“Believe it or not, we’ve had customers tell us that they love the FX45, but sometimes, it isn’t big enough for them,” says Ian Forsythe, Nissan/Infiniti Canada’s director of marketing.
Solution: the full-size Infiniti QX56, which is meant to appeal to the really well-heeled buyer who likes a lot of elbow room…..with the emphasis on well-heeled. Typical buyers of the QX56 and its competitors - Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade, etc. - are in the economic stratosphere and can afford to buy whatever they want, whenever they want it. “This is a very small market in Canada,” concedes Forsythe.
The QX56, which shares its platform with the new Nissan Pathfinder Armada, is described by its creators as projecting “massive precision.” It features body-on-frame construction (the frame is also used in the new Nissan Titan pickup), a robust V8 engine, all the modcons and luxury goodies you can name, and a full-time all-wheel-drive system; all of which make it kind of unique in the full-size luxury import SUV marketplace. Why? Because, according to Infiniti, there isn’t another model like it on the market for the same amount of money. Yes, there is the Lexus LX 470, but it starts in the $90,000 range. The QX56 will be priced around $75,000 when it goes on sale in Canada, sometime in mid-March.
Taken directly from the Armada/Titan, the QX56’s 5.6 litre dual overhead camshaft V8 engine develops 315 horsepower at 4900 rpm, and 390 foot-pounds of torque at 3600 rpm. Transmission is a five-speed automatic only, with a manual shift mode. Among other things, the QX56 has a drive-by-wire system and delivers 90 per cent of its power below 2500 rpm. Infiniti is definitely aiming it at people who need it for towing their toys.
The all-wheel-drive system, meanwhile, is not what is commonly referred to as a “slip-and-grip” set-up. In other words, it doesn’t wait for the vehicle to start losing traction before it kicks in. Up until about 12 mph (18 km/h), it splits the engine’s power evenly – 50/50 – between the front and rear driving wheels; after that, on-board microprocessors and sensors constantly measure and calibrate road conditions and re-direct power according. “We wanted the QX56 to feel like a rear-drive vehicle, even though, technically, it isn’t,” adds Ian Forsythe. American buyers will be offered a rear-drive version, but us Canuckleheads will have to settle for AWD only.
The QX56, which legitimately seats eight adults, has no options. It will come fully loaded, and as you can imagine, has every conceivable luxury gew-gaw and convenience feature. Among some of the more noteworthy ones: second row heated and reclining seats, power adjustable pedals with memory, power operated rear liftgate, second row captain’s chairs, third row seats that fold flat, four 12-volt power points, “intelligent” cruise control, rear-mounted video camera for backing up, and rear DVD-based entertainment system with headphones. The cruise control is particularly intriguing. Unlike most similar systems, which use radar technology, the QX56 measures the distance between itself and the car ahead of it with laser sensors. And, needless to say, it has a DVD-based navigational system, which, on the scale of things, is reasonably easy to get along with.
And, of course, it has luxury standards, such as leather interior, real wood trim, power windows and door locks, power seats, a killer sound system, overhead console, and steering-wheel mounted controls. It may look like an Armada in a tuxedo, but it’s going to a much fancier party.
The QX56 is also considerably more quiet than the Armada, having over 70 pounds (31.7 kg) additional sound proofing material, including thicker window glass. Infiniti call this a “hush kit.”
But that’s not all, the QX56 has a slew of safety equipment, including side curtain airbags, side-impact airbags, dual-stage front airbags, ABS, a rear proximity sensor, and a child seat anchoring system.
Infiniti make no bones about which kinds of buyers they’re going after. The QX56 is meant to appeal to driving enthusiasts, and is definitely “performance oriented.” The stainless steel exhaust system has been tuned specifically to make the vehicle sound “hot” and it has excellent low-end power. “This type of vehicle needs to sound like a V8,” adds Ian Forsythe.
It also needs to really hit people where they live. The domestic manufacturers – Ford and GM – have a virtual lock on this market, and the QX56 will have to prove itself before buyers start lining up. However, that may not be as tall an order as it seems. Last year, Infiniti passed rival Lexus in overall sales….for the second year in a row. They have also topped Audi in sales, according to Nissan Canada president, Brad Bradshaw.
Could Lincoln and Cadillac be next?
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