The 2022 Infiniti QX55: Stylish, Smart and Sassy
When you find a ride that matches your personality, take it!
What girl doesn’t want to be stylish, smart, and sassy? And if we have those coveted personality traits, why shouldn’t our cars have the same? That’s how I felt in the 2022 Infiniti QX55 Sensory AWD. Admittedly style means different things to all of us. Personally, I prefer a sporty look, so when I had the opportunity to sport my way around Colorado in a dynamic sunstone red 2022 Infiniti QX55, I also felt smart and sassy.
Related: Alfonso Albaisa Knows the Way to a Woman’s Heart, and the Infiniti QX55 Proves It
Smart Features and a Sassy Attitude
Sometimes basic things rank the highest when it comes to being smart. In the 2022 Infiniti QX55, those basic things include automatic windshield wipers. Yes, I know Colorado boasts 300 days of sunshine each year, but still, it does occasionally rain…or snow. On our last day, the rain began to fall as we made our way to the airport. Having fallen in love with this gorgeous state, we felt like crying too. But, the sadness mellowed when I noticed the windshield wipers adjusting to the rhythm of the raindrops. That’s smart, don’t you think?
Mz. Infiniti QX55 showcased more smart moves during our time together. A console dial adjusts the navigation map making it easy (and safe) to zoom in and out without distractions. Acoustic glass allowed me to listen to the music inside the cabin instead of annoying loud zooms from passersby. Heads up display also ranks high on my list of smart features. And, being able to wave my foot under the tailgate to open the cargo area — well, that’s just brilliant. I mean, let’s face it, our hands tend to be full of important things like shopping bags and an oversized drink from Starbucks now and then, right?
As for sassy, the QX55 held her own driving on city streets. But she was at her sassiest when she artfully made her way up curvy mountain roads. The QX55 delivers a stylish, smart, and sassy SUV crossover option that lives up to its marketing description as “lived-in luxury.”
Related: Want to compare brands with similar features? Check out the BMW X4.
Tech That Keeps You Firmly on Track
Having the convenience of technology at your fingertips makes the 2022 Infiniti QX55 the ideal crossover for exploring. Highlights include Wireless Apple CarPlay integration; a simplified Android Auto interface powered by voice commands; navigation with real-time traffic information, 3D graphics, and seamless turn-by-turn directions; a Wi-Fi hotspot; and a Bose Sound System with Bose 16-Speaker Performance Series Audio System. We were able to keep charged up with four USB ports: two in the front, one in the center armrest, and one in the back. There’s also a 12V power port.
Of course, the tech extends beyond the fun stuff to the important features that keep us safe when we’re sporting around in this sassy beauty. Driver assistance features include hill start assist; front and rear parking sensors; surround view monitor with moving object detection; high beam assist; predictive forward collision warning; forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection; rear automatic braking; rear cross-traffic alert, and lane departure assist.
Related: Muse-Inspired, Thoughtfully Crafted and Poshly Appointed: 2022 Infiniti QX60 Luxury 3 Row SUV First Drive
Choose a Mode to Suit Your Mood
I really appreciated the multiple drive modes on the hills and highways of Colorado. There’s Standard, Eco, Sport and a customizable Personal mode. To keep fuel use down I chose Eco for city driving in stop-and-go traffic. But Sport mode gave me the power I craved to climb the mountainous roads. The QX55’s 268-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, which Infiniti calls VC-Turbo, gave us plenty of power and comes standard with all-wheel drive, something I’d be grateful for in winter weather.
Read More: 7 Things to Love about the Infinity QX80 Luxury SUV.
Style Shines Inside and Outside
Inside the QX55, style reigns supreme with black natural maple wood and leather touches from the seats to the doors. Let the sun shine in through the retractable power moonroof, another standard feature. The center console houses the “shift-by-wire” (another term for ‘electric’) gear selector which I found a bit counter-intuitive. It took me a day or so to adapt. The engine start/stop button, multimedia control knob, drive-mode selector switch, electronic parking-brake switch, and brake auto-hold button are also contained in the center console.
Outside, a sloping roofline creates the coupe-style this crossover is known for. The QX55 sports a bold grille-mesh designed inspired by origami, a dark machine-finish wheel design, unique taillights with a distinctive “piano-key” lighting signature, and a license plate mounted in the rear bumper instead of the liftgate. A clamshell hood, sporty front fascia, and gloss black mirror caps add more stylish touches.
As for cargo space, the QX55’s maximum cargo capacity is 54.1 cubic feet with 26.9 cubic feet of luggage capacity. The rear seat leg room stretches to 38.7 inches.
What I Loved About the Infiniti QX55 Sensory
- Heating and cooling front seats
- Separate screens for navigation and apps
- Heads up display
- Ability to move between Eco, Sport, Standard and Personal drive modes
- Rain-sensing front windshield wipers
- All those sloping stylish lines with a sporty edge
- 360-degree exterior camera system
What You Need to Know
- The Infiniti QX55 Sensory model takes premium fuel
- Gas Mileage typically ranges from 22 city to 28 highway
- The QX55 comes in three trims: base Luxe (from $46,500); midrange Essential (from $51,600); and, the Sensory.
- The QX55 Sensory model I drove was priced at $60,350.
Tooling around Colorado you see so many rough and rugged cars and SUVs. Often it’s as if style, and a smart, sassy sensibility, gets lost. But not in a car as intelligent and elegant as this one.
Disclosure: Infiniti provided the QX55 for this test drive, but all opinions are my own.
Categorized:Car Reviews