American size, Japanese style - the new Infiniti QX60

Why look to the Japanese giant when looking for a large premium SUV?

American cars - when we hear this phrase, the Dodge Viper, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang or Cadillac Escalade most often come to our mind. Huge and very loud engines, monstrous dimensions of the body and excellent handling - until you want to turn the steering wheel. Obviously, this is a stereotype, but there is some truth in every stereotype.

Americans are also specialists in large family vans and SUVs. It is the cars of these segments, focused on the North American market, that are considered the most comfortable, roomy and versatile. This is what the Infiniti QX60 model looks like, which has been available abroad for many years, and only recently this huge family SUV could be bought in Poland. And there are several reasons why you should look to the Japanese giant if you're looking for a large premium SUV.

First, it's different

One thing is for sure - to judge the appearance of this car, you have to see it in person, because it really looks different than in the photographs. It's really big - 5092 1742 mm long and 2900 60 mm high without handrails, plus a mm wheelbase. When you get into this colossus, you immediately understand that we will be taller than most cars in the city, and there is an unimaginably large amount of space behind us. When it comes to styling, many are of a similar opinion - although the QX's front end is muscular and dynamic, it references other models from the brand, the sloping roofline, with the characteristic Infiniti broken chrome line around the windows and the low line of the taillights is, to put it delicately, oriental. . It's all a matter of taste, but the proportions of the rear spoil the very good appearance of the largest Infiniti offered in Poland. And what you can be sure of is that this car cannot be confused with any other car on the road, and its appearance in the parking lot creates a real sensation.

The second is a heart like a bell

Under the hood, the QX60 should have had a decent engine running. And what could be better than a naturally aspirated 3,5-liter V6? The engine has a power of 262 hp. and maximum torque of 334 Nm. For such power, these results are not very high, but in the catalog we find promising information that acceleration to the first hundred for this colossus takes only 8,4 seconds, and it can accelerate to a speed of 190 km / h. With a curb weight of 2169 kg (to be honest, I expected at least 2,5 tons), these are very good results.

The engine goes to work without delay, although there can be no question of any sporting sensations. But, probably, none of those who are really interested in a family seven-seater SUV counts on this. There is no need to complain about the lack of significant dynamics at the start or a coup - acceleration and maneuverability are at a very decent level.

A huge surprise for me was the operation of the electronically controlled CVT gearbox. First, it has seven virtual predefined gears that you can use at any time. Secondly, during normal city driving, where we are dealing with frequent braking and acceleration, the torque is transferred to the wheels surprisingly efficiently and smoothly - there are no jerks, squeals and delays between pressing the gas and the actual response of the car. .

And the features to be taken? On wet pavement, the all-wheel drive “buttons” rather sluggishly and with a clear delay - quite unexpected that in this class of cars we have an attached all-wheel drive. And as for fuel consumption - according to the computer, for 8 hours of driving around Warsaw it was not possible to drop below 17 liters per 100 km, using all the advantages of this car.

Third - space like in a bus

The Infiniti QX60 is a full-fledged seven-seater, one of the few on the market that can actually carry seven adult passengers. Of course, children will be most comfortable in the third row, but in many cars advertised as seven-seat, no one taller than 140 cm will sit down. The interior is really big, the back seat is also very wide, where sitting in the middle is not so bad.

What's with the trunk? When we carry six passengers, we have a decent 447 liters at our disposal, and in the five-seat version, this figure increases to 1155 liters - up to the roof line, of course. After folding the second and third row of seats, we have 2166 liters of cargo space.

The interior is made at a really high level, especially when it comes to the finishing materials used and their fit. While the appearance of the dashboard may seem archaic at first, the ease of use and the presence of physical buttons to control all functions is another nod to the traditionalists. Similar to the analog clock, between which we will find, of course, a TFT display informing about the readings of the on-board computer and security systems.

Fourth - entertainment at the level

Headrest-mounted monitors are a rarity these days because their role is taken over by tablets attached to them. Here the entertainment system is always in place, and in addition to being able to play movies, for example from DVD, we have the possibility of connecting a game console - this is possible in some of the vehicles currently offered. In addition, the BOSE audio system deserves special attention. It has 14 speakers and a total RMS power of 372 watts, and its tuning will satisfy the expectations of very demanding music lovers. It is important to note that we can separate audio and media playback into zones, and passengers who want to watch or listen to something other than the driver can use special headphones and control the system using the included remote control. No even a very long trip on the QX60 will be boring.

Fifth – carefree, safe driving

The version of HIGH-TECH that I tested had a full set of security systems available. There were no surprises here: there was active cruise control, active lane keeping assistant, blind spot assistant - everything that a car of this type should have on board. Surprisingly, all of these roadside assistance systems could be activated or deactivated at the touch of a button - you could quickly choose between the most analog driving and total protection. My favorite system, especially in busy Warsaw, is DCA - remote control support. How it works? When driving in the city, even when the active cruise control is disabled, the car itself brakes in front of the car in front to a complete stop at each intersection. The brake pedal does not need to be touched, which is extremely convenient and also extremely effective - braking is not harsh and unpleasant (as is the case with many active cruise control systems), but even perfectly adapted to the conditions on the road. Road.

A gift to traditionalists

It's true - in some places the Infiniti QX60 shows that it's not the latest design. Many solutions in the field of equipment (bi-xenons instead of LEDs, low resolution of the multimedia screen, lack of interfaces for integrating multimedia with smartphones) come from a few years ago. The interior design is also far from multimedia and modern designs like the Range Rover Velar or the Audi Q8. However, we are talking about something completely different - a car with a proven, armored power unit, which must work culturally and give satisfactory performance. To this are added: high-quality finishing materials and classic combinations of wood and genuine leather, as well as huge space in the cabin and very high comfort on long journeys.

And although the base price of this model is at least PLN 359, in return we get an almost fully equipped car in the ELITE version, and for the highest HIGH-TECH you have to pay another PLN 900. Looking at the price lists of competing seven-seater SUVs in this class with similar features and equipment, you need to spend at least PLN 10 more on your purchase. So this is a pretty attractive proposition for people who are looking for a big SUV. And having driven this car, I am sure that the limited 000 copies of this model ordered by Infiniti Center this year will find their buyers in the shortest possible time.