2000 Infiniti Q45 T Sedan 4-door 4.1l on 2040-cars

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The Nissan Patrol may become America's next Armada

Plausible rumors are swirling that the Nissan Patrol, the Land Cruiser rival sold outside of North America, might come to the US as a replacement for the unrelated Nissan Armada. That large SUV's future was left ambiguous after the news of the Xterra's discontinuation, as Nissan's press release ominously promised information on the Armada "at a later date" without further elaboration. That left us scratching our heads and thinking that, perhaps, it would be quietly killed off in the future. If the rumors are true, it will be. And then it will be reborn. It'll join its old platform-mate, the Infiniti QX80, on the Patrol platform. The QX abandoned its Titan-based platform in 2011, becoming the Patrol-based QX80. So you can think of the Armada as catching up, a few years late. The QX80 was refreshed last year, a mainly cosmetic nip-and-tuck. The Infiniti utilizes the 5.6-liter, 400-hp V8 and a 7-speed auto, so it's a safe bet that this powertrain will make it into the Armada version. Less likely, but plausible, would be the availability of the new powertrains intended for the Titan XD and upcoming lower-grade Titans. The massive SUV market tends to be a bit conservative, so the Cummins diesel V8 that's the sole engine in the Titan XD right now seems unlikely. The forums are abuzz with a photo of what's purported to be a leaked marketing image of the new Armada, so head to this TitanXDForum thread if you'd like to see what that's about. (Spoiler: it looks a lot like the Patrol above, minus some of the Nismo flair.) Related Video:

2016 Infiniti QX50 First Drive [w/video]

One crucial change to the 2016 Infiniti QX50 (formerly known as the EX35) may have just made the company's smallest crossover suddenly relevant. So how does one add appeal to an eight-year-old model, without any significant cosmetic or powertrain updates? By addressing its biggest flaw head-on: size. For the 2016 model year, Infiniti has stretched the QX50's wheelbase by 3.2 inches, and the crossover is now 4.5 inches longer overall. In addition to a roomier cabin – 8.3 cubic feet more to be exact – there's one number that sticks out above all else: four more inches of knee- and leg-room in the back seats. Like scoring an exit-row seat on your flight, the extra space may be just enough to change the experience. So how can the upmarket Japanese automaker justify costly changes to the platform when it's only moving 250 of these vehicles in the US per month? Americans can thank the Chinese for that. As in the US, sales of small crossovers are quickly rising in China – a country where being chauffeured is more common for those of means – and rear-seat passengers who can pay for a driver don't want to feel like they're sitting in the penalty box. The platform-sharing economics work, and in this case, everyone stands to benefit. Pricing is reduced by $500 from last year, with the rear-wheel-drive 2016 QX50 now starting at $35,445 after delivery. Infiniti says it considers the Acura RDX and Lexus NX as the QX50's direct competition, but it's worth noting that both of those competing models sell more in just one month than Infiniti's smallest crossover sold all of last year. The QX50 isn't likely to reach its competitor's levels anytime soon, but Infiniti hopes the roomier iteration will pique shopper interest. To help that cause, the 2016 model gets a few light cosmetic touches too. Up front it receives a new grille that's more in line with the brand's current design language, new LED fog and daytime running lights, new door mirrors with LED turn signals, revised side sills, and a new rear bumper. Beyond aesthetics, pricing is reduced by $500 from last year, with the rear-wheel-drive 2016 QX50 now starting at $35,445 after delivery. The all-wheel-drive version adds another $1,400 to that price. All models get more standard equipment, including a power moonroof, heated front seats, and the new LED accents. Inside the cabin, things look much as they did when the crossover first debuted as the EX35, back in 2007.

Infiniti QX70 drops V8 for 2015, holds line on pricing

QX70 was the only application for the 5.0L, making it a tough sell in the boardroom.
It was always easy to chuckle a bit at Infiniti's branding of its FX crossover as a "bionic cheetah" - until you drove the thing. It was something of a revelation when it came on the market in late 2002 - certainly visually, but also in terms of performance, particularly in V8 guise. The Porsche Cayenne burst on the scene at the same time, and between the two of them, they vividly illustrated that the idea of a performance utility vehicle wasn't the oxymoron it first appeared to be.