Kelley Blue Book: The 2022 Infiniti QX55: A handsome, athletic, luxury people-mover

Based on the unit-body chassis of the tried and relatively true QX50, the all-new 2022 Infiniti QX55 draws design inspiration from the Infiniti FX of nearly 20 years ago. At the same time, the QX55 builds on the visual energy present in the current QX50, which was new for 2019. The QX55, though, looks like it represents a big step up in luxury and technology.

2022 Infiniti QX55 pricing

Pricing on the 2022 Infiniti QX55 starts at $46,500 for the Luxe AWD base model. Elevate to the Essential AWD trim and expect to pay $51,600. The highest trim, QX55 Sensory AWD, will cost buyers $57,050. All prices do not include a destination charge of $1,025.

Which model is right for me?

2022 Infiniti QX55 Luxe

• Leatherette upholstery

• Dark brushed aluminum interior trim

• 20-inch alloy wheels

• Dual-zone automatic climate control

• Power moonroof with tinted glass

• Heated front seats

• Laminated side glass

• Active noise cancellation

• Power liftgate

• Wi-Fi

• Four USB ports

• 6-speaker stereo

2022 Infiniti QX55 Essential

• Leather upholstery

• Dark brushed aluminum interior trim

• 20-inch alloy wheels

• Power moonroof with tinted glass

• Heated front seats

• Laminated side glass

• Active noise cancellation

• Power liftgate

• Wi-Fi

• Heated outside mirrors

• Bodycolor doorhandles

• 16-speaker Bose sound system

• Around-view monitor

• Available head-up display

• Available ProPilot Assist

• Available navigation system

• Available Bose Performance Series audio system

2022 Infiniti QX55 Sensory

• Semi-aniline leather upholstery

• Open-pore maple wood trim

• 20-inch alloy wheels

• Direct Adaptive Steering

• Head-up display

• Adaptive cruise control

• Adaptive front headlights

• Power moonroof with tinted glass

• Heated front seats

• Motion-activated power liftgate

• Navigation system

• ProPilot Assist

• Bose Performance Series audio system

Driving the 2022 Infiniti QX55

Driving the QX55 SUV might feel like familiar territory. If so, there’s a good reason. This sport-ute rides on the same architecture as the QX50. That’s a front-wheel-drive chassis that accommodates all-wheel drive. Overall the QX55 ride feels comfortable, as you’d expect, nay hope, in a luxury people mover.

Standard mode feels like a great road trip setting. In Eco mode, the throttle mapping gets pretty stingy, but it gets downright zippy in Sport. You can feel the suspension firm up a bit. Drivers will really feel a difference between the modes, and that’s a great thing. Look out for blind spots as a thick C-pillar impedes views.

The standard steering feels light for someone looking for true sporty driving chops. That being said, there are different steering settings. Dynamic+ firms things up. The brakes get the job done very well. Around turns, the extra grip of the standard all-wheel-drive puts power down with confidence. And the turning radius is outstanding. The QX55 feels like it’s spinning around its center axis.

The place where we anticipate the QX55 struggling the most is in the drivetrain department. If Infiniti’s going up against the BMWs and Mercedeses, the QX55’s powerplant lacks the performance, refinement, and even elegance that those guys have. Even with additional sound-damping materials, the cabin can be quite loud.

However, you are paying a lot less, so if sporty styling is a priority, then the new Infiniti QX55 is a solid choice. For a truer sporty driving experience, we would have appreciated another transmission option from Infiniti.

Interior comfort

The 2022 Infiniti QX55 has a handsome driver-centric 5-seat interior featuring a standard power moonroof with tinted glass. Three different interior colors are available: Graphite, Stone/Graphite, and Monaco Red/Graphite.

All 2022 QX55s get heated front seats, and the second-row bench slides fore/aft six inches to maximize rear-seat legroom or cargo capacity. For the record, there’s 38.7 inches of rear legroom when the back seat is in its rearmost position, and there’s 26.9 cubic feet of cargo space in the back. The QX50 has the same rear legroom, but slightly more cargo room (31.1 cubic feet).

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CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and the base QX55, called the Luxe, is fitted with leatherette upholstery. The QX55 Essential ups the luxury with leather, while the QX55 Sensory gets semi-aniline leather to go along with its open-pore maple wood trim. The Luxe and the Essential get a dark brushed-aluminum interior trim.

Laminated side glass helps keep the Infiniti QX55 interior quiet, as does active noise cancellation through the speakers. In Sport mode, the QX55 has a more pronounced engine note.

Exterior styling

The QX55 seeks to reinterpret the roofline of the original Infiniti FX35, which first went on sale in 2003. We think it succeeds, and the large double-arch grille, with folded origami-inspired elements, draws much of the attention.

“Recalling the past while looking toward the future is what inspired us to create the new Infiniti QX55,” explains Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti’s senior vice president of global design. “Some SUVs try to deliver something to every buyer,” continued Albaisa. “We wanted to deliver a QX55 that can be everything to really passionate buyers.”

To that end, the new QX55 is a coupe-like SUV with a compelling presence. The slim roof rails pay homage to the original FX, and the grille is flanked by LED headlights shaped to mimic eyebrows.

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Front fog lights are surrounded by gloss-black trim, and the clamshell hood has shunt lines down at the front fenders. The hood is a 4-link design that integrates well with the A-pillars, and the fenders have character lines that stretch back all the way to the QX55’s rear haunches.

Twenty-inch wheels are standard. They give the 2022 Infiniti QX55 a stable and planted look. Slanted D-pillars connect the roof to the rear fenders in a graceful way, and chrome trim around the greenhouse pinches down as it gets near Infiniti’s “Digital piano key” taillights. These taillights, says Infiniti, have a graceful light signature that’s unique and unforgettable in the dark. Other than that, the QX55 has a minimalist rear, with an Infiniti badge that spans the width of the standard power liftgate.

In all, the new Infiniti QX55 has a handsome and athletic look, and it looks especially sharp in Dynamic Sunstone Red. Other colors include Slate Gray, Majestic White, Liquid Platinum, Graphite Shadow, Mineral Black, Black Obsidian, and Hermosa Blue.

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Favorite features

Striking styling
The 2022 Infiniti QX55 was born to pose for photos. The QX50 already looked great from all angles. Now, the new QX55 carries those photogenic genes to a sportier level. The taillights alone are worth the price of admission.

Bose Performance Series audio
With up to 16 custom-engineered speakers, the Bose Performance Series audio system probably sounds better than the stereo in our homes. With technology that converts two-channel stereo sound into a virtual surround sound listening experience, this Bose audio system is standard on QX55 Essential and QX55 Sensory trim levels.

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Standard features

Standard features on the 2022 Infiniti QX55 include leatherette upholstery, a power moonroof with tinted glass, wireless Apple CarPlay, dual touch screens, a power liftgate, and all-wheel drive. LED headlights are also standard, along with 20-inch alloy wheels, laminated side glass, and active noise cancellation. Other standard features include aluminum interior accents and dual-zone automatic climate control.

Factory options

Notable options on the 2022 Infiniti QX55 include a head-up display (HUD), ProPilot Assist, a navigation system, and the 16-speaker Bose Performance Series audio system. Most of these features are optional in the QX55 Essential and standard on the top-of-the-line QX55 Sensory model.

The QX55 Essence is available with the ProAssist Package, which includes cube-design LED headlights, adaptive front lighting, distance control assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot intervention, and lane-departure prevention. The Essence also can be ordered with a ProActive Package that includes ProPilot Assist, a head-up display, Traffic Sign Recognition, and Direct Adaptive Steering.

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Engine and transmission

The engine that powers the 2022 Infiniti QX55 is the same turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder that brings the Infiniti QX50 to life.

An interesting technical exercise with variable compression, this VC-Turbo powerplant produces a healthy 268 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. While it’s a good engine with ample power, the real-world fuel economy (which we experienced in a QX50) isn’t quite as good as we had hoped.

All 2022 Infiniti QX55s have all-wheel drive (AWD) and a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 with variable compression:
268 horsepower @ 5,600 rpm
280 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600-4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/28 mpg

This story originally ran on KBB.com.