Sporty QX70 satisfies niche SUV seekers
In case you haven’t noticed — as in you’ve been stuck in the proverbial cave for the past 10 years — SUVs are taking over the automotive world. What began as the fisherman’s friend has become the modern minivan, wagon and multi-purpose truck thingy all wrapped up in one quasi off-road package. The lowly sedan doesn’t stand a chance against such versatility. The typical midsized sport utility vehicle offers the same roomy comfort, but ups the ante with a higher riding position (converts to SUVdom often give this as their reason/excuse for making the switch), greater cargo space and, for the adventurous, at least a smidgen of offroad ability.
Unless the SUV in question is Infiniti’s QX70 Sport.
Formerly known as the FX35/37, the QX70 Sport is neither commodious of trunk or rear-seat passenger perch, its rear seats cramped and its cargo-loading floor noticeably high. Nor does it offer any off-road ability beyond the average all-wheeldrive minivan, its 21-inch, low-profile tires absolute slime on slippery terrain. It doesn’t, truth be told, even ride particularly high. And yet it has a loyal following that borders on the cultish.
Oh, to be sure, said cult is a fairly tight-knit group, hardly the legion of followers that are Ford Escape owners. But of all the SUV owners I have ever met, the most fanatically loyal have always been Infiniti’s FX/QX owners. The question, then, is why they are so staunchly devoted when their ride is so obviously short of the utility SUVdom is supposed to promise.
Well, for one thing, the QX is long on the sport side of the equation, indeed occupying a fairly narrow niche in the automotive world — that of sporty sport utility vehicle. More poignantly, despite BMW’s reputation for sporty SUVs (actually SAVs, Sports Activity Vehicles, in BMW parlance), the QX70 is more dedicated to the cut and thrust of twisty roads than all but the M versions of BMW’s X series.
More stiffly suspended, more direct of steering (yes, more feedback than BMW) and more generously tired than the X5 or X6, the QX70 Sport is quite the tool when the road gets curvy. Body roll, despite its relatively high centre of gravity, is minimal, mostly from suspension tuned just this side of Formula One firm. Indeed, those looking for reasons the sporty Infiniti’s following is so niched need only take a short ride over this spring’s frost-heaved roads; the very same dampers that scoot the QX around even the tightest hairpins are also responsible for the ride that will loosen even the most firmly implanted of dental fillings.
Seriously, even more than Porsche’s own Cayenne, it is the Infiniti QX70 Sport that best emulates a 911’s ability to scoot around corners.
Infiniti’s dedication to this cut and thrust is mirrored in its decision to drop the 5.0-litre V-8 from the QX’s repertoire. To be sure, part of the reason was to meet future fuel-consumption standards. But the FX50 was never the sweet-steering road rocket the FX 35/37 was, the V-8 putting too much weight on the front wheels; the QX’s comportment is better for the loss of two pistons.
Infiniti’s 3.7-litre V-6 offers plenty of get-up-andgo, its 328 horsepower good enough to haul the 2,087-kilogram QX to 100 kilometres an hour in around seven seconds. That may not seem particularly rapid in these days of three-second 911 Turbos, but it is still plenty entertaining: I doubt many will be complaining about the 3.7 L’s lack of urge.
There may be some backlash against its noise, vibration and harshness, however. A mainstay of Nissan’s lineup, the VQ37VHR engine is getting a little long in the tooth. Yes, it was long a perennial on Ward’s Ten Best Engines list, but it has simply failed to keep up with the times. Rev it hard and it’s busier than other V-6s; Jaguar’s 3.0-litre supercharged V-6 sounds positively melodic in comparison and BMW’s 3.0-litre in-line six is far more sophisticated. If Infiniti wants to bolster its sporting bona fides even more, it should look to make the big six a little smoother at high revs; the engine is willing, but the sound is coarse.
Inside, this sporting-at-all-costs theme continues unabridged. Despite being almost six years old, the QX’s interior remains almost fresh, mostly because Infiniti adopted a cockpit-like theme. Both front-seat occupants feel like they are enveloped in a racing-like cocoon thanks to the sweeping dashboard that curves around them. As a result, Infiniti’s infotainment controls fall readily to hand. The QX’s interior feels more modern than many newer SUVs. But definitely more cramped. Oh, the front-seat passengers are well accommodated, there being leg and head room to spare. But the rear passengers will find things tight.
Blame the “Bionic Cheetah” styling Infiniti used to trumpet: the QX70’s curvaceous form may be more attractive than even a Porsche Cayenne’s, but all those curves intrude in the rear leg, head and shoulder room. Ditto for the rear cargo area.
And this is the QX70’s conundrum in a nutshell. It looks like an SUV, but has none of its utilitarian abilities. On the other hand, it has all the attributes — both good and bad — of a sports car, but it looks like a truck. Little surprise then, the rather narrow market niche.
If you are looking for a comparatively inexpensive SUV that handles like a sports car, look no further than your Infiniti dealership. Yes, the QX70 Sport occupies a very narrow niche in an otherwise broad market, but it is the very best in that niche.