Speaking of Infiniti, many years ago it was one of the three major Japanese luxury brands, and in my memory ten years ago, Infiniti designed ahead, personality, luxury aura is not lost to BBA. However, the wheels of the times are rolling forward, and the pace of innovation of major automobile brands in recent years has become faster and faster, but Infiniti has not kept up with the rhythm. Coupled with the collapse of word-of-mouth after the previous generation QX60 was named by CCTV, its brand image and market performance have become less optimistic. Finally, Dongfeng Infiniti's new generation of QX60 has come, the new car design is innovative, and it has been replaced with a ZF 9AT gearbox, but the pre-sale price of 450,000-660,000 yuan has become the focus of everyone's controversy. So is it worth the price? Is there the strength to become a turnaround? Let's take a look at the test drive experience first.
1. The appearance design evolves in the inheritance, and the luxury aura is strong enough.
When I first saw a new car, I had a feeling of déjà vu but a new look. The new domestic QX60 is basically consistent with the overseas version in terms of design, and still inherits infiniti's family elements that have not changed for many years, and its characteristics are very distinct. However, if you examine the details, you will find that there are many places where it has changed, and the overall line is more concise and smooth, showing maturity and stability at the same time, without any greasy feeling.
The iconic trapezoidal mesh with a black mesh grille surrounded by a thick chrome bezels and a large chrome trim under the bumper create a strong sense of sophistication. The headlights shaped like willow leaves are sharp, the upper three-stage LED daytime running lights and the chrome frame of the central network are cleverly connected, and the far and near lights of the headlight group are led light sources, and the automatic headlights, adaptive far and near lights, headlight height adjustment, delayed shutdown and other functions are readily available, reaching the level that should be at this level.
From the side, the new QX60 is large and has a full body aura of more than 5.1 meters, but through the design of the two-color body and the suspension roof, the sense of bulkiness is cleverly resolved. The rear of the vehicle is equipped with privacy glass, which enhances the sense of luxury while maintaining privacy. Paired with chrome trims and two-tone petal-shaped rims, sophistication and chic go hand in hand.
The rear of the new car is rounded and full, the narrow taillight shape echoes the headlights, the center is connected by black trim panels, and the taillight group is also blackened, and the overall sense is very strong. The rear bumper is also decorated with large chrome trim panels, which are unified with the front design. From the perspective of appearance design, the luxurious sense of the new QX60 is relatively in place, and has a highly recognizable oriental charm.
2. Interior design keeps pace with the times, and the material workmanship is right.
Entering the car, the new QX60 has brought a lot of surprises to everyone, and finally it is no longer the old design of the previous set. 12.3-inch suspension central control screen, full LCD instrumentation, through-channel air conditioning outlet, touch air conditioning control panel, etc., these current popular elements have appeared in Infiniti models. The straight wiring and stepped layout make the center console more spacious and atmospheric, which is also a common design method for medium and large SUVs today.
It is commendable that the new QX60 is also careful enough in terms of material workmanship to give people a luxurious experience from the details. A large number of leather fabrics are wrapped in diamond-shaped stitching, which is great in both appearance and touch, the leather seats are wide and thick, the filling is soft and elastic, the back and cushion parts are made of punched leather, and the fine stitching and flanging process is also used, which is visually and the riding experience is excellent. In addition, the front seats are equipped with ventilation, heating and massage functions.
3. There is no obvious shortcoming in the configuration, and the multimedia system experience is good.
In terms of configuration, the new QX60 also meets the level that should be achieved at this level. The same 12.3-inch full LCD dashboard and central control screen screen is delicate, the display effect is not faulty; the multimedia system runs smoothly, the card-type UI design is simple and easy to use, navigation, music, frame interconnection and other functions are readily available, and its built-in AutoNavi navigation also has AR real-world navigation function, and the voice control system has a high recognition rate and rapid response. The QX60 is equipped with this multimedia system, and its experience is definitely the first echelon among Japanese models.
The new QX60 is equipped with a sufficiently rich driver assistance system, and the new car is equipped with the upgraded ProPILOT L2 level driver assistance system, which has 10 sonar probes, 6 cameras and 3 mmWave radar, and is equipped with functions such as full-speed intelligent cruising, lane keeping assistance, and blind spot monitoring.
The top model of this experience has three temperature zone automatic air conditioning, the temperature control of the front air conditioner retains the physical knob to facilitate blind operation, the other controls are touch but have the force feedback of simulating the physical buttons, and the touch feedback simulation of QX60 is very real, and the experience is a plus.
The 17-speaker BOSE Performance Series audio belongs to the high-end version of BOSE's in-vehicle product line, and the quiet space created by the double-layer laminated glass in the front and rear rows further adds to the audiovisual experience in the car, which is also an important part of creating a sense of luxury in the car.
4. The first two rows have excellent seating space, and the third row is still a bit cramped
For medium and large SUVs, the first two rows of seating space generally do not have to worry. The high-end version of this experience adopts a 6-seat layout, the second row can be slid forward and backward and has an increased adjustment range, according to the author's 170cm tall driving sitting posture, the second row can have about three fists of leg allowance at the back, and the front also has a margin of nearly two punches. Due to the theater-style layout of the new QX60's seats, the rear seating position is higher, and the head space is slightly sacrificed, which is good for a wider view.
The third row ride is still not comfortable, and with the second row giving up some space forward, the third row of legs is still very tense, the head is closer to the top, and the larger slide mechanism will also become a step obstacle. However, it is commendable that the second row of the new QX60 has a one-button fold function, a control button on the side and back of the seat, and the passage given after the fold is wider, so that it is much more convenient to enter and exit the third row.
The trunk space is unconventional, with two checkers and several backpacks in place when the third row is enabled; when the second and third rows are all down, the maximum depth can be extended to 2100mm, and can form a completely flat plane, and the comprehensive performance is in line with the same level.
5. The power output is smooth but the explosive power is insufficient, and the chassis control and NVH are praiseworthy
The new QX60 is equipped with a 2.0T VC-Turbo variable compression ratio turbocharged engine capable of switching the compression ratio between 8:1 and 14:1 steplessly, with a maximum power of 185 kW (252 hp) / 5600 rpm and a peak torque of 376 N·m/4400 rpm, which matches ZF's 9-stop automatic transmission. The chassis section is a combination of front McPherson independent suspension + rear multi-link independent suspension.
In terms of power parameters, this 2.0T engine is good enough. However, for a large man with a full load mass of nearly 2.7 tons, the power system is difficult to say that it is full of power. Fortunately, the former CVT was abandoned and replaced with a ZF 9AT gearbox, and the smoothness of power output has been greatly improved.
Due to the heavy mass of the vehicle and the fact that the maximum torque of this engine can only explode after 4400 rpm, the new QX60 is somewhat weak in the starting stage and in the low-speed range, and it takes about two seconds to step on the accelerator pedal to feel the obvious acceleration. However, it is relatively easy to drive, the gearbox is actively upshifting, the dense gear ratio makes the power output very smooth, there is no frustration with shifting, and the force feedback of the accelerator pedal and brake is very linear and easy to control.
However, when driving on national highways or urban roads, the speed is generally below 80km/h, and you must not be anxious to drive this car, and you need to make full preparations if you want to change lanes and overtake. When pressing on the deep throttle to accelerate sharply, the reaction of the car's gearbox is indeed a little lazy, and it needs to be maintained for a short time above 4000 rpm before the power can be fully released. When the speed is raised, everything is very easy, the continuous fuel supply can continue to increase the speed, and the power output is very consistent.
The good thing is that the relatively "lazy" personality coupled with the stable chassis tuning provides a good riding experience for the passengers in the car, the vehicle will not appear abrupt acceleration and aggressiveness, and the chassis is very thoroughly filtered on the fine bumps of the road surface, and there is no obvious rolling when the vehicle is cornered, coupled with the quiet space brought by the front and rear double laminated glass and bose audio active noise reduction, the riding experience of this car is worthy of the word "luxury". Another praiseworthy thing is that although it is a big one, it does not have a noticeable sense of bulkiness when it is opened, the steering force is moderate, the direction is not blurry, and it is easier to control.
Summary: After a day's experience, this car gave me surprises and shortcomings, the new interior design not only caters to the mainstream aesthetics, but also in the creation of a sense of luxury is also very in place; the vehicle NVH has a deep foundation, the chassis is adjusted comfortably, which can bring passengers a very good riding experience; but the engine's power response in the low-speed range is indeed slightly insufficient, which will affect the driving experience to a certain extent. From the perspective of luxury and the upgrade of the previous generation of models, I think it is worth this price, but there is no obvious advantage compared with competitors, Cadillac XT6 terminal offers are not small, and the Aviator series of 3.0T V6 is very fragrant. In other words, how would you choose?