2014 Infiniti QX60 Hybrid

SPECIFICATIONS

1. Fuel economy rated at 26 mpg city, 28 highway, 26 combined. 2. Power comes from a supercharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, a 15 kW electric motor and a compact lithium-ion battery. 3. Powertrain output totals 250 horsepower with 248 lb-ft of torque. 4. Base price for the QX60 Hybrid is $45,545 including delivery; AWD costs $1,400 more.

PREVIEW

Like a teenager, the Infiniti brand is in the midst of a revolution. Its automotive hormones are pumping and things are changing – both physically and emotionally. With luck at the end of this difficult period the company will be smarter, stronger and more mature.

Executives at Nissan’s luxury division are running at redline to redefine the brand’s image. Over the past couple years they’ve relocated the corporate headquarters from Japan to Hong Kong and they’ve really focused on growing the business in global markets so Infiniti doesn’t have to rely as heavily on North America. But one of the biggest changes that’s been made, and really the only one visible to consumers, has to do with their product nomenclature.

Familiar nameplates like G, M and FX have been scrapped like rusted out pickup trucks. Starting with the 2014 model year, sedans and coupes are designated “Q” while crossovers and SUVs are graced with “QX.” These letters precede two-digit numbers denoting a vehicle’s size. It’s logical but a bit confusing at first glance.

In keeping with this strategy one recognizable face, the Infiniti JX crossover, has been rechristened QX60. Also new for 2014 is the availability of a hybrid drivetrain. The gasoline-electric version of this three-row hauler aims to deliver increased fuel efficiency with no sacrifice in capability or performance.

INTERIOR

In spite of its radical name change the QX60 is essentially the same vehicle as the JX35. This means drivers and passengers are treated to a pleasantly premium cabin with oleo-soft leather, squishy plastics and superb build quality.

The second-row seats are nearly as nice as the front chairs, but like hotdog slices in SpaghettiOs, the aft-most bench is probably best left to kiddies. Behind the third-row is a small but useable storage space that clocks in at nearly 16 cubic feet; you could probably fit a few grocery bags back there. Fortunately the seatback folds flat opening up a generous cargo space.

Unlike other hybrids on the market today, designers were very subtle with the QX60. Many gasoline-electric vehicles shout at you with gaudy green badges and more stickers than found on the bumper of a hippie’s VW Beetle. Only two hybrid nameplates appear on the vehicle’s exterior – one on each front fender. Additionally there’s a small placard under the hood that indicates there’s a gasoline-electric powertrain in the vicinity. Drive a Prius if you want to shout about your eco-friendly intentions.Along with its familiar interior accommodations, the QX60’s exterior is also instantly recognizable. It’s wrapped in the same smooth, flowing, almost puffy-looking body as the JX. It’s tastefully styled and instantly identifiable as an Infiniti.

UNDER THE HOOD

The standard Infiniti JX — sorry — QX60 is hauled around by a 3.5-liter V6 engine. It’s a member of Nissan’s world-famous VQ family, which practically guarantees smooth, responsive performance. It delivers 265 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque and is matched exclusively to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that’s either the best thing since sliced cold cuts or the worst experience this side of eating one of those plastic-encased gas station sandwiches.

In lieu of a bent six, hybrid versions of the QX60 feature a supercharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. Similarly they’re matched to a CVT; sorry, there’s no escaping the moaning noises and slipping sensations associated with these gearless cogboxes.

Infiniti calls this technology its “Direct Response Hybrid” system; it’s the third electrified vehicle to join the lineup. All together the powertrain delivers a total of 250 horsepower and 243 lb-ft of twist, numbers that stack up very favorably to the V6-powered version of the vehicle. In everyday driving you won’t notice a difference between the two.Augmenting the gasoline engine is a 15 kW electric motor, two clutches and a small lithium-ion battery pack, the latter of which is cleverly mounted under the third-row seat. In this location it eats up zero interior or passenger space.

The result of that gasoline-electric fusion is a 24 percent improvement in fuel economy over the standard drivetrain; that’s no small potatoes. Equipped with either front- or all-wheel drive the QX60 hybrid stickers at 26 miles per gallon combined. It’s expected to deliver 28 mpg on the highway and 26 around town.