The stylish, seven-seat 2018 INFINITI QX60 drops its hybrid-powered counterpart, leaving the 3.5-liter direct-injection V6 with 295 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque as its sole powertrain combo. The QX60 puts all that power to the front wheels as standard, with all-wheel drive available for $1,800. EPA ratings for the two are 20 mpg city, 27 highway, 22 combined and 19/26/22 mpg for the FWD and AWD models, respectively.
What's New for 2018
INFINITI has largely left the recently-refreshed QX60 alone, apart the deletion of the unloved hybrid powertrain and the addition of Rear Door Alert as standard, a system that is meant to alert drivers that they may have forgotten something in the back seat. If, before driving, the system detects a rear door being opened, shut, and then not reopened at the end of the journey, it warns the driver to check the rear seat.
Choosing Your INFINITI QX60
With the death of the QX60 Hybrid, INFINITI's most affordable three-row is left with a 3.5-liter direct-injection V6 with 295 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque as its sole engine offering. Front- and all-wheel drive forms (starting at $44,295 and $46,095, respectively, including $995 destination charge) are available. EPA ratings for the two are 20 mpg city, 27 highway, 22 combined and 19/26/22 mpg for the FWD and AWD models, respectively.
The QX60 features a spacious cabin that can fit seven adults comfortably, with a sliding second row (that doesn't require removal of a car seat) for easier third row access standard. Both rows can recline and fold with a 60/40 second-row split and a 50/50 third-row split. Fold down both rows and the QX60 offers 76.5 cubic feet of cargo space.
INFINITI includes a host of comfort and convenience items as standard, including leather upholstery, a heated eight-way power driver’s and six-way power passenger’s seats, a power tilt/telescopic steering column, INFINITI’s Intelligent Key with illuminated pushbutton ignition, three-zone automatic climate control, a power tilt/sliding moonroof, a six-speaker audio system with INFINITI's InTouch infotainment system, HD Radio, SiriusXM satellite radio and Travel Link, voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity, an eight-color advanced vehicle information display in the instrument cluster, a rear-view camera, and a passel of audio/video and USB input jacks.
The QX60's exterior is feature-packed, too, with automatic HID headlamps, LED front fog lamps, sequential welcome lighting, 18-inch aluminum wheels, heated/power/folding exterior mirrors, proximity locking/unlocking, a power liftgate, and more.
If all of the included fare doesn’t satisfy a buyer’s hunger for features, INFINITI has prepared quite the dessert menu of packages. But as sweet as all of this additional equipment may be, the more of it one puts on their plate, the harder the bill will become to swallow.
First up is the $1,800 Premium Package, which includes a Bose 13-speaker audio system with speed-sensitive volume control, two-driver memory system for driver’s seat, steering wheel and outside mirrors, entry/exit assist for driver’s seat and steering wheel (which is now heated), remote engine start, rear bumper protector, and roof rails.
Next comes the $2,900 Premium Plus Package which is exactly that, with the “plus” being the introduction of INFINITI InTouch navigation with voice commands, 3D building graphics, lane guidance, and SiriusXM with four-year complimentary access to real-time traffic info, around-view monitoring with moving object detection and front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and illuminated kickplates.
After the first two are down, the rest of the packages become available, though many are further entwined in various ways. Each of these packages requires both the Premium and Premium Plus Packages.
The $2,150 Theater Package adds a pair of eight-inch to the back of the front seat headrests and includes two pairs of wireless headphones, an in-dash CD/DVD player, a wireless remote control, a 12- and 120-volt power outlet, and a USB and an HDMI port. A 4G wifi hotspot can connect with up to five devices for on-the-road internet access, although it requires subscription to either 1GB or 5GB monthly plans can be added for $450.
The $1,850 Driver Assistance Package adds the usual suspects – adaptive cruise control, rear automatic emergency braking, distance control assist, active trace control – a system that adjusts braking and engine torque forces to help enhance cornering feel – blind-spot warning, auto-dimming side mirrors, and an Eco Pedal that when selected via the drive mode selector's control wheel alters the gas pedal’s effectiveness and feel when pressed. The idea is to help boost fuel economy, although its real-world effectiveness is questionable. A $1,000 20-inch Tire and Wheel Package does exactly what it says on the tin.
But INFINITI’s pièce de résistance is its Deluxe Technology Package. This monster includes just about everything but the Theater Package, and for its $7,300 price – not including the requisite $4,700 in Premium Packages, which bring the actual total to $12,000 – it had better.
A $2,650 slice of that goes towards the also-required Driver Assistance and the 20-inch Tire and Wheel packages, while the remaining $4,650 buys a blizzard of comfort, convenience, and appearance items, including a second- and third-row moonroof with power rear shade, heated and cooled front seats, heated outboard second row seats, an improved 15-speaker Bose audio system, an Advanced Climate Control System with Plasmacluster air purifier and Grape Polyphenol Filter (yes, really), power third row seatbacks, a motion-activated liftgate, a unique upholstery pattern on the first two rows plus Maple interior accents, and a host of additional safety gizmos, including lane departure prevention, blind spot monitoring, predictive forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, front seat pre-crash seat belts, and automatic high beams.
It is at this point that the heartiest of eaters might want to order a digestif (or five), for the MSRP of a QX60 AWD crammed with every item that’s been mentioned is $60,695, $14,600 of which is pure frosting.
“In for a penny, in for a pound” perfectly describes INFINITI’s options scheme, so don’t go into it thinking you can pick and choose just the bits you want to add to your “stock” QX60 in an effort to save money. As with most premium vehicle manufacturers, INFINITI’s base MSRPs are meant merely as the starting point for your hike up Options Mountain rather than your journey’s end. But if you’re judicious with your selections and stick to purchasing only the equipment you need, you’ll find your QX60’s MSRP much more palatable.