX50, it can be slathered in two-tone leather for a very premium feel. The debut vehicle features a bold black and red color combination. The QX55 goes on sale this coming spring. It will be available in three trim levels: Luxe, Essential and Sensory. Pricing hasn't been announced, but expect it to be a bit more costly than the equivalent QX50. For reference, a QX50 Luxe with all-wheel-drive starts around $44,000, and at the other end of the spectrum is the QX50 Sensory with all-wheel-drive starting at around $53,000. Related Video:

Listen to the 2020 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400's screaming exhaust

The best thing about the 2020 Infiniti Q60 Red Sport 400 is its engine. That 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 makes one of the better noises in the automotive landscape on its way to the 6,800 rpm redline. It makes 400 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, and the engine feels every bit that strong. Peak power is made at a high 6,400 rpm, so it feels linear all the way up to that point. There’s no mistaking this for a naturally aspirated engine with the lag off the line, but once itÂ’s up and running, thereÂ’s no obvious fading of power in the higher rpms. As for the sound Â… itÂ’s also pretty spectacular. We took the Q60 out to some of our favorite deserted backroads and let it rip with a GoPro attached to the bumper. This particular Q60 Red Sport 400 is fitted with a more aggressive exhaust from Infiniti. ItÂ’s an axle-back exhaust, aptly named the “Axle-Back Sport Exhaust Kit.” Infiniti sells the exhaust on its official online parts store — thereÂ’s one available for the Q60 and another for the Q50. ItÂ’s currently listed for $707 and is backed by the original factory warranty. Buy it from the store, and then have the dealer fit it to your new (or old) car. WeÂ’ve driven Infinitis with this engine that donÂ’t have the sport exhaust installed, and theyÂ’re nowhere near as loud. And after driving one with the exhaust, itÂ’s safe to say the factory exhaust is a bit too quiet for our tastes. Starting the cold engine up in the morning is much more satisfying. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. And under load this exhaust sounds fantastic, too. In the cabin we hear loud intake whooshes, and on the outside we get to hear its screaming yowl. ThereÂ’s enough sound deadening in the cabin to make it refined and luxurious on light throttle applications, but the exhaustÂ’s sound doesnÂ’t ever disappear. A bit of drone sneaks in on the highway, but if you turn up the decent-sounding Bose audio system, it fades away. More cars could use legitimately aggressive exhausts like this one. Manufacturers continue to pump fake audio into the cabin over the speakers, but itÂ’s not as authentic as something like this. All thatÂ’s missing are bangs and pops on shifts, but we can live without them. Each downshift is delightful, and the overrun is music to our ears. Related video:

2014 Infiniti Q50

Avoiding An Identity Crisis... For Now
Infiniti is a brand that has been quietly undergoing major upheaval - and not just with the numbers and letters on its trunklids. Back in December, Nissan's premium brand rankled fans and pundits by announcing it would redo its alphanumeric nomenclature, yet that decision was but a PR speedbump - there are bigger fish to fry. After all, this is a marque that was on the chopping block just a couple of years ago, and now it has a major opportunity to succeed thanks to new investment, new independence (Infiniti is now responsible for its own design, engineering, marketing, quality and human resources), a new global headquarters in Hong Kong, and new marching orders from new leadership that calls for a revitalized and expanded portfolio.
Yet if you think that the Q-based naming convention is the first sign of the brand's new direction, you might have missed Infiniti's biggest signal flare: the 2013 JX crossover. Fine premium three-row crossover that it may be, it's still the first Infiniti in ages that operates without a scintilla of driving entertainment at the core of its genetic makeup. (The last - and perhaps only - previous example was also Pathfinder-based, the 1997 QX4). To be fair, three-row CUVs have a laundry list of priorities before driving enjoyment figures in, but the message the JX (henceforth known as the QX60) sends is clear: Infiniti is going after more segments and more customers. Plans are afoot to expand the company's product line by a whopping 60 percent over the next five years, and in short, that means Infiniti is no longer content to be the unsung Japanese BMW - it needs vehicles that satisfy a wider swath of consumers. Despite all this, Infiniti officials we spoke with were keen to assert that driving pleasure remains very much core to their mission, and to that of this 2014 Q50 in particular.