Infiniti’s QX50 a great choice, but consider these other options
So you want an Infiniti QX50. That’s not a bad choice, considering that Infiniti has produced what might be the most advanced internal combustion engine ever to power a production automobile, the VC-Turbo 2.0T. VC stands for variable compression, an ideal that automotive engineers have been trying to perfect since the 1920s and which essentially allows more efficient internal combustion over a wider set of operating conditions.
In Infiniti’s turbocharged guise, what that means is at low rpm and load conditions, the VC-Turbo runs an astronomical 14.0:1 compression ratio. Squeezing the fuel that hard at low speed allows for more combustion efficiency — increasing fuel economy — and more torque for better throttle response.
The problem is that, when you hit the gas, were that 14.0:1 compression ratio to remain fixed when the turbocharger kicks in its 23.2 psi of boost, it would blow the pistons right out the bottom end. What the VC part of that equation does is that, once you’re calling for all pistons on deck, it lowers the compression ratio to about 8.0:1 so all that turbo boost doesn’t frag the little four-banger’s delicate insides.
What that VC technology does is allow the QX50 to have almost class-leading power — 258 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque — while being rated for almost five per cent better fuel economy than its closest competitor. Infiniti claims that the QX50 sips but 9.0 L/100 km overall, a paltry figure for a non-diesel crossover and 2.7 L/100 km less than its V6-powered predecessor.
More than just efficient, the VCTurbo is a gem of an engine, perky at low speed, smooth at higher rpm and quite pleasing to the ear throughout. Indeed, Infiniti has added something called an Active Torque Rod — essentially a computer-controlled upper engine mount — that reduces noise, vibration and harshness such that much of the four-cylinder’s natural coarseness is filtered out. The only caveat to the engine’s comportment is that, according to the Variable Compression gauge (there’s a readout in the dash, right beside the boost gauge), the trick variable compression feature only works at moderate speeds. Its optimum benefit seems to be somewhere around 60 kilometres an hour and it looks like its effect completely disappears by about 120 km/ h.
Besides the new engine, the QX50 has much to recommend it. The interior is truly sumptuous, the price/feature equation competitive (though I don’t like that you have to go so high up the pricing ladder to get active cruise control, the QX50 does boast a remote engine starting system) and the handling sporty. That said, the suspension is on the firm side of comfortable. As for looks, it follows Infiniti’s latest Empower The Drive theme, which is to say it’s bold and aggressive.
If you want cute, not aggressive, then Volvo’s got an XC60 with your name on it. Where the Infiniti is all sharp edges, the Volvo is soft and cuddly.
Oh, it still handles a treat — though not as well as the QX — but, in base trim at least, its emphasis is on approachability and safety rather than technical expertise and sporty handling. The Volvo, too, has a gem of an engine — if slightly less powerful and less fuel efficient — with excellent throttle response and minimal noise and vibration.
And, like Infiniti, Volvo is a technological leader. Besides the base turbocharged four, there’s a super- and turbocharged version of the 2.0-L engine and, at the top of the range, the super- and turbocharged four is mated to a plug-in electric powertrain. Peak power ranges from the base car’s 250 hp to the T8 R-Design’s 400. Mind you, fully outfitted, you won’t get much change back from $75,000.
If you want to go with Infiniti’s arch rival, Lexus, then you’d be shopping the NX300, one of Lexus’s finest and — like everything Toyota manufactures — a paragon of dependability. Although equally aggressively styled (certainly the front “spindle” grille is tres butch), the NX is a little spongier than the QX. That said, it rides a bit better.
The 300’s interior is also quite comely, though the second row of seats lack the fore and aft adjustability of the Infiniti. Most importantly, of course, Lexus’s 2.0-L turbo engine, though quite sophisticated, doesn’t offer the Infiniti’s variable compression or sheer urge.
And it trails the Infiniti by 33 hp while consuming eight per cent more fuel. That said, the Lexus does offer a hybrid variant — the NX300h — which, though it can’t match the QX50 in performance, sips about 1.5 L/100 km less fuel overall.
If you want a bigger Infiniti, your choices are either the QX60 or 80 and, since you were shopping the baby of the trio, we’ll assume you’re not really interested in the monstrous QX80, which is only slightly smaller than a Chevy Suburban.
The QX60 is a mid-size — versus compact for the QX50 — SUV with three rows of seats and powered by Nissan’s acclaimed 3.5-L V6 mated to a continuously variable transmission. Not quite as aggressively tuned as the 50, the 60’s V6 is nonetheless powerful, with 295 hp and 270 pound-feet of torque. Though it carries itself fairly well, the 60 is an aging beast, now an ancient (for an automobile) five years old.
If you want cute, not aggressive, then Volvo’s got an XC60 with your name on it. Where the Infiniti is all sharp edges, the Volvo is soft and cuddly.