SIDE TRACKS
INFINITI, the fancy arm of Nissan, is upping its stakes in the SUV and crossover segment with a tarted-up QX70 S Design and the introduction of the big QX80.
The freshened QX70 S Design, based on the V6 S Premium, features a number of dark highlights to emphasise the Infiniti wagon’s sporting stance.
There are 21-inch six-spoke light alloy wheels in black, a black and dark chrome front grille, air vents and side vents, black-coloured exterior rear-vision mirrors and roof rails plus dark chrome tailgate finishers and front fog lamp housings.
Inside, there are some purple stitching highlights.
The QX70 S Design runs either a 235kW 3.7-litre petrol V6 or 3-litre turbodiesel V6 with 175kW of power and 550Nm of torque; both are mated to a seven-speed auto.
The S Design is selling from around $85,900 drive away until the end of September.
This QX70 variant is the first of another couple of Infinitis including the QX80 SUV and, later, the QX30 active crossover.
The QX80 at a list price of $110,900 arrives in Australian showrooms this month.
Packed with luxury, the eightseater is a reworked version of Nissan’s Patrol (just as the Lexus 570 is a reworked LandCruiser.)
This 4WD Infiniti runs a 5.6-litre petrol V8 with 298kW of power and 560Nm of torque, fitted ahead of a seven-speed automatic transmission.
Then there’s a heap of technologies, from a sophisticated hydraulic suspension system to lane-departure warning systems and 15-speaker Bose entertainment system.
If it’s directly related to the brash Nissan Patrol it should also be handy in the rough, as long as the track is wide enough, for these are big machines and a bit too fancy for serious bush-bashing.