Overview The sportiest SUV for the money. But not for those sensitive of bottom
Pros Excellent handling, great looks, willing engine
Cons Stiff suspension, cramped rear cabin, noisy engine
Value for money Excellent if you’re looking for a sports car dressed up as a SUV, marginal if you’re really looking for a SUV
What would I change? The QX is due for a refresh so I’d change everything. On the other hand, I would not change anything about its intent and purpose
How would I spec it? Top-of-the-line Sport with 21-inch wheels in basic black
In case you haven’t noticed — as in you’ve been stuck in the proverbial cave these last 10 years — SUVs are taking over the automotive world. What began as the fisherman’s friend has become the modern minivan, wagon and multi-purpose truck all wrapped up in one quasi off-road package. The lowly sedan doesn’t stand a chance against such versatility, the typical mid-sized sport utility vehicle offering the same roomy comfort but upping the ante with a higher riding position (converts to SUVdom often give this as their reason/excuse for making the switch), greater cargo space and, for the adventurous, at least a smidgen of off-road ability.
2015 Infiniti QX70 Sport
David Booth, Driving
Unless the SUV in question is Infiniti’s QX70 Sport. Formerly known as the FX35/37, the QX70 Sport is neither commodious of trunk or rear seat passenger perch, its rear seats cramped and its cargo loading floor noticeably high. Nor does it offer any off-road ability beyond the ability of the average all-wheel-drive minivan, its 21-inch, low-profile tires absolute slime on slippery terrain. It doesn’t, truth be told, even ride particularly high.
Read more: SUV Review: 2015 Infiniti QX80
And yet, it has a loyal following that borders on the cultish. Oh, to be sure, said cult is a fairly tight-knit group, hardly the legion of followers that are Ford Escape owners. But, of all the SUV owners I have ever met, the most fanatically loyal have always been Infiniti’s FX/QX owners. The question, then, is why they are so staunchly devoted when their ride is so obviously short of the utility that SUVdom is supposed to promise.
Well, for one thing, the QX is long on the sport side of the equation, indeed occupying a fairly narrow niche in the automotive world, that of sporty sport utility vehicle. More poignantly, despite BMW’s reputation for sporty SUVs, the QX70 is more dedicated to the cut and thrust of twisty roads than all but the M versions of BMW’s X series.
2015 Infiniti QX70 Sport
David Booth, Driving
More stiffly suspended, more direct of steering (yes, more feedback than BMW) and more generously tired than the X5 or X6, the QX70 Sport is quite the tool when the road gets curvy. Body roll, despite its relatively (to a sports coupe) high centre of gravity, is minimal, mostly due to suspension tuned just this side of Formula One firm. Indeed, those looking for reasons why the sporty Infiniti’s following is so niched need only take a short ride over this spring’s frost-heaved roads; the very same dampers that scoot the QX around even the tightest hairpins are also responsible for the ride that will loosen even the most firmly implanted of dental fillings. Seriously, even more than Porsche’s own Cayenne, it is the Infiniti QX70 Sport that best emulates a 911’s ability to scoot around corners. As well as its ability to punish kidneys.
Infiniti’s dedication to this cut and thrust is mirrored in its decision to drop the 5.0-litre V8 from the QX’s repertoire. To be sure, part of the reason was to meet future fuel consumption standards. But, the FX50 was never the sweet-steering road rocket the FX 35/37 was, the lardier V8 putting too much weight on the front wheels. Obama’s incredibly optimistic 54.5 mpg regulations are handling’s gain, the QX’s comportment better for the loss of two pistons.
And Infiniti’s 3.7-litre V6 offers plenty of get-up-and-go, its 328 horsepower good enough to haul the 2,087 kilogram QX to 100 kilometres an hour in around seven seconds. That may not seem particularly rapid in these days of three-second 911 Turbos, but it is still plenty entertaining: I doubt many will be complaining about the 3.7L’s lack of urgency.
There may be some backlash against its noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), however. A mainstay of Nissan’s lineup, the VQ37VHR engine is getting a little long in the tooth. Yes, it was long a perennial on Ward’s Ten Best Engines list, but it has simply failed to keep up with the times. Rev it hard and it’s busier than other V6s; Jaguar’s 3.0-litre supercharged V6 sounds positively melodic in comparison and BMW’s 3.0-litre inline six is far more sophisticated. If Infiniti wants to bolster its sporting bona fides even more, it should look to make the big six a little smoother at high revs; the engine is willing but the sound is coarse.
Inside, this sporting-at-all-costs theme continues unabridged. Despite being almost six years old, the QX’s interior remains fresh, mostly because Infiniti adopted a cockpit-like theme to the design. Both front seat occupants feel like they are enveloped in a racing-like cocoon thanks to the sweeping dashboard that curves around each of the front seat occupants. As a result, Infiniti’s infotainment controls — located high up on the dashboard — fall readily to hand, the driver feeling truly cocooned. Indeed, clunky switchgear or no, the QX’s interior feels more modern than many newer SUVs.
2015 Infiniti QX70 Sport
David Booth, Driving
But definitely more cramped. Oh, the front seat passengers are well accommodated, there being leg- and headroom to spare. But the rear passengers will find things tight, there not being as much passenger space in the rear perch as in many much smaller compact SUVs. Blame the “Bionic Cheetah” styling Infiniti so used to trumpet: The QX70’s curvaceous form may be more attractive than even a Porsche Cayenne’s — which from many angles it resembles — but all those curves do intrude in the rear leg-, head- and shoulder-room. Ditto for the rear cargo area. Again, the rear fascia is mightily attractive, but all the curves and angles lessen the trunk’s capacity.
And this is the QX70’s conundrum in a nutshell. It looks like an SUV but has none of its utilitarian abilities. On the other hand, it has all the attributes — both good and bad — of a sports car, but it looks like a truck. Little surprise, then the rather narrow market niche.
But, if you are looking for a comparatively inexpensive SUV that handles like a sports car, look no further than your Infiniti dealership. Yes, the QX70 Sport occupies a very narrow niche in an otherwise broad market. But it is the very best in that niche.
2015 Infiniti QX70 Sport
David Booth, Driving
The Specs
Type of vehicle All-wheel-drive luxury sport utility
Engine 3.7L DOHC V6
Power 325 hp @ 7,000 rpm; 267 lb.-ft. of torque @ 5,200 rpm
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Brakes Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires 265/45R21
Price (base/as tested) $60,150/same
Destination charge $1,995
Natural Resources Canada fuel economy (L/100 km) 14.6 city, 10.7 highway
Standard features Power door locks, windows and mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control air conditioning, speed-sensitive windshield wipers, Rear window intermittent wiper, 11-speaker Bose AM/FM/XM/CD/MP3 audio system with single CD player, Sirius XN radio, Infiniti hard drive navigation system with 8.0-inch touchscreen, rearview camera, power liftgate, information display, power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, 10-way power adjustable, heated front driver’s seat, 8-way power adjustable front passenger’s seat, Quilted leather seating, front air bags; side curtain air bags, front side seat-mounted air bags, Anti-lock Braking (ABS), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
