The 2022 Infiniti QX60 will make your head turn. Because it’s pretty. It’s also a huge upgrade from the 2020 model year which looked more like an elegant minivan than a luxury SUV. But once you get behind the wheel, you’ll notice more than cosmetic changes.
In what was a huge North American launch, Infiniti invited five different media groups to join them in Napa Valley – the perfect setting to introduce this mid-size luxury SUV. The theme was simple: Conquer Life in Style.
Infiniti clearly spent time figuring out who the target market is for this vehicle and to be honest, it’s me.
Although I may not be a Starbucks-swilling, soccer mom who runs the PTA while planning the family reunion, I do make a mean cup of tea at home and run my kid to school and tennis and wherever he needs to go. And when we go on a family trip (which I usually plan), it’s usually my car, the family car, that we pile into.
Also, I like to look good while doing it all.
Exploring with the 2022 Infiniti QX60 – California Style
Before I got too excited for a weekend in northern California to see a gorgeous new car, I did exactly what their target market would do – called my driving bestie, Amelia, who also writes about cars to see if this media event was suddenly going to turn into a girls weekend. As luck would have it, we were both attending and I knew our drive time would turn into much needed therapy time.
We were real women putting this real vehicle (pre-production actually) to the test. Starting with hats.
To mirror the craftmanship that Infiniti put into the vehicle, they invited a hatmaker to join us and style each one of us (men and women). If you’ve see some of the pictures from the event, you might have assumed that we all called each other to find out what to wear. Now you know the truth!
Armed with only our hats and our good looks, we got our first introduction to the Infiniti QX60 from Wendy Orthman, Global Head of Communications for Infiniti (all the way from Japan!) and dined outside under the Redwoods.
The next morning, it was down to business as we ventured to our first stop, Goat Rock Beach in Bodega Bay which is at the mouth of the Russian River, a name well known in wine circles. Although no goats were actually seen, we saw a pack of wild deer coming down from the rock. And if you’re at all a huge Goonies fan, like me, you’ll recognize the rocks from the very end of the movie.
After a morning at the beach, we headed off for a ladies lunch (men were there too, but I love the sound of a ladies lunch). We enjoyed a visit to McEvoy Ranch, which boasts an olive tree orchard (yes, it’s called an orchard!) and their own olive oil production facility.
Fun fact: olives are only harvested for a few weeks in November and that results in their entire olive oil production for the year!
We finished up our weekend at the Donum Estate, a very California spot full or organic farming, winemaking, and art. In addition to vineyards, they grow their own tea and provided us a sample of hot tea on an even hotter day.
Our chariot to all of these locations was the Infiniti QX60 with Amelia and I rotating our driving shifts so we could both fully appreciate the vehicle. So let’s get down to business.
My Favorite Features of the 2022 Infiniti QX60
You’ve seen one SUV, you’ve seen them all, right? They all seem to offer two or three row seating. Some offer captain’s chair. And after that it’s an assortment of features that almost blend together. Apple CarPlay, USB connections, panoramic moonroof. I’m not complaining about any of these luxuries but I’m always looking for the standouts. And I found plenty!
These were some of my favorite features of the 2022 Infiniti QX60:
Smart rearview mirror
It’s a rearview mirror. What’s so special about that? Ah, it also a monitor displaying a rear-facing camera feed! When you load up the cargo area with suitcases for your family trip, you don’t have to worry about impacting your visibility. With a quick flip of a switch, your mirror becomes a camera feed.
Zero gravity seats
Looks like a regular seat. Feels like a regular seat. It’s what you can’t see that makes the difference. Zero gravity seats are designed to reduce drive fatigue by using 14 different pressure points to put and keep you in a neutral position. If you’re not thinking about your seats, that’s a good thing. It’s doing its job.
Massage seats
If you’re the kind of person that uses your heated seat year round, you already know that the driver’s seat is sometimes the best place for your aching back. Infiniti knows that too and offers three types of gentle massages for both passenger and driver. It’s a very light touch massage but it feels great on a long trip.
Haptics
In the increasing world of touch screens, it’s nice to have some sort of physical touch or texture in a vehicle. On the climate control on the front dash, you’ll have touch controlled settings but the haptics make it more pleasing to the senses (see video below).
Cubby hole
I’ve seen this in a few newer vehicles. Using the “drive by wire” transmission reduces the footprint of the gear shifter. Smarter manufacturers are taking back the space this creates to offer a cubby hole under the center console. It’s perfect for a small purse, your phone, some masks, or anything else you want to keep out of sight.
Theater seating
If you’ve ever suffered in the back of a vehicle feeling like you can’t see what’s going on, you’ll appreciate what Infiniti calls theater seating. Both the second and third row are positioned higher than the front row offering great visibility to the back seat passengers,
Removable Console
Most trim levels come with bench seating but in the Autograph trim that we drove, the second row is replaced with the ever popular captain’s chairs. The question is: to console or not to console? Here you can have it both ways. Keep it in for the convenience and comfort of your backseat passengers or remove it when you need a quicker passthrough to the third row or want extra cargo space.
“Trunk” with soft close top
When you look at as many cars as I do, it’s the little things that get you excited. Like this “trunk” in the read cargo space. it’s deep enough that it can hold a significant amount of cargo but it’s this soft close top that I thought was a really nice touch. It stays where you place so you don’t have to worry about needing a third hand to hold it up or having it slam close on your hands.
Alexa integration
Although I didn’t get to test this one firsthand, the 2022 Infiniti QX60 will offer Alexa integration. No, Alexa won’t be able to drive the car but you will be able to say, “Alexa, start my car.”
Why This is One Luxury SUV to Consider
I love the design. I love the quality. I love the features. That just leaves a few important details that I always like to address.
The fuel economy is estimated to run around 22 or 23 mpg depending on whether you have AWD or FWD. While that’s not a super fuel efficient vehicle, it’s a respectable gas milage for a vehicle of this size.
As for pricing, it starts at a reasonable price for the class at $46,850. I drove the Autograph AWD (because of course I did) which starts at $63,250.
| GRADE | MSRP |
| PURE | $46,850 |
| PURE AWD | $48,850 |
| LUXE | $52,900 |
| LUXE AWD | $54,900 |
| SENSORY | $56,350 |
| SENSORY AWD | $58,350 |
| AUTOGRAPH | $60,350 |
| AUTOGRAPH AWD | $63,250 |
There are tons of other features that I didn’t have time to mention so I encourage you to check out the new 2022 Infiniti QX60 in person when they arrive in dealerships. Until then, take a look at how I spent my weekend conquering life in style.
