Powertrain

Goodbye, CVT: Redesigned 2022 Infiniti QX60 gets same powertrain as new Nissan Pathfinder

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Feb 11, 2021, 8:00 am

More details about the 2022 Infiniti QX60 continue to emerge.

Photo courtesy of Infiniti Motor Company

Slowly, details of the redesigned 2022 Infiniti QX60 are being revealed. Today, the company let it slip that the three-row SUV will be powered by the same 3.5-liter V6 that is in the current QX60 but its transmission will be different.

Instead of having a continuously variable transmission (CVT), the midsize 2022 QX60 will have its engine paired with a ZF-sourced nine-speed automatic transmission. A spokesperson for Infiniti confirmed that this is the same powertrain setup that is in the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, which debuted last week.

"The upcoming, all-new 2022 Infiniti QX60 embraces the tenets of what our brand stands for," said INFINITI Chairman Peyman Kargar. "Teams from Japan and the U.S. have worked tirelessly to bring the new QX60 to customers as our most refined and advanced three-row crossover yet. The QX60 is a foundation for Infiniti and will bring to life our core philosophies. We'll have more to talk about soon, so watch this space."

2022 Infiniti QX60

2022 Infiniti QX60 camouflage

Photo courtesy of Infiniti Motor Company

In the 2022 Pathfinder, the power plant yields 284-horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque. Expect it to do about the same in the QX60, with about the same level of efficiency, if what Nissan said about the way the engine will perform in its new model is true. Both the Pathfinder and QX60 achieved and EPA-estimated 22 mpg combined with their 2020 body styles when equipped with front-, four-, or all-wheel drive. The two-wheel drive Pathfinder did one better getting 23 mpg combined.

The new QX60 has been in development for some time. The company's engineering team at Infiniti's Arizona Testing Center have logged thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of miles behind the wheel of test vehicles to fine-tune the next-gen QX60 including the crossover's response, capabilities, ride and handling, and overall behavior.

"The all-new QX60 has a direct and linear acceleration feel. It gives the driver confidence to not only increase their standing start but also passing on the freeway and in the city," said Dave Kiesel, manager of powertrain performance at Infiniti's Arizona Testing Center. "You just step on the pedal, it downshifts, and you go.

"The all-new nine-speed has a larger ratio spread — almost 10:1. This gives the customer the ability to have a standing start performance that is confident and responsive. The corollary of that is also that you maintain your fuel economy on the freeway," Kiesel added.

The new QX60 will feature shift-by-wire technology. Drivers will be able to choose from five selectable drive modes: Standard, ECO, Snow, Sport, and Personal.

AutomotiveMap has already seen exterior and interior of the QX60. Click here to learn more about it. Visteon has revealed what the driver's information display, a fully-digital gauge cluster, looks like in the SUV.

The Infiniti QX60 is expected to be revealed soon. It will go on sale this autumn.

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Design

Ariya is the most aerodynamic crossover Nissan has built, but it lags behind EV rivals

The Nissan Ariya has wind glide over it in the testing tunnel.

Photo courtesy of Nisan Motor Company

Nissan is targeting a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.297 for the Ariya all-electric crossover. If it can make that number, it will be the company's most aerodynamic crossover to date. What does that mean? Let's take a closer look.

What is drag?

Simply put, drag is an aerodynamic force. It's mechanical in nature, so it is the result of the interaction of a solid body and a liquid. In the case of a car, this liquid is air. (Yes, air is a liquid.) It only occurs when one part of the equation (the solid body or the liquid) is in motion. If there is no motion, there is no drag.

Drag only occurs in the opposite direction of the object's movement. Think of a car cutting through the air as it drives down a north-south road. As the car heads north, the air it passes through is pushed south. The car is in motion; there is drag.

2022 Nissan Ariya

2022 Nissan Ariya

Photo courtesy of Nisan Motor Company

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What is coefficient of drag?

The coefficient of drag, also called a drag coefficient, is a number that aerodynamics professions (aerodynamicists) use to determine the shape, inclination, and flow conditions on a vehicle's drag. The shape of an object (bullet vs. square vs prism, etc.) has a large impact on the amount of drag created by airflow surrounding a vehicle. Objects with narrower front ends tend to have a lower coefficient.

Scientists and vehicle designers want to keep air moving around the car for maximum efficiency. The inclination of the airflow to either move in a smooth, connected pattern, or to be broken up with air sitting, stalling in one particular part of the vehicle, lessening airflow and making the vehicle less aerodynamic.

A vehicle's Cd is determined by plugging various measurements into an equation. Cd is equal to drag (D) divided by the quantity of density (r) multiplied by half the velocity (V) squared multiple by the reference area (A). As an equation, it looks like this: Cd = D / (A * .5 * r * V^2).

The smaller the Cd, the more aerodynamic a vehicle is.

2022 Nissan Ariya

The Nissan Ariya employs aerodynamic wheel design, made to help it cut though the air with greater ease.

Photo courtesy of Nissan North America

What is the coefficient of drag of the Nissan Ariya?

"With the growing shift towards electric mobility, aerodynamic testing is becoming increasingly important. The aerodynamics of electric vehicles are directly linked to how efficiently the vehicle moves – less drag and better stability allows the customer to drive longer distances before having to recharge," said Sarwar Ahmed, Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics Engineer at Nissan Technical Centre Europe.

Nissan is targeting a 0.297 coefficient of drag for the Ariya. How will it achieve that number? By utilizing precisely shaped body lines and strategically placed air ducts, among other components. There's a bonus to better aerodynamics when it comes to EVs.

"Following official homologation of the Nissan Ariya later this year, we anticipate the range to improve compared to the 310 mile figure shared in 2020 during the World Premiere. This will give drivers more efficiency and confidence to go even further on a single charge," said Marco Fioravanti, VP Product Planning, Nissan Europe.

How does the Ariya's coefficient of drag compare to other Nissans?

The newest Nissans, the Kicks, Pathfinder, and Frontier, don't have their Cd publicly available yet, but other models have their results. The targeted 0.297 Cd in the Ariya is less than that in the 2021 Armada, Murano, and Rogue. But, it's higher than the Nissan Leaf.

The fact that it's higher than the Leaf is not surprising. Shorter cars tend to be more aerodynamic because they sit lower to the ground and have a smaller profile. That also explains why Nissan's largest and boxiest SUV, the Armada, has the highest number on the list.

How does the Ariya's coefficient of drag compare to numbers from other EVs?

The Nissan Ariya's coefficient of drag is higher than that of most other electric cars, crossovers, and SUVs sold in the U.S. Here's where the others measure up:

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Parts

Jeep offers new, factory-backed half-door option for two- and four-door Wranglers

The Jeep Wrangler Dual-Door Group offers factory-backed half-door comfort, style, and safety.
Photo courtesy of Stellantis

Jeep Wrangler owners who want an open-air experience but don't want the complete doors-off look have a new from-the-factory option. Jeep Performance Parts and Mopar have worked together to create new half-doors for the iconic SUV.

The new Jeep Wrangler Dual-Door Group features two factory engineered, tested, and backed half-door options that offer owners the option to have production-level styling, security, and occupancy protection in addition to improved visibility.

Available for both two- and four-door Jeep Wrangler models through the Mopar Custom Shop, as part of an original new-vehicle purchase in the U.S. and Canada, the new Jeep Wrangler Dual-Door Group includes both full and half doors. Full-steel production doors are installed on the vehicle while matching body-color half doors are packaged within the vehicle.

    Jeep Wrangler Dual-Door Group

    Jeep Wrangler Dual-Door Group

    Photo courtesy of Stellantis

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    With production-level materials and build quality, new half doors are designed to work when equipped with any of the following features: power mirrors, blind-spot detection, passive and non-passive entry handles, and power locks. A quick and easy swap from full doors to half doors can be accomplished within minutes using the existing hinge locations and the exact same wiring connections.

    The newly developed upper-window assemblies are designed to have a weather-tight sealant feature zippered plastic windows. Two materials are offered for the assemblies: base-model vinyl that matches the production soft-top roof or premium acrylic that matches the premium soft-top roof.

    Each upper-door frame section uses an easy, tool-free, dual-guide post feature for easy installation and removal.

    The Dual-Door Group is now available on two- and four-door Jeep Wrangler Sport, Rubicon; Sahara, Rubicon 392, and 4xe models. Factory-option pricing for the U.S.s tarts at $2,350 for the two-door's Dual-Door Group with base-model upper-window assembles while the four-door costs $3,995. Checking the box for the more premium version of the upper-window assemblies moves the price tag up to $2,550 for the two-door and $4,395 for the four-door.

    Warranty coverage for each Dual-Door Group option is included as part of the new-vehicle warranty of three years/36,000 miles.

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