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- All-new model for 2022
- Arrives in the spring of 2021
- Striking coupe-like exterior profile
- Emphasis on luxury and technology
- Variable-compression engine
- Full-time all-wheel drive
Drawing design inspiration from the Infiniti FX of the early 2000s, the 2022 Infiniti QX55 SUV joins a group of 4-door luxury crossover SUVs with racier lines and coupe-like profiles. It’s designed to appeal to younger, upscale urban singles with sports car dreams and rock-wall lifestyles. This new compact 2-row 5-passenger QX55 is based on the foundation of the QX50, but the exterior and interior have been sharpened to an enthusiast edge.
Pricier German SUV-coupes like the BMW
BMW,
X4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe are the main targets for the new QX55. Luxury, style, and technology are priorities for Infiniti’s new coupe-like SUV. Apple
AAPL,
CarPlay and Android Auto are standard equipment.
The 2022 Infiniti QX55 goes on sale in the spring of 2021.
How much does the 2022 Infiniti QX55 cost?
$46,500 to $57,050
How big is the 2022 Infiniti QX55?
The new QX55 is based on the Infiniti QX50, one of the roomiest compact luxury SUVs. That’s vital because when you start shaving the exterior lines of an SUV to make it sleek, you tend to reduce the space for rear passengers and cargo. That happened with both the BMW X4 and Mercedes GLC Coupe.
In the QX55, there’s 26.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind its second row of seats. That’s less than the 31.4 cu ft you’ll find in the QX50, but more than you’ll find in the X4 and the GLC Coupe. The QX55 also has up to 38.7 inches of rear legroom, aided by a second-row seat that can slide nearly six inches fore and aft to maximize cargo or passenger space, depending on need.
The Infiniti QX55
Infiniti
Notable standard and optional features
In addition to a power liftgate and a power moonroof with tinted glass, all 2022 Infiniti QX55s are equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, dual touch screens, tinted glass, and all-wheel drive. This new Infiniti SUV also has LED headlights to go along with its 20-inch alloy wheels, laminated side glass, and active noise cancellation.
Options include a navigation system, a head-up display (HUD), ProPilot Assist, and a Bose Performance Series audio system with 16 speakers. Most of these features, which are optional on the QX55 Essential, are standard on the top-of-the-line QX55 Sensory model.
What engine powers the Infiniti QX55?
The 2022 Infiniti QX55 is powered by the same turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that brings the Infiniti QX50 to life.
A technical marvel with variable compression, this VC-Turbo powerplant produces 268 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and a healthy 280 lb-ft of torque from 1,600 rpm to 4,800 rpm. While it’s a good engine with plenty of power, the real-world fuel-economy (which we experienced in a QX50) isn’t quite as high as we had hoped.
While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hasn’t rated the 2022 Infiniti QX55, the 2021 QX50, powered by the same engine, is rated at 22 miles per gallon city/28 mpg highway. We expect similar, possibly identical, fuel economy with the QX55.
All 2022 Infiniti QX55s have all-wheel-drive (AWD) and a continuously variable automatic transmission.
Infiniti QX55 safety features
ProPilot Assist is available on the Infiniti QX55 Essential and standard on the QX55 Sensory. This safety suite combines Intelligent Cruise Control with Steering Assist for a relaxed highway drive. ProPilot Assist requires that the driver’s hands be on the steering wheel.
Standard safety technologies on all 2022 QX55 models include automatic emergency braking, which automatically applies the brakes if a potential collision with a car or a pedestrian is sensed. All 2022 QX55s also have a blind-spot warning system, a simple technology that makes lane changes safer by letting the driver know when there’s a car or a motorcycle in the rear three-quarter blind spot.
Infiniti QX55 exterior
“Recalling the past while looking toward the future is what inspired us to create the new Infiniti QX55,” explains Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti’s Senior Vice President of Global Design. “Some SUVs try to deliver something to every buyer,” continued Albaisa. “We wanted to deliver a QX55 that can be everything to really passionate buyers.”
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With a silhouette that reinterprets that of the original Infiniti FX35, plus a large double-arch grille, the new QX55 succeeds as a compelling coupe-like SUV. The grille is flanked by LED headlights that mimic eyebrows, and the clamshell hood has shunt lines down at the front fenders.
With 20-inch wheels, the 2022 Infiniti QX55 looks stable and planted. The slanted D-pillars look graceful, and the back of the vehicle is kept from looking too plain by LED taillights that have a graceful light signature.
Available colors include Dynamic Sunstone Red, Slate Gray, Majestic White, Liquid Platinum, Graphite Shadow, Mineral Black, Black Obsidian, and Hermosa Blue.
Infiniti QX55 interior
The 5-seat interior of the new Infiniti QX55 is available in these three colors: Graphite, Stone/Graphite, and Monaco Red/Graphite.
All 2022 Infiniti QX55s get heated front seats and a power moonroof with tinted glass, plus a second-row bench that slides fore/aft six inches. There’s 38.7 inches of rear legroom when the back seat is in its rearmost position, and a maximum of 26.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind said bench. The QX50, it’s worth noting, has the same rear legroom but slightly more cargo room (31.1 cubic feet).
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and the base QX55, the Luxe, has leatherette upholstery. The QX55 Essential ups the luxury quotient with leather, while the QX55 Sensory gets semi-aniline leather to go along with its open-pore maple wood trim. The Luxe and the Essential get a dark brushed aluminum interior trim.
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Laminated side glass keeps the Infiniti QX55 interior quiet, as does active noise cancellation through the speakers.
2022 Infiniti QX55: three available models
The QX55 Luxe ($46,500) is the base version if you can call it that. It comes with leatherette upholstery with dark brushed-aluminum trim, plus 20-inch alloy wheels heated front seats, a power moonroof, a power liftgate, and laminated side glass along with active noise cancellation, onboard Wi-Fi, and four USB ports.
As a QX55 Essential ($51,600), this new coupe-like Infiniti SUV comes with leather upholstery and dark brushed-aluminum interior trim. It’s equipped much like the Luxe, but it’s also available with options like ProPilot Assist, a head-up display, navigation, and the upgraded Bose audio system.
On the Essential trim, the ProAssist Package ($800) and ProActive Package ($1,600) are available options.
The Infiniti QX55 Sensory ($57,050), the top model, has a finer grade of interior leather complemented by open-pore maple wood trim. What’s more, the ProPilot Assist is standard, along with a motion-activated power liftgate, navigation, and the Bose Performance Series audio system.
Behind the wheel of the 2022 Infiniti QX55
Driving the 2022 Infiniti QX55 is a pretty familiar experience if you’ve driven the latest version of the QX50. The two SUVs share a platform with the big difference being the coupe-like body of the QX55 that harkens back to the Infiniti FX. The look does a nice job bringing back the style of the FX while incorporating the modern design language of the brand.
One of our favorite aspects of the QX55 is the standard all-wheel drive. We found that the FWD QX50 tends to slide around a bit, but it’s more firmly planted with AWD. If FWD were available in the QX55, we’d probably recommend skipping it, which makes it nice that AWD is standard.
As you’d hope from an SUV like this, it’s a comfortable road tripper when in the Standard drive mode. There’s an Eco mode that gets stingy with the throttle to save fuel, but Sport mode makes the drive noticeably more fun. There’s also a Dynamic+ mode that greatly improves the steering and makes it start to feel like its more expensive European rivals. This Infiniti is no Porsche Cayenne Coupe, but it also costs a full $30,000 less.
The VC-Turbo engine is an interesting engineering feat and a pretty good motor, but it doesn’t blow us away in terms of either power or efficiency. It does both well, but it isn’t stellar in either department. That said, this is a more efficient SUV than most European rivals in this class, so there’s a trade-off. The Infiniti QX55 is entertaining to drive for a compact SUV, but isn’t quite on the same level as more expensive options in this segment.
The same goes for interior quality. The interior of the QX55 has a nice, sleek design and the overall fit and finish are on par for the Infiniti brand. That is to say; it feels like a Japanese luxury SUV in here in a way that’s commensurate with its price tag.
The QX55 scores high marks in the technology department. The standard infotainment system is a dual-screen setup with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto. Standard safety tech includes active noise cancellation, forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and rear cross-traffic alert. Available is the ProPilot Assist semi-autonomous driving system that incorporates adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist to make highway driving and stop-and-go traffic a breeze. Don’t fall asleep, though. You still have to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road with ProPilot Assist.
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Infiniti claims that the cargo space of the Q55 is best-in-class, which isn’t saying much. One downside of every vehicle in the “SUV coupe” segment is that you’re sacrificing cargo space for a more stylish body. That’s still the case with the QX55 compared to the boxier QX50, but cargo space is still decent. You aren’t sacrificing too much in the way of practicality to get a sleek SUV.
Autotrader’s advice
Although it’s manufactured in Aguascalientes, Mexico, the 2022 Infiniti QX55 is the first of the coupe-like SUVs from a Japanese carmaker. And we like what we see. Everything we enjoy about the Infiniti QX50 found its way into the new 2022 QX55 SUV coupe with the addition of a more stylish body, which will appeal to you if saving money is more important than elite European badging.
This story originally ran on Autotrader.com.
