Kelley Blue Book: The 2022 Infiniti QX60: This luxurious 3-row SUV is updated with an attractive new look and more

Because it’s based on a thoroughly revamped version of the chassis used in the previous QX60, the new model has the same wheelbase. However, it’s an inch shorter than the previous QX60 while also being slightly wider.

The new 2022 Infiniti QX60 looks much like the attractive Monograph show car, revealed in September of last year. And thanks to its wider track and larger tires (255s vs 235s), the new Infiniti QX60 also has a decidedly more aggressive stance than before.

In addition to its bold new styling, the interior has been overhauled and updated. The instruments are now fully digital, and the screen on the center stack, at 12.3 inches, is much larger than before. The horizontal screen extends up from the dash and looks worlds more modern than the small and dated one of the previous QX60, which was completely integrated into the center stack.

Infiniti has tossed the continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) of the previous QX60 in favor of a conventional 9-speed automatic transmission. This transmission, which mates to the familiar 3.5-liter V6, should make the engine feel a little snappier, aided by driver-selectable modes and shift paddles. In addition to giving this premium 3-row crossover SUV a more traditional feel during acceleration, the new gearbox helps raise the QX60’s maximum towing capacity from 5,000 to 6,000 pounds.

The QX60 needed an overhaul, and it looks like this new 2022 model (along with the upcoming 2022 QX55) has what it takes to be more of a formidable foe for the likes of the Acura MDX, Genesis GV80, and Volvo XC90. It’s a tough fight, for sure, but the 2022 Infiniti QX60 is well-equipped for the battle.

Check out: 14 of the best and most affordable places to live on the West Coast

2022 Infiniti QX60 pricing

The 2022 Infiniti QX60 starts at $46,850, plus a destination charge of $1,025. That’s the price for a QX60 Pure with front-wheel drive (FWD) and 18-inch alloy wheels. The all-wheel-drive (AWD) QX60 Pure starts at $48,850.

Infiniti expects the most popular model to be QX60 Luxe. This $52,900 model adds 20-inch alloy wheels, climate-controlled seats, a power tilt/telescope steering wheel, and a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. It also comes with navigation, remote engine start, and a handy around-view monitor.

The QX60 Sensory, which starts at $56,350, distinguishes itself with luxuries like massaging front seats, open-pore wood trim, a wireless smartphone charger, and a Bose audio system with 17 speakers.

As the top QX60 offering, the $63,250 Autograph model exudes luxury, in everything from its quilted semi-aniline interior leather to its center-row captain’s chairs. The Autograph, which has a black roof, also comes with a head-up display, a digital rearview mirror, AWD, and a towing package.

A major rival, the revitalized 2022 Acura MDX, starts in the $48k region. Potential buyers may also be interested in the Genesis GV80, the 3-row Lexus RX 350L, and Volvo XC90 VLVLY, +1.80%  (all from around $50K, 2021 figures). The Germans — the Audi Q7, BMW X5 BMW, +0.97%, and Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class — are fantastic, but start around $10K higher than the 2022 QX60.

Before buying, always check the KBB.com Fair Purchase Price to see what others in your area are paying for their new QX60. Way back in the mists of 2019, the previous Infiniti QX60 won a KBB award for low ownership cost over five years.

Check out: Which electric SUVs have the most cargo space? Here’s a full list

Driving the 2022 Infiniti QX60

In a day-long drive on mostly 2-lanes (with a bit too much traffic) through much of Northern California wine country, the new 2022 QX60 impressed in nearly every way. Performance from its 295-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 was predictably good. Our only complaint was that its new 9-speed automatic sometimes took a brief break before kicking down several gears for a foot-to-the-floor pass of a slower car. It felt like old-fashioned turbo lag (though from a non-turbo engine), but instead was the gearbox deciding on, then engaging, the optimum gear.

Check out: 7 off-the-radar places worth stopping on a California road trip

On the other hand, this new luxury SUV’s dynamics were a pleasant surprise. It turns in smartly and tracks tightly through fast corners yet delivers a flat, comfortable ride even on fairly rough surfaces and clever tuning of its upgraded suspension. Its steering is quicker than before, but lighter at low speeds, and its braking is strong, stable, and linear. Among its five selectable drive modes, the “Sport” mode enhances throttle, steering, and transmission response for a sporty feel.

Interior comfort

KBB had the opportunity to sit in a 2022 Infiniti QX60 Autograph, the top model.

The roomy cabin is super luxurious with quilted semi-aniline leather appearing on the dash and the first two rows of seats. There’s a rich ambience inside the QX60, one that’s enhanced by the attractive contrast stitching.

The QX60 dash is further highlighted by a new digital instrument panel and a horizontally oriented 12.3-inch infotainment screen that extends up out of the center stack. It’s a touchscreen, yes, but it can also be controlled by a metallic rotary knob on the center console. The center console, by the way, now has a handy storage area built into its lower section.

As an Autograph, the new Infiniti QX60 has center-row captain’s chairs and a maximum seating capacity of six. All the other QX60 trim levels have a center bench seat and seating for seven.

All 2022 Infiniti QX60 models feature a climate-control panel with haptic feedback. Among the features operated by this glass-covered haptic panel low on the center stack are the climate controls, seat heat, seat cooling, and radio tuning. Frankly, we’d rather have a tuning knob, just like the one used to adjust the radio volume.

Don’t miss: Three things to take care of when you retire—your future self will thank you for it

There’s good room for tall folks in the first two rows of seats. The 2nd row has what Infiniti calls an improved “hip-to-heel ratio,” which makes it feel roomier. Also, the 3rd row still accommodates kids and compact adults fairly well. The Autograph, it should be noted, has a floor-mounted console between the captain’s chairs that can be removed to facilitate 3rd-row access.

With that console in place, though, access to the third row is facilitated by a button on the base of the seat. When it’s pressed, the seat base tilts up from the back and the whole seat slides forward, making it easy for folks to crawl into the back of the 2022 Infiniti QX60. There’s even a thoughtful button on the back of the 2nd-row seats to let folks in the 3rd row move the middle row out of the way if necessary.

Other standard hardware on the new QX60 Autograph model includes a large head-up display, a wireless smartphone charger, and a 17-speaker Bose audio system.

Behind the 3rd row of the new QX60 is 14.5 cubic feet of cargo space, enough for a quick trip to the market. This grows to 41.6 cu ft when the 3rd-row seat is folded, which is about one cubic foot more than was available in the previous QX60.

Exterior styling

We think Infiniti has done a fabulous job with the look of the new 2022 QX60. It looks attractive from all angles, and it clearly has drawn much inspiration from the head-turning QX60 Monograph show car.

We like the flatter hood, the higher shoulder line, and the new double-arch grille, which has an origami-inspired mesh with a 3D look. While the piano-style headlights and taillights enhance the new QX60’s technological look, the word Infiniti appears prominently front and rear to remind us of just who makes this luxurious 3-row SUV. For the record, the new QX60 is made in Smyrna, Tennessee.

The QX60’s rearview mirrors are now mounted on the doors, and all four of the doors have conventional-looking exterior handles with touch-sensitive solenoid-style releases.

With its shorter body, wider track, and larger tires, Infiniti’s newest luxury 3-row crossover SUV now has a more aggressively planted stance.

Also see: 8 simple rules to maximize wealth—at any age

Favorite features

Attractive styling
Infiniti’s chief designer, Taisuke Nakamura, has used elements from the QX Inspiration and QX60 Monograph concept vehicles to craft the production version of the 2022 Infiniti QX60. To us, the design works. It’s powerful but refined, and Infiniti badges are displayed proudly front and rear.

Standard features

The Infiniti QX60 Pure is a front-wheel-drive (FWD) model with leatherette upholstery, tri-zone automatic climate control, and 18-inch alloy wheels. A hands-free power tailgate also is standard, as are 255-width tires, up from 235. While all new 2022 Infiniti QX60s have three rows of seats, but only the Autograph comes with 2nd-row captain’s chairs and a removable center console.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all models, but only the former is wireless. WiFi is also standard across the board, along with six USB ports and a forward-collision warning system with automatic emergency braking.

The QX60 Luxe is the expected volume leader. It adds 20-inch alloy wheels, climate-controlled seats, a power tilt/telescope steering wheel, a 12.3-inch digital instrument, enhanced ProPiot Assist, navigation, an around-view monitor, and remote engine start.

As its name suggests, the QX60 Sensory mode is equipped even more luxuriously. It’s equipped with massaging front seats, open-pore wood interior trim, heated 2nd-row seats, power-return 3rd-row seats, a wireless smartphone charger, a motion-activated power tailgate, illuminated kickplates, and a Bose audio system with 17 speakers.

The QX60 Autograph, the opulent new top model, gets beautifully quilted semi-aniline interior leather, a large head-up display, center-row captain’s chairs (with a removable center console), a digital rearview mirror, a power-up 3rd-row seat, panoramic roof, a towing package, active LED headlights, and a black roof.

Factory options

All-wheel drive (AWD) is a $2,000 option on all 2022 Infiniti QX60s. On the QX60 Autograph, though, it’s a $2,900 option because it also includes a $900 towing package that has a transmission cooler and raises the vehicle’s maximum towing capacity to 6,000 pounds.

Other main options come in packages. The $1,500 Vision Package (available in the Luxe and Sensory; standard in the Autograph) includes adaptive headlights, the head-up display, and the digital rearview mirror.

The $900 Performance Audio Package (available on the Luxe; standard on the Sensory and Autograph) features a 17-speaker Bose audio system, while the $900 Tow Package (available on the Sensory; standard on the Autograph) includes a receiver, a hitch member, and a transmission oil cooler.

Engine and transmission

A familiar 3.5-liter V6 propels the 2022 Infiniti QX60 with 295 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. It’s mounted transversely under the hood, where it drives the front (or all four) wheels.

A new 9-speed automatic transmission likely will have an impact on the 2022 QX60’s official EPA fuel economy. No figures have been announced, but Infiniti expects the 2022 QX60  to be a little more fuel-efficient than the 2021 QX60, which was rated by the EPA at 20 mpg city/27 mpg highway (FWD) and 19 mpg city/26 mpg (AWD).

The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, mechanically similar to the new QX60, is rated by the EPA at 21 mpg city/26 mpg highway (FWD) and 20 mpg city/25 mpg highway (AWD).

Infiniti has made no mention of a hybrid QX60.

3.5-liter V6
295 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
270 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/26 mpg (FWD), 20/25 (AWD)

This story originally ran on KBB.com.