Infiniti officially unwraps the 2011 QX56 SUV at the International Auto Show in New York. The new full-sized SUV is brawnier and bigger than its older version. The looks of the car is basically the same except for the new treatments for the front and rear.
You will never doubt that the vehicle is an Infiniti with the very distinct grille, big greenhouse, and the very broad shoulders. It is a good blend of sophistication and ruggedness which the designer hopes will captivate the market.
The new Infiniti QX is longer by 1.4 inches, wider by 1.1 inches, and lower than 3.8 inches compared to the previous model. The interiors are very similar with the Nissan Patrol although the carmaker claims that the design is out of this world.
The QX56 can accommodate 7 adults or 8 passengers if you will use the bench seat on the second row. There is a remote release feature for the jump seat so consumers will not have any difficulty finding the tip-up lever. The third row seats have a power folding feature and reclining capability.
Under the hood of the QX56 is a V-8 using direct fuel injection technology with 5.6L of displacement that boasts of 400 horsepower and a torque of 413 lb-ft. The power of the vehicle jumped by 25% but the fuel consumption is better by 10% according to the carmaker.
The engine transmits all the power to the wheels via a 7-speed automatic transmission with ASC or Adaptive Shift Control. There is also a manual mode with Downshift Rev Match feature.
You can get the QX as a two-wheel drive or a 4WD. The $WD features 4L, 4H, and Auto modes. On demand, the QX56 can shift about 50% of all its torque to the front wheels. The max towing capacity of the vehicle is about 8,500 pounds.
The new QX also has a new option for Hydraulic Body Motion Control that helps in configuring the vehicles optimal stiffness to make turning more controlled and a lot smoother.
The new Infiniti QX will go on sale by early summer with sticker prices starting at $56,700 for the 2WD and $59,800 for the $WD. These are the same numbers for the previous model year.
