2022 Infiniti QX60

The Infiniti QX60 three-row crossover SUV is based on the Nissan Pathfinder, with luxury added. It has been redesigned for 2022 to be more elegant and stately, with a priority on comfort and style; there are also mechanical upgrades including a new 9-speed automatic transmission. There’s a new look, a fresh interior with better seats, updated technology including a larger touchscreen, retuned suspension, and tightened steering with a more direct feel.

While the wheelbase remains the same, 2.0 inches have been cut from the rear, and it’s two inches wider.

There’s more sound-deadening material and thicker glass, to make the cabin quieter. Clever packaging in the doors and cargo floor creates more space for the second row. A second-row bench comes standard for seven-passenger seating, with captain’s chairs in the top model.

The QX60 uses the same 3.5-liter V-6 as the Nissan Pathfinder. Its 295 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque come on strong, delivering power to the front wheels, with all-wheel drive optional. The new 9-speed transmission boosts fuel economy to an EPA-rated 21 mpg city, 26 highway, 23 combined with front-wheel drive, and 1 mpg less with AWD.

Crash-test ratings have not been finalized by the IIHS and the NHTSA, but the QX60 comes standard with automatic emergency braking front and rear, blind-spot monitors, and lane-departure warnings. Optional safety tech includes adaptive lighting and a surround-view camera system. A navigation-based adaptive cruise control slows the SUV automatically at turns and in other predictive scenarios. Hands-free driving only lasts for about 15 seconds before a warning, but in stop-and-go traffic the system stays engaged for up to 30 seconds without driver intervention.

Model Lineup

Made in Tennessee, the QX60 models are called Pure, Luxe, Sensory and Autograph. All-wheel drive is a $2,000 option on the Pure and Sensory, and $3,000 on the Autograph.

The Pure for $47,875 and comes with LED headlights and taillights, a panoramic sunroof, 8-way power heated front seats, three-zone climate control, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay (Android Auto requires a cord), and a wi-fi hotspot. Optional features include wireless smartphone charging, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.8-inch head-up display, and rear camera mirror.

For $57,375, the 2022 QX60 Sensory has 20-inch wheels and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, as well as enhanced driver-assist features and a surround-view camera system. It adds ambient lighting and open-pore ash wood trim in the cabin, a 17-speaker Bose sound system, front-seat massagers that operate in 11-minute intervals, heated second-row seats, power flip-up third-row seats, wireless smartphone charging, and a hands-free liftgate.

The top Autograph trim costs $64,375 with all-wheel drive. It comes with semi-aniline leather upholstery, a 10.8-inch head-up display, and massaging seats. second-row captain’s chairs are optional.

The 4-year/60,000-mile warranty does not include scheduled maintenance.

Exterior

The QX60 is elegant, despite an array of metallic trim designed to look like skid plates, air intakes, and quad exhaust pipes. It’s not ostentatious, and it works to distinguish the QX60 from the Pathfinder. The bold mesh grille is framed by chrome bands. Black cladding runs front to back and over the top of round wheel arches housing up to 20-inch alloy wheels.

Chrome trims the roofline and the recessed rocker panels. The sweeping greenhouse could have come from the Lincoln playbook. An available black roof and deeply tinted rear windows sweep into the integrated roof spoiler.

Interior

Black open-pore wood arcs across the dash. Top trims with quilted semi-aniline leather feature studded accent stitching meant to reflect ripples in a pond. A 12.3-inch touchscreen crowns the dash and is mirrored symmetrically below by a haptic touch panel of climate controls. It provides a clear tableau for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and the native navigation system is easy to use by touch or by the controller dial in the console.

Heated front seats with power lumbar support envelop most body sizes and shapes in comfort. The top trims have modest massagers. Ceiling-mounted vents circulate air to the rear seats.

The roomy second-row bench seats are almost as comfortable, with captain’s chairs available on the Autograph. They should be optional for every model.

The third row is cramped, with a mere 28 inches of leg room, down a couple of inches from the last-generation QX60. The third row reclines, so that helps.

Behind the third row, the QX60 has 14.5 cubic feet of storage, including a six-inch-deep compartment under the floor. Pull the headrest and seat straps, and the 60/40-split third row folds down to create 41.6 cubic feet of space, a bit more than before. Optional power raises the third row seatback so you don’t have to lean forward for the pull strap.

The second row collapses for 75.4 cubic feet of cargo space. It tumbles forward with the push of a button, and child booster seats don’t need to be removed.

The cabin rides calm and quietly. Thicker second-row windows, laminated front glass, and other sound-deadening materials reduced cabin noise from the road and engine.

Driving Impressions

The 3.5-liter V-6 makes 295 hp and 270 lb-ft or torque, enabling 0-60 mph times in the low seven seconds. That’s enough power to keep the engine from straining in most situations, but it’s helpful to use the steering-wheel paddles to downshift the transmission when passing on two lanes, as the 9-speed automatic is programmed for cruising in higher gears. It pauses less in Sport mode, one of five modes that change the throttle response and steering resistance, as well as shift sharpness. The 9-speed is a big improvement over the previous CVT.

The on-center feel of the steering is solid, so few corrections are needed while cruising. The electric power assist system feels light at low speeds, and gets heavier at higher speeds for more security on winding roads. But, despite a retuned suspension with struts up front and a multi-link rear, the 2022 QX60 can’t overcome its weight and physics to provide very spirited driving.

The new all-wheel-drive system uses a direct coupling and a host of sensors to send up to 50% of the torque to the rear wheels when slip is detected, or when climbing uphill or in inclement weather. The powertrain helps the QX60 tow up to 6,000 lb (3,500 lb with front-wheel drive), which is on the higher end for the class.

Final Word

The 2022 Infiniti QX60 has moved up a class with its latest redesign. It has a more comfortable interior, a better transmission, and a more sophisticated style. For up to seven people, it’s a luxury-grade SUV, with all the right trappings.

—by Sam Moses with driving impressions by The Car Connection