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Add Infiniti to the list of those offering luxury sport-utility vehicles: the QX4–a leather-bound Pathfinder with a $3,200 higher tab.

Toyota offers a Lexus LX450,a dolled-up Land Cruiser. Honda offers an Acura SLX, a dolled-up Isuzu Trooper. Lincoln will add a Navigator in 1998, a dolled-up Ford Expedition. And Mercedes soon adds the AAV, a clean-sheet design sport-ute that doesn’t owe its heritage to an existing model. Hmm. There has to be someone different in every crowd.

All are setting out to rival Range Rover, the original megabuck sport-ute In the auto industry’s “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” rite of profit pursuit.

Compact SUVs, as we all know, are displacing cars in the driveway. But the owner of a Lexus, Infiniti, Mercedes, or Lincoln luxury sedan isn’t going to stoop to acquiring a Chevrolet Geo Tracker just to say he or she owns a 4×4. So each automaker has rushed to market with a luxury SUV to serve as a companion to the luxury sedan in the garage.

The QX4 has been dubbed the “Q by 4” by Infiniti’s Midwest regional vice president, Olga Reisler. It’s a catchy moniker that serves as a reminder that this is a 4x4that’s at home on the road or off.

Despite the name, the QX4 is a thinly disguised Nissan Pathfinder.

The big difference, other than price–Pathfinder LE starts at $32,299, QX4 at $35,500–is that the Q has a more refined, boulevard like suspension for more carlike ride and handling and less trucklike harshness.

Nissan didn’t want its luxury Infiniti to come across as a truck. It also has leather interior and the nicest feature of all, automatic 4WD engagement by simply turning a dial in the dash and sitting back and driving. Set and forget.

The 4WD system is similar to that introduced by Ford in the Explorer. Leave the dial in the 2WD setting, and you have a rear-wheel-drive hauler. Dial the automatic setting and the vehicle operates in 2WD until the sensors detect wheel slippage. Then the system automatically directs torque to the wheel or wheels needing it to gain traction.

If you’re driving through sand dunes or in heavy snow or up mountain trails, there’s still a floor-mounted lever to pull to engage 4WD low for optimum pulling power. The lever takes up space considering most “Q by 4s” will never feel deep sand, thick mud, tall grass or slippery, shale-covered mountain paths under its steel-belted radials.

The “Q by 4” differs slightly in styling from the Pathfinder. The front end is a bit bolder for the look of go-anywhere maneuvering.

Where the QX4 falls short is in keeping the Pathfinder door design. The front doors don’t open as fully as we’d like for optimum entry or exit without twisting and turning your body.

The rear doors are worse. The opening is narrow and forces occupants to slide over the rear wheelwell and running board to enter or exit. On the day you have the Q washed, that’s not a problem, but after a trip through the snow and slush and sand, you and your clothes will need a wash. Poor design and execution, especially on what is supposed to be a luxury machine.

There are some goodies, however. The rear cargo hold has metal tie-down hooks fastened to the floor to keep parcels or packages in place. Most vehicles with such hooks stick them in the floor and let baggage or bags slide up against them to scrape or get cut or, in general, show ugly scars. In the QX4 those hooks are carpeted insets to eliminate scratches.

Also, rather than put the spare inside, where it robs cargo room, or hang it on the hatch lid, where it impairs visibility, the spare is under the rear of the vehicle.

To reach it, you must open the rear hatch, grab the metal crank, slip it into a hole in the cargo bed, and after a few turns the tire drops down and out. In many similar vehicles, the crank hole is in the rear bumper. It may save the ef ort of having to open the hatch, but it exposes the hole to anyone with a crank who wants to do some nighttime shopping for discount spare tires.

Another nice feature is a door in the dash that looks like a simple fuse door but opens to expose a small cargo bin to hold cash or glasses or whatever you want to keep out of sight of passersby.

The rear bumper also accommodates a bike rack to hold up to three vehicles; the dash houses a push-button hatch release; and a pull-out vinyl shade hides goodies in the cargo hold.

The QX4 is powered by the same 3.3-liter, 168-horsepower V-6 as in Pathfinder. The fuel-economy rating is a paltry 15 miles per gallon city/19 m.p.g. highway–ample reason for a 21.1-gallon fuel tank that should get plenty of use.

Bill Hayes, manager of technical services for Nissan, said it is possible to add a V-8 to the QX4 “if the market demands it.” But based on the V-6 fuel-economy, Infiniti shouldn’t be too anxious to do that just yet.

Dual air bags and ABS are standard. Options are limited to a power sunroof ($950), heated seats ($400) or a $1,650 package that adds those items plus limited-slip differential for boaters who don’t want to spin their wheels getting up the loading ramp after their cruise.

>> 1997 Infiniti QX4
Wheelbase: 106.3 inches Length: 183.9 inches Engine: 3.3-liter, 168-h.p., 12-valve, V-6 Transmission: 4-speed automatic EPA mileage: 15 m.p.g. city/19 m.p.g. highway Base price: $35,550 Price as tested: $38,550. Includes $950 power sunroof; $400 for heated seats; and $1,650 for a sport package option that includes the sunroof, heated seats and limited slip differential. Add $495 for freight. Pluses: All-wheel-drive security at the twist of a dial. Car-like ride and handling. Well-cushioned, soft leather seats. Cargo area has suchgoodies as carpet covers for metal tie down rings to avoid scratching luggage. Crank down spare tire under the vehicle with crank in the rear cargo hold so it’s not exposed in bumper to thieves. Dual air bags and ABS standard. Minuses: Doors just don’t open as wide as they should, especially in back where you will rub clothes against wheel wells and running board in entering/exiting. Despite automatic dial 4WD, there’s still a transfer case for 4WD low operation taking up room. Pathfinder in leather for $5,000 more. >>