2016 Infiniti QX50 Bigger, But Still Behind Competition
Infiniti has a thing for making its vehicles longer of late. Just last year at the 2014 New York International Auto Show the luxury brand showed a long-wheelbase version of its Q70 sedan, and this year it’s stretched its quite small QX50 luxury crossover.
Related: More 2015 New York Auto Show Coverage
Besides making it longer, Infiniti has updated the QX50’s styling. The new front end has an updated grille that gives the QX50 a stronger appearance and more closely resembles the design of Infiniti’s newer models.
The wheelbase has been stretched 3.2 inches, but the QX50 hides the extra length well; it only becomes apparent if you compare the rear side windows on the new model to the old one.
The cabin has changed little since this model’s debut for the 2008 model year, when it was known as the EX35. Despite its age, the interior still holds up well from a materials-quality standpoint. Soft-touch surfaces abound, which help give the cabin a rich feel, but the switches and buttons look old and out of place in a modern luxury vehicle.
The backseat — formerly one of the tightest we’ve tested — now has plenty of legroom, and my knees were a good distance away from the front seat. However, there are old-school aspects here, too, like the large floor hump that takes a big chunk of available foot room for a middle-seat passenger, and the backseat doesn’t recline.
This luxury crossover has long been one of the more entertaining models to drive, but it never made inroads in the market as there weren’t many luxury crossovers this small. Now there are many more for sale from Audi, BMW, Lexus and others, but I don’t see the QX50 winning over many more shoppers despite the changes for 2016.
