Infiniti Canada has announced that pricing for its updated QX50 compact crossover will start at $37,900 when it goes on sale later this year.
Nissan’s upscale arm proved that sales don’t come easy, even in the hotly-contested premium compact crossover segment, where the QX 50 (born as the EX 35, seemingly an Infiniti ago–ha!) languished, with just 4,600 North American buyers (that’s Canadians and Americans) choosing one in 2014. That’s a pretty pale performance next to the Lexus RX or Audi Q5, both of which sold nearly 8,000 copies in Canada alone last year.
You might place the blame on an interior too true to the ‘compact’ in compact crossover, or on a lack of design updates despite 2013’s name change; either way, Infiniti hopes a mild cosmetic update that addresses the lack of interior space by way of a stretched wheelbase will help boost sales. Infiniti has added 80 mm between the front and rear axles, creating an extra 65 mm of rear-seat legroom, and adding 75 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats. Amusingly, Infiniti’s photos of the QX50 don’t include shots of the larger rear seat or trunk. Go figure. Thankfully, Paul Williams took some when Infiniti revealed the car earlier this year at the New York auto show.
But these improvements don’t come free: Infiniti has priced the new QX50 at $37,900 to start, a bump of $3,000 (okay, $2,950) over the 2015 model. Four trims–base, Premium, Navigation, and Technology–are available, with each building on the one below, so that in order to get the Tech model, you have to check the boxes for Premium and Navigation first. Premium trim costs $42,800, the Navigation model $45,300, and the top Tech trim comes in at $47,800.
Mechanically, the QX50 sticks with the same 3.7L, 325-hp V6.
As before, AWD and heated front seats are standard; new standard kit for 2016 includes a sunroof. The 2016 Infiniti QX50 will be in showrooms across Canada by late September.
Infiniti Announces Pricing For 2015 Q50, QX50...
September 15, 2014
