Infiniti's 2022 QX55 AWD sedan has coupe-like styling with SUV attributes

As Nissan’s top-tier luxury brand, their Infiniti line has debuted a compact luxury crossover that offers a delicious compromise between an SUV, and a fastback 4-door sedan.  

The Infiniti 2022 QX55 is based on the hot selling QX50 SUV that looks like your typical SUV. Since the QX55’s length, width, wheelbase and powertrain are the same, they differ in that the QX55 takes on a coupe-like look with its sloping roofline and cab-forward design. It’s also a bit lighter than the QX50. 

This crossover retains the Infiniti heritage design with signature human-eye look headlights and digital piano key taillights that has 45 LEDs in each taillight. 

QX55 is offered in Luxe, Essential and Sensory trim levels. We were privileged to test the Essential model that came with leather upholstery, brushed aluminum interior trim, 20-inch alloy wheels, heated outside mirrors and much, much more. 

This strikingly handsome all-wheel drive crossover looks like it’s moving 55 mpg while it’s parked. Its interior is equally as handsome with dual color leather, dual displays top 8-inch one is for navigation, drive modes, front and rearview cameras, while the lower 7-inch touchscreen is for climate control, audio, operational controls, weather, gas prices and more. Included is Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity. 

Infiniti engineers used laminated side glass along with active noise cancellation to give the QX55 a hush quiet interior. 

After a low 18-inch step-in into the cockpit, you’re treated to comfy, heavily padded, sensibly supportive, heated/cooled front seats with extended under thigh support. The dual displays will grab the eyes giving the sensation you’re in a corporate jet. 

A stubby gear selector uses a separate “P” switch for park gear while drive and reverse are traditional in operation. It’s flanked by a toggle drive mode switch for Standard, Eco, Sport and Personal modes and a rotary controller for the 8-inch nav screen. 

The instrument cluster is analog and includes a driver information display for functions, features and alerts. Missing from the cockpit is a wireless phone charger but there are receptacles for wired charging. 

Rear seat ingress/egress is easy thanks to wide opening doors and the comfy seats slide and recline for two adults or three youngsters as the transaxle hump is low. Infiniti says there is 38.7 inches of rear legroom. 

Back in the trunk, which has a power liftgate and is really considered the cargo area, a low 29-inch lift-over into it eases loading of heavy items. It’s relatively spacious at 26.9 cubic feet behind the back seat and measures 38 inches deep, 39 wide and 28 high with the rear seats upright. Flip them and loading depth extends to 72 inches, a full six feet for extra-long items. There’s a 6.5-inch bin beneath the cargo floor to stow small items out of sight. 

Power wise, QX55 gets its grunt from a 2.0-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder that generates 268-hp and 280 lb/ft of torque for EPA mileage estimates of an impressive 22 city, 28-highway mpg. Coupled to a continuously variable transmission, QX55 had gobs of power and quick acceleration. In Sport mode, rpm’s increase by 500 and the sound emanating from the exhaust tips is sports car-like. There’s certainly no want for power. 

As for ride quality, it’s smooth on tall all-season run-flat Bridgestone 20-inch tires that are nine inches in width for added grip in snow and slick conditions. The only feature missing here is an AWD lock for getting started in deep or slippery snow. 

Handling is sporty and parking is easy with QXs tight turning radius. For extra sportiness, steering can be tightened a bit when selecting Dynamic-Plus mode. 

With a long list of standard features such as rain-sensing wipers. Power tilt/telescopic steering wheel, forward collision warning, forward emergency braking w/pedestrian detection, rear  automatic braking, rear cross traffic alert, blind spot warning, lane departure warning, around view monitor and more, the only extra cost option was the ProAssist package ($800) that added adaptive front lighting, intelligent cruise control/distance control assist, blind spot intervention and lane departure prevention. For all this and more, QX55 AWD began life at $51,600 and bottom-lined at $53,425 with delivery. 

QX55 AWD underwent a partial government 5-star safety rating and came away with a full five stars for driver frontal crash and four for front passenger. 

If you’re in the market for a sporty car with SUV capabilities, check out the QX55. It’s destined to be a top seller next to Infiniti’s QX50. 
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