Infiniti QX50 concept previews future Q5 rival

Nissan’s luxury arm, Infiniti, has revealed a production-ready version of its 2016 QX Sport Inspiration concept at the Detroit motor show in the form of the QX50 Concept.

Marking Infiniti’s entry into the premium SUV market, the production version of the QX50 is likely to retain the concept's visual drama. When launched, it will rival the likes of the Lexus NX, Audi Q5 and BMW X3, and will sit above the Mercedes GLA-based QX30 in the carmaker's international line-up.

Surprisingly, the QX50 hasn’t been given an electric motor, and no fossil-fuel engine details have been given, apart from a mention that the SUV may be in line for Infiniti’s variable-compression-ratio turbo engine.

This petrol powerplant was launched at the Paris motor show last year and Infiniti claims it provides the good fuel economy and strong torque associated with diesel engines, as well as the outright power of a large petrol engine. Maximum power output for this engine is 272hp, while the torque rating is 390Nm. That would give the QX50 around 15hp more than top-spec Audi Q5 but leave it short of the hot SQ5’s 345hp.

Inside, and typical for a concept, Infiniti has included new materials and finishes, such as ‘dot quilting’ on upholstery. The company claims the car will be available with a wide range of interior finishes, suggesting a high level of personalisation for the eventual production car.

The SUV concept also previews Infiniti's ambitions for autonomous technologies. The company claims that despite the nature of autonomous tech, its systems work in harmony with the driver. “Empowering rather than replacing human control” is how Infiniti describes the tech, saying the driver will always retain control of the car.

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