When it arrived 3 years ago, the QX50 small SUV was supposed to be the centerpiece of an Infiniti revival. Instead, sales have been extremely disappointing and now parent company Nissan is planning on steering the brand away from its luxury aspirations and more towards, what their COO has described, as a Nissan-plus brand. That brings us to the just revealed 2022 QX55 – a coupe-styled derivative of the QX50. The pair fleshes out the small end of Infiniti’s trifecta of SUVs and share much in common. The new 55 is powered by the brand’s innovative variable compression turbocharged 4-cylinder producing the same 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. And no surprise, the CVT remains as the only transmission. The biggest difference between the two is that this one comes with all-wheel drive and 20” wheels as standard. Bolder in its design, the QX55 is for the owner who is willing to sacrifice some cargo room for greater style. Other than a reduction in luggage volume, the 2 are nearly identical dimensionally. Available in Luxe, Essential, and Sensory trim levels, details regarding pricing and fuel economy will be announced closer to launch in the spring of 2021.
