Tested: 2027 Infiniti QX65 Has Daddy Issues

Who remembers the Bionic Cheetah? That was Infiniti’s term of endearment for the FX, the vehicle that debuted for 2003 and basically invented the SUV coupe category. The FX stretched the definition of “crossover,” sharing a rear-drive platform with the Nissan 350Z and offering V-6 or V-8 powertrains. The FX was the ship that launched a thousand BMW X6s, but Infiniti didn’t protect its turf, killing the FX nameplate in 2013 and rebranding it as the QX70 until it was ignominiously canceled in 2017. A coupe-shaped hole in the SUV lineup remained until the introduction of the 2022 QX55, a machine we described as “just so 2022.” Which brings us to the new 2027 QX65, an SUV that fails to resolve the question “What's going on over there at Infiniti these days?”

It's not that the QX65 is overtly bad—and with an as-tested price of $71,385 for the Autograph AWD trim, it had better not be. But that kind of money gets you into a high-trim BMW X3 or Genesis GV70. Even at its mid-$50,000 base Luxe-trim price, the QX65 faces plenty of ferocious competition, and for some of us, that competition includes memories of its own brashly cool progenitor. Gazing back through the decades at the FX35, the QX65 is like a nepo baby who got a job at the family business but doesn’t exactly aspire to excellence. “Hey, I’ve got a coupe roofline and an Infiniti badge. Don’t you know who my daddy is?”

We do, and that’s the problem. Compared to the 2003 FX35, the 2027 QX65 is a retrograde step in a number of ways. The FX35 had a husky V-6 that made 280 horsepower on regular gas, while the QX65’s variable-compression-ratio turbocharged four-cylinder makes 268 horsepower and requires premium fuel. The rear-drive FX35 hit 60 mph in 7.1 seconds, while the QX65 requires 7.3 seconds. The FX was quicker in the quarter-mile, weighed less (even in AWD V-8 FX45 form), and, when it came to the FX35, had a lower as-tested price, inflation-adjusted. The QX65 beats its V-6 ancestor on the skidpad, 0.82 g to 0.80 g, although the fat-tired FX45 scored 0.87 g. All of which is to say that the 2027 QX65’s performance generally hits benchmarks that were impressive when Uncle Kracker ruled the airwaves and five-speed automatics were the norm.

Infinitis, more often than not, have either been based on a Nissan or co-developed with one. In the FX’s case, that Nissan kin was a sports car, and thus the SUV was imbued with rear-drive poise and proportions, fine handling, and powerful engines. The QX65 has no direct Nissan analogue, but it’s a lot more like a fancy Murano than it is an SUV version of the Z. Its engine is transverse, and 55.3 percent of its 4762-pound curb weight lands on the front half of the car. Floor the accelerator from a stop and you can often elicit a tormented howl from one of the front tires before the all-wheel-drive system sends torque rearward. It’s not a very sporty driving experience, although Infiniti did at least banish the CVT that debuted in the QX55 and replace it with a nine-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. Perhaps the most surprising QX65 stat is its tow rating: 6000 pounds, the same max as the Pathfinder. If this sport utility vehicle is short on the sport, that’s at least a big serving of utility.

The QX65’s power delivery feels strangely elastic, with a strong rush of midrange power that quickly peters out ahead of the modest 6000-rpm redline. That midrange seems like the sweet spot for the variable-compression turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, which uses a trick connecting-rod-to-crankshaft mechanism to change the stroke and vary the compression ratio, an ability that should allow optimization of light-throttle fuel economy and wide-open power. But in practice it doesn’t deliver much of either—there are plenty of conventional turbo fours that make more than 268 horsepower, and the QX65’s 22 mpg EPA combined rating is matched or bettered by most versions of the aforementioned Pathfinder, a three-row SUV with a more powerful 3.5-liter V-6 whose roots dates to, you guessed it, the FX35. In Nissan’s internal-combustion family, VC-Turbo is the weird cousin.

The QX65 does deliver on style, most observers agree. One former FX owner who opened the door was blown away by the QX65 Autograph’s interior, with its quilted semi-aniline leather; 20-speaker Klipsch sound system (with four of those speakers in the front headrests); and heated, ventilated, massaging front seats. The outboard rear seats are heated, and the row power-folds. There’s a color 10.8-inch head-up display too. An X3 at this price would be a ruder environment, at least until you put it into gear. And we should note that our QX65’s as-tested price was inflated by $1900 thanks to its stunning tri-coat Sunfire Red paint, which is dosed with flecks of actual gold that is delivered by the supplier in armored trucks. Watch those door dings in the Kroger parking lot.

The QX65 is emblematic of Infiniti itself right now, a little bit unsure of what it wants to be. Is it a value play or a no-apologies contender? In some ways, it lands on both sides without committing to either—gold-flecked paint and an engine most commonly used in the Altima. Infiniti only has three models right now, all SUVs, but a return to form could be imminent, starting with the 2028 G50 sedan. That will be a relative of the Nissan Z, with a powerful V-6, a rear-drive platform, and maybe even a manual transmission. Take that adaptation a step further, and you might spin off an SUV. One thing about Bionic Cheetahs: They never really go extinct.

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