   2014 Infiniti QX70. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Justin Mastine-Frost
I know that I’m a bit late to the “what’s in a name” debate with Infiniti and its new Q-based vehicle naming structure, but I have to dust that one off a bit before we can get into the meat & potatoes of this test drive. For the 2014 model year Infiniti has scrapped the idea of individual names (okay, letters) for each of its cars, and has instead decided every vehicle in the lineup will be either Q or QX with a number attached. All the crossovers and SUVs will be QX and all the cars are Q. We have already seen the launch of the Q50, which replaces the G series of sedans, and now the easily recognizable FX series has been dubbed the QX70. Confused yet?
It was equally entertaining when trying to schedule this test drive, as I was constantly forgetting whether this was the QX60 (JX35 replacement), QX70 or QX80 (QX56 replacement) and simultaneously struggling to remember what a QX70 actually is in the first place. So many automakers are jumping on the alphanumeric bandwagon lately and unfortunately it seems Infiniti got last pick of the letters.
Though its now sports a new name the 2014 QX70 remains as strange-looking as the FX always has. A lot of names have been thrown around to describe the bulbous, fluid form penned by Infiniti’s exterior design team over the years, so much so that it is hard to pick a favourite. To put it simply it just looks odd. From the nose and front three-quarter profile I genuinely like it, but as you work your way around all 360 degrees of the QX70’s bodywork, you’re occasionally facing some pretty hideous proportions. There are a handful of cars out there that suffer from “Baby got back” syndrome and this thing is definitely one of them. I am a fan of the front end of the QX70 with its squinting headlights and wide grille. I could live without the faux vents on the fenders, but that detail aside it looks pretty neat and certainly can’t be mistaken for anything else on the road.
Inside the passenger cabin the new QX70 is far more conservative. Most of the Infinitis I’ve driven lately have had quite nicely finished interiors, but the QX70 is easily my new favourite. A handful of details, including the beautifully sculpted dash panel, are quite well crafted and give it a real presence. Infiniti is doing a really good job of not making their passenger cabins overly flashy. Instead they seem distinctly focused on giving their interiors a solid, well-executed cabin that is as much substance as it is style. The control stack in the centre console is oddly reminiscent of the Lexus LX570 I tested back in the spring, though it’s a more condensed and clean take on the design.
  2014 Infiniti QX70. Click image to enlarge |
From a tech standpoint Infiniti delivers as many of the bells and whistles as they have in their repertoire. On the safety side, Lane Departure Warning, Distance Control Assist, and Blind Spot Detection are all on hand. I’m still not convinced that Lane Departure Warning and Distance Control (AKA Collision Avoidance) are all that useful given the $3,500 price tag on the Tech Package, but the Intelligent Cruise Control they are bundled with is nice to have for busy highway cruising. If this was any other category, this lineup of features would be quite impressive. Unfortunately the luxury crossover segment is a tough battleground on a good day and a solid number of their competitors are packing the same collection of gadgets.
