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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New luxury car

BMW sends its V12 engine off in style

BMW will build its final V12 engine this June.

BMW

Most automakers are focused on building EVs and extracting the best fuel economy from gas engines possible, so it’s not surprising to hear that BMW is pulling the plug on one of its biggest and most iconic engines. In June 2022, BMW will build its very last V12 engine for use in a super-limited-production special edition 7 Series model. The ultra-rare cars will carry a starting price of $200,995.

BMW 760i xDrive The last V12 will power a very special (and very expensive) 7 Series car.BMW

Only twelve lucky customers will have the option to nab a V12-powered BMW, which will be called the M760i xDrive. Displacing 6.6 liters, the twin-turbocharged beast produces a massive 601 horsepower. An eight-speed sport automatic transmission and all-wheel drive are standard. BMW says the powertrain is strong enough to push the hefty 7 Series car to 60 mph from a standstill in just 3.6 seconds.

The final-run cars will feature little more than a special “V12” badge at the rear to differentiate them from standard 7 Series models. Inside, the car features a serialized plaque with the car’s production number out of the 12 units planned. The engine itself features a nameplate with “The Final V12.”

Beyond the badges, BMW’s 12-cylinder last-hurrah will come standard with 20-inch M double-spoke wheels, a choice of any available BMW full Merino leather color, M Sport brakes with black or blue calipers, a panoramic LED roof, remote control parking, a Bowers & Wilkins surround-sound system, and adaptive LED headlights.

BMW 760i xDrive Only 12 of the cars will be built, with a starting price of more than $200,000.BMW

Though it hasn’t been BMW’s most popular engine over the years, the V12 has been a part of the automaker’s catalog for 35 years. The first 12-cylinder engine showed up in 1987, producing 295 horsepower in the original 750iL sedan.

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Year-end review

Tell us your best car-related memory from 2021

What was your best car-related experience this year?

Chris Teague

This year has been a lot of things, but it hasn't been boring. Even if we focus only on the car world, there's plenty to talk about, from microchip-related new vehicle shortages to the wave of new electric vehicles hitting the market. That leaves us with a question for all of you: What was the best or most memorable car moment for you in 2021? I'll get the conversation started.

Porsche Cayenne GTS My SoCal Cayenne śaw snow for the first time in its nearly 200k-mile life last week.Chris Teague

I'd spent a good portion of 2021 wanting a new-old car to drive when I wasn't testing a new vehicle. That's harder than you'd think for someone who thinks, talks, and writes about cars all day, because there are so many interesting, risky, and downright funky options out there in every price range. The added headache for me was that I'd chosen to shop for a "fun" car in one of the most volatile car markets ever seen. Even the extremely high-mileage "untouchable" European cars I wanted to buy were commanding ridiculous prices.

After a solid few months of waffling between various rattletrap Mercedes-AMG, BMW M, and Audi S/RS cars, I landed on an option that had escaped me before: The Porsche Cayenne. First-generation Cayennes are a real bargain now, but the 955/957 (Porsche's internal code for the SUVs) can experience major problems that occur with or without regular maintenance and care. I was determined to buy one, and wasn't overly concerned about mileage, as long as I could count the number of owners on one hand. There was a beautiful 2009 Cayenne GTS with 90,000 miles but nine owners, a gorgeous 2004 Cayenne Turbo with a concerning engine tick, and many more just like them. Finally, I decided to risky-click a 196,000-mile Cayenne GTS in Southern California. It had one owner and one dealer-owner for a month or two prior to sale, its condition looked decent in photos, and I was able to negotiate a reasonable enough price that shipping it from San Diego to Maine wasn't a huge problem.

Porsche Cayenne GTS The pics look great, but hands-on tells another story.Chris Teague

I had two traveling Euro mechanics check the car out, and both confirmed that it was well-worn but mechanically sound, so I jumped. Ten days later, on a snowy, icy, dark Maine afternoon, the Cayenne arrived. Cosmetically, there were a few things the dealer and mechanics failed to mention, but overall, it looked good. The SUV passed Maine safety and emissions testing without problem, got a new set of Michelins, and I was on my way.

Porsche Cayenne GTS I'm in danger, but thankfully this should be a reasonable fix.Chris Teague

A few days of driving revealed what I was really in for. A check engine light revealed a camshaft position sensor error and the Cayenne displayed a nasty vibration at idle. A new sensor and motor mounts, and I'm on my way. I'll update you as more things break or miraculously work, but I want to hear your memories from 2021.

Email me at chris@automotivemap.com, and I will compile the best and most interesting stories for a story on New Year's Day. May you all have a wonderful 2022.

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