Infiniti officials aren’t expecting their first full-size, luxury sport utility vehicle to post anywhere near the sales of the competing Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac Escalade and Lexus GX 470.
Nonetheless, they’ve stocked the new 2004 Infiniti QX56 with substantial V-8 power and lots of standard features, including a navigation system.
They’ve also made sure the QX56, which is the largest and heaviest vehicle to wear the Infiniti badge, is at least as big as the competition.
Indeed, the QX56’s 41.9 inches of second-row legroom tops the Navigator’s 38.7 inches, the Escalade’s 38.6 inches and the GX 470’s 36.8 inches. Some cars don’t even have 41.9 inches of legroom in the front seats.
On sale this spring, the QX56 has a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $48,080 for a rear-wheel-drive model and $51,080 for an all-wheel-drive model.
The QX56’s amenities and price put it right in line with others in the full-size, luxury-SUV segment.
Nissan is looking to attract affluent buyers who want something different.
In the QX56, they find a bold-looking, truck-based SUV that can tow up to 8,900 pounds.
It requires a big step up — even using standard running boards — to get inside.
Once there, passengers notice features galore including standard wood-and-aluminum-trimmed steering wheel and doors that close with a solid thud.
And even though the QX56 weighs a hefty 5,300-plus pounds, the V-8 under the big hood feels and sounds rather sporty.
The 5.6-liter, double-overhead-cam V-8 in the QX56 also is used in the Titan pickup truck and the Nissan Armada. But the QX56 engine’s compression ratio is increased to help provide more power.
With 390 foot-pounds of torque at 3,600 rpm, nearly 90 percent of the torque is available below 2,500 rpm, where it’s useful for towing and off-roading.
In the test QX56, shifts in the five-speed automatic transmission were smooth.
I enjoyed the confident, powerful sounds that came from the V-8. Apart from the engine sound, however, the interior of the QX56 was quite quiet.
The standard leather on the sizable QX56 seats is soft to the touch. The vehicle is offered with seven- or eight-passenger seating.
The expanse of Blonde Apaya wood across the QX56’s front center console was eye-catching. It was nicely accented by the matte silver-colored aluminum trim on the center of the dashboard, where large knobs expedite the dual-zone climate-control adjustments.
Too bad, though, that the classy, signature Infiniti analog clock is relegated to the bottom of the center stack in the dashboard. The top of the dashboard is taken up by a 7-inch display screen for the navigation system, which is standard.
In the test vehicle, the screen did double duty as the place where the optional rear-view camera — whose lens was hidden under the rear license plate finisher — displayed what was behind the vehicle.
This RearView Monitor system activated any time the SUV was shifted into reverse, and was in addition to standard rear-bumper sensors that gave audible warnings as the QX56 approached an obstacle behind it.
A special touch: The rear-view camera screen displays dotted lines that show where the QX56 will wind up, given the current steering position, as the vehicle backs up.
The suspension, which includes automatic air leveling at the rear, manages road bumps well.
I didn’t notice a shuddering or jittering sensation, though the mass of the QX56 can create some head-toss sensations in curves and turns. Standard tires are 18-inchers.
Fit and finish on the test vehicle was excellent, with even the stitching of the leather on the tops of the center consoles nicely aligned.
The standard Bose audio system with 10 speakers provided awesome sound, and there were plenty of cupholders — 12 spread across the three rows of seats.
Standard safety features include curtain air bags for all three rows, tire-pressure monitor and stability-control system.
But I noticed the standard xenon high-intensity discharge headlamps disturbed some drivers in front of me.
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