2024 Infiniti QX60 First Test: Agreeable Three-Row in Search of Power
Infiniti’s bestseller deserves a more modern, athletic powertrain.
Pros
- Attractive styling
- Soft-touch, upscale interior
- Decent handling and braking figures
Cons
- Outdated engine lacks low-end torque
- No hybrid or performance engine option
- Low-resolution 360-degree camera
If we were to toss you the keys to a top-of-the-line 2024 Infiniti QX60 Autograph and let you peek inside, you'd find this three-row luxury SUV is stuffed with upscale materials. Elegant, soft Saddle Brown semi-aniline leather upholstery smothers the seats, dashboard, center console, and door panels, capped by a tasteful mix of contrast stitching, quilting, and piping. There's even a dose of open-pore wood trim for good measure. You're greeted by dual 12.3-inch displays for the infotainment and digital gauge cluster and a 10.8-inch head-up display as you fire up wireless Apple CarPlay and play tunes through the Bose Performance Series 17-speaker sound system. It takes a minute to get used to the haptic-touch controls on a piano-black panel, but a decent blend of physical controls soothes any discomfort. After firing up the engine, you turn on the massaging seats, slide the slick console shifter into gear, and accelerate up to speed—only to discover the lone liability in Infiniti's otherwise agreeable bestseller.
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It's the Engine
We last tested the QX60 two years ago when Infiniti refreshed it for 2022 and finally ditched the SUV's unpleasant continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) in favor of a conventional torque-converter nine-speed automatic transmission. The new automatic proved a far better partner for the QX60's carryover VQ family-based engine, a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 making 295 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque that dates back to 2017.
As much as the sensation of real gearshifts improved the powertrain's feel, the new transmission didn't inherently sharpen the aging V-6's high-strung behavior. Its peak horsepower and torque are delivered way up high at 6,400 rpm and 4,800 rpm, necessitating long dips into the throttle for decent acceleration. We suspect three-row SUV customers won't be keen on staying in wide-open throttle that long in everyday driving; in typical driving, the QX60 therefore feels lethargic.
Fast-forward two years, and nothing has changed under the Infiniti's hood. The proverbial elephant in the room remains. As other luxury three-row SUVs have embraced turbochargers, hybridization, and electrification to achieve elevated performance, refinement, and decent fuel economy, the old-souled 2024 QX60 chugs along with the same V-6 it's always had, essentially the same one found in its non-luxury counterpart, the Nissan Pathfinder. Infiniti isn't entirely alone here; Acura's MDX follows the same non-turbo-V-6 strategy, but at least a turbocharged option is available in the higher-performance MDX Type S.
The three-row luxury SUV segment is extremely heated, so much so that any little edge counts—so you might not think performance metrics matter, but think again. Here, the QX60 isn't class-leading, but its measured acceleration masks the V-6 engine's high-strung power delivery. (After all, we're going full throttle.) In our 0-60-mph test, the 4,669-pound QX60 broke out of the 7s (which it didn't do in our last test) with a 6.9-second time on its way to clocking a 15.2-second quarter mile at 92.9 mph. That's no match for a Lincoln Aviator, for example, but it does put it right on par with a slightly heavier, four-cylinder 2023 Volvo XC90 B6 AWD. Pitted against a 2022 Acura MDX with a similar 3.5-liter V-6 (290 hp and 267 lb-ft of torque), though, the Infiniti's mass is apparent. The 182-pounds-lighter Acura beats the Infiniti to 60 mph by 1.2 seconds and edges it by 0.8 second in the quarter mile.
Trouble is, as we've pointed out, away from the track where people aren't matting the gas pedal all the time, the QX60 accelerates, well, remarkablymeh. With so little low-rpm torque to work with, the Infiniti is sluggish around town. The Sport drive mode adds some twitchiness to the powertrain in an artificial, half-hearted kind of way but doesn't scrounge up extra torque, meaning you'll still need to beat on the engine to access its power.
The 2024 Infiniti QX60 ran a surprisingly decent (amongst other three-row midsize SUVs)MTfigure-eight lap time of 27.2 seconds at 0.63 average g. The Lincoln Aviator clocked a 27.1-second lap at 0.69 average g, for comparison. The figure-eight lap measures acceleration, braking, handling, and the transitions between them.
With stability control off and Sport mode selected, the QX60 surprised us by putting up with the shenanigans, if not exactly encouraging them. It handled securely, and its stopping distance from 60 mph came to a respectable 117 feet (in contrast to the Aviator's 124 feet), though pedal feel isn't linear (firm resistance in the initial pedal stroke softens the farther the pedal is pushed) and the body dives forward notably under harder braking.
A Solid Three-Row SUV
If you're OK with a slower pace, the QX60 offers plenty to like. Our test model was a fully loaded Autograph, the crème de la crème of the model range, complete with a sporty Black Obsidian roof. For nearly $70,000 as tested, the overall package met expectations and left us feeling fancy enough during school drop-off.
A subtle pass-through storage ledge under the center console proved great for out-of-sight stashing of small valuables, a solid solution for locating and protecting petite purses. An easy-to-find dedicated camera button in the center console allowed easy, on-the-fly access to the 360-degree camera, though its low resolution left us wondering if we needed glasses. Infiniti opted for an undercarriage-mounted spare tire (a bonus, since not all new vehicles come with spares anymore), making room for flush underfloor storage in the rear cargo area.
Infiniti shows that it knows rear-seat passenger comfort matters, as exhibited by ceiling-mounted second- and third-row air vents, plentiful cupholders and USB ports, reclining seats, and pull-down rear-door shades. It also knows cargo space matters. The second and third rows fold flat for a nice, large cargo area. The third row folds down manually via seat-top levers that double as recliner levers. Putting the seat back up is a powered function through a cargo area button.
Second-row captain's chairs are separated by a removable center console. These captain chairs have power-button tilt-and-slide functionality for third-row access, a clever feature first introduced on the previous QX60 (but not unique to Infiniti). There are two separate buttons for passengers both entering and exiting the third row. The function enables a one-step process in which the captain's chairs slide and tilt all the way forward, allowing generous space for getting into and out of the third row. Since the captain's chairs don't recline during the process, children's car seats retain full functionality. They just move with the seat. We have two car seats, so we appreciate this function. There's room for another car seat in the third row for the kid you like the least.
The Verdict?
Infiniti pitches the QX60 as "a hit for families seeking an elevated level of luxury." Sure. If Infiniti can revise the powertrain to match the rest of the SUV's appeal, we'd be all in. This is a good-looking SUV inside and out, with useful features for typical three-row shoppers: families. The 2024 Infiniti QX60 AWD Autograph you see here comes in at $69,570, as tested. Worth it, perhaps, but that's encroaching on no-compromise territory, especially in the luxury segment. If you're not particularly brand loyal and are just looking for practicality with a dose of luxury, it might be prudent to investigate non-luxury players like the Kia Telluride. But if your heart is set on Infiniti, less pricey QX60 models can be had for as little as $51,000. At that level, the so-so V-6 engine can be forgiven, if only just.
