Infiniti Offers a Peek at the 2019 QX50(?) as It Prepares New Crossover, Engine for L.A. Debut

Nissan’s luxury division isn’t saying it’s the next-generation QX50, but everything we know about that model and its revolutionary (and potentially risky) engine points to one conclusion.

For now, and until the vehicle’s unveiling at the L.A. Auto Show on November 28th, Infiniti simply refers to it as an “all-new model” — one boasting “world-first” technology. The technology’s no mystery, as after two decades of development Infiniti plans to launch a 2.0-liter variable compression gas engine. Expect class-leading interior volume, the automaker tells us.

Infiniti’s VC-T engine, described in great detail here, regulates piston travel in order to create a range of compression ratios — from 8:1 to 14:1, depending on engine speed and load. Basically, it becomes an engine for all seasons. We already know the engine’s specs — 268 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque, which means more twist than the outgoing QX50’s 3.7-liter V6.

If it proves durable over the long term and delivers Infiniti’s claimed 27-percent improvement in fuel economy, it could give Mazda a run for its “reinvent the gas engine” money. (Mazda’s going a different route for fuel savings, introducing a mainly sparkless compression ignition gas four-cylinder for 2018.)

Going by EPA ratings for the 2017 QX50, the incoming model could see a combined rating of 25.4 mpg. Highway mileage would rise to 30.5 percent. That’s far less than contemporary compact hybrid crossovers, but an improvement over rivals like the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. It also allows the automaker to green up its fleet without resorting to expensive battery packs and electric motors.

Any leg up over competitors is a weapon in the premium crossover sales war. Infiniti QX50 sales are down just over 4 percent in the U.S., year-to-date, though October saw sales climb 18 percent, year-over-year.

Granted, the above photo purposefully keeps us (and the vehicle) mainly in the dark. Still, it’s clear the next-gen QX50’s “Powerful Elegance” design, seen last week on the facelifted QX80, hasn’t strayed much from the QX50 Concept released last year.

Normally, we’d spare you from the uncomfortably passionate description of a vehicle from its chief designer, but not this time. Alfonso Albaisa, Infiniti’s senior vice president of global design, describes the upcoming QX50 model as the “perfect balance between lust and logic.”

Lust and logic. You’re welcome.

[Image: Infiniti]