AFTER A YEAR HIATUS, QX50 RETURNS WITH NEW ENGINE, NEW PLATFORM, NEW LOOK

After taking a year off, the Infiniti QX50 is back as a 2019 model, a little bit shorter but wider and taller than its predecessor with a new interior, a more fuel-efficient, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, and generous cargo space as it moves into its second generation under the QX nameplate. (The first QX50 in 2014 was essentially an update of the EX series introduced in 2008.)

The result is a midsize luxury crossover that offers buyers a quality alternative in a very popular segment.

With an all-new platform, the 2019 QX50 is offered with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive in three trim levels dubbed Pure, Luxe, and Essential. (You have to wonder how they came up with these names.)

All are equipped with a 2.0-liter VC Turbo-4 (for Variable Compression) that generates 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque while delivering fuel economy numbers of 24 miles-per-gallon city, 31 highway and 27 combined in FWD and 24/30/26 with AWD.

That’s less horsepower but more torque and better fuel mileage than the 2017 model that had a 3.7-liter V6 under the hood. That engine pumped out 325 hp but only 267 lb.-ft. of torque while drinking fuel at the rate of 17/24/20 mpg.

The improved torque is what gives the 2019 model a rather peppy performance for its class, though that you have to suspect that it is somewhat held back by the continuously variable transmission.

It does have a DS (Sport) mode and features a manual shift mode that works like a regular 7-speed transmission if you want to shift gears yourself. But a 7-speed (or 6) would be better.

The new QX50 is 184.7 inches long compared to the 2017’s length of 186.6, but stands taller (66 inches) and wider (74.9). The 2017 is less than 63 inches tall without roof rails and only 71 inches wide.

There is less leg room up front (39.6 on the 2019, 44.3 on the 2017) but more in the back (38.7 to 35.3).

Designers gave the 2019 QX50 a bolder look with a long, clamshell hood that is made to appear even longer by the slanted A pillar. The front fascia features LED headlights and LED daytime running lights. The top two trims (Luxe and Essential) also get LED fog lights as standard.

The interior, in a word, is beautiful. Infiniti calls it the finest interior it has ever created, and it’s hard to argue with that. The cabin is packed with high-grade materials with leatherette-appointed seats on Pure and Luxe trims. The Essential trim gets full leather as standard with two options for upgrades.

Aluminum accents add a nice touch to the interior’s two-color scheme.

Both front seats are power-adjustable eight ways with the driver getting two-way power adjustable lumbar support. You can opt for blue ultra-suede door panels on Essential models in a package that also includes white premium grade leather seating surfaces.

The console features a double screen on the center stack that allows you to perform infotainment functions without putting down the 8-inch screen that serves the navigation system, a feature that many critics don’t seem to appreciate. But I do, maybe because I am constantly fiddling with the radio.

Pricing for the 2019 QX50 starts at $36,550 (plus the $995 destination and delivery charge) for the Pure FWD model. Luxe and Essential trims with FWD start at $39,400 and $43,350, respectively. AWD adds $1,800 to the price.

That pricing makes the QX50 very competitive in its class, but the QX50 Essential can quickly top $50,000 when optional packages are added in.

Standard equipment for the QX50 Essential includes a power moonroof, roof rails, rain-sensing windshield wipers, forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection, around-view monitor (other trims get the standard rearview camera), parking sensors, power liftgate, push-button start, and hill-start assist.

Adding options and packages like a Sensory Package (premium audio, 20-inch dark painted wheels over the standard 19s, upgraded premium leather, seating, motion-activated liftgate, maple wood interior trim, etc.), a Pro-Assist Package (Back-Up Collision Prevention, adaptive cruise control, etc.), and Pro-Active Package (lane-departure warning and prevention, steering assist, head-up display, etc.) plus illuminated kick plates and welcome lighting ran my test vehicle up to $55,285.

That’s still pretty good considering some of its competitors are hitting the $80,000 mark.

What I liked about the 2019 Infiniti QX50: The interior has gone through a serious upgrade and taken the QX50 to a new level with lots of quality materials throughout. The double screen for nav and infotainment helps simplify operations. You don’t have to get out of navigation mode to change a radio station, for example. Cargo space behind the second row is a generous 31.1 cubic feet and 65.1 with those seats folded. Sport mode provides a lift in performance.

What I didn’t like about the 2019 Infiniti QX50: Though this CVT is light years ahead of previous versions, it still is a CVT. I could live with this one, but still would prefer a 6- or 7-speed. Most of the option packages, including some safety functions, are available only on the Essential model.

Would I buy the 2019 Infiniti QX50? Yep. It’s good-looking inside and out, quiet on the highway, and the overall performance is pretty good for the genre despite the CVT.

IF YOU WANT PERFORMANCE FROM AN SUV, THE INFINITI QX50 OFFERS AN ANSWER

Shortly after the new year began, I had the opportunity to spend time in an Infiniti QX80 SUV, which I thought fit the description of a true “land yacht” as a colleague had dubbed the full-size conversion van I owned back in the mid-1980s and ’90s.

I concluded that although the QX80 was packed with a lot of felicitous features, it was a bit big for my tastes and needs. Driving such a large vehicle can be a chore in urban environs where streets can be narrow and many spaces in mall parking lots tend to be the size of a stick of chewing gum.

Door ding, anyone?

Too much bulk, however, is not an issue with the 2017 Infiniti QX50 I have been driving for the past week. As a small SUV introduced as the Infiniti EX35 nearly a decade ago, the QX50 is more sedan-like in its handling and performance than it is “land yacht,” much more of a driver’s car than its big brother.

Whereas the QX80 stretches out to nearly 209 inches long and weighs in at a hefty 5,644 pounds in 2WD and 5,888 with 4WD, the QX50 is almost two feet shorter at 186.8 inches and weighs in well under two tons with two-wheel drive (3,855 pounds) and just slightly over that with four-wheel drive (4,040 pounds).

With a naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V6 pumping out 325 horsepower at 7000 rpm and 267 pound-feet of torque at 5200, the QX50 responds quickly and assuredly when pressed. The website zeroto60times.com clocked at 5.6 seconds from zero-to-60 mph.

Mated with a seven-speed automatic transmission with a “sport” mode and manual gear selection capability, it delivers fuel economy at a rate of 17 miles-per-gallon city, 24 highway and 20 combined in either 2WD or 4WD configuration.

Of course, if performance is all you are interested in, you are not likely spending much time looking over SUVs in a showroom, no matter how sprightly they are. Maybe you need all the space and third-row seating the QX80 offers.

But if the weekly grocery haul and an occasional run to the local Home Depot or Lowe’s is about all the cargo needs you have, the QX50 may be your answer. It seats five, and the nearly seven inches of extra legroom they get over the 2015 model (up to 35.3 inches) is sure to make backseat riders less grumbling.

And here’s a rather surprising number. Cargo capacity in the QX50 is listed as 18.6 cubic feet behind the second row, which is actually more than the 16.6 cubic feet the QX80 offers behind its third.

Yes, you gain a bunch of  stowage capability when the third-row seats in the QX80 are folded, but you can do the same with the QX50’s second row as well. I was able to handle a six-feet section of bamboo fencing quite easily in the QX50 by folding the right section of the second-row seats, an act accomplished , thanks to the optional Deluxe Package, by the push of a button on the right just inside the rear liftgate.

Infiniti has outfitted the QX50 with the kind of features suited to the luxury genre, including leather seats, eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support and four-way power passenger seat, moonroof with one-touch auto open/close, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, dual zone climate control with micro air filter, LED daytime running and fog lights, rearview camera, a center stack that is highlighted by Infiniti’s signature analog clock, Bluetooth phone connectivity, and a USB port.

That and more are included in the base MSRP of $34,450.

Optional features such as a Premium Package (upgraded sound system and advanced climate control, maple wood interior accents, etc.), Premium Plus Package (navigation, around-view monitor with front and rear sonar system to aid in parking), Deluxe Touring Package (19-inch, five-spoke aluminum allow wheels over 18-inchers, HID headlights in place of halogen lamps, power folding second row seats, etc.), and Technology Package (Intelligent Cruise Control, blind-spot and lane-departure warning, brake assist with frontal collision warning, and aluminum pedals) plus the destination and delivery fee but the final tab for my test vehicle to $43,735.

Even at that price the QX50 is still close to the bargain category in a segment that includes entrants from Porsche, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi.

What I liked about the 2017 Infiniti QX50: I found the few demands I asked of technological features easily handled. Infiniti has had the good sense to include knobs for such functions as surfing the radio dial. The ride is quiet and comfortable.

What I didn’t like about the 2017 Infiniti QX50: The fact that Infiniti hasn’t made significant changes to the QX50 since its debut as the EX doesn’t really bother me, but the company needs to smooth out some of the responses to voice commands. There is an extra step or two when it comes to tuning the radio, and when I asked to “call home,” I got a long list of numbers to choose from, none which was the number I have under “home” in my directory. My guess is that they were the “home” numbers to go with the names in the directory. Also, the fuel mileage is among the worst in its class. That eventually would take a toll as premium unleaded is recommended.

Would I buy the 2017 Infiniti QX50: Yes. It’s definitely should be on your list if you are shopping in this genre. It’s a good looking vehicle, a sprightly performer that also has a practical side, and could save you a few bucks in the deal.