Vehicles that seem to have much in common with small buses don't tend to get the pulse racing. If you start introducing a bit of power and premium styling, though, all that changes rapidly.
Infiniti was a late arrival into the whole luxury SUV sphere, concentrating its early efforts on flash sedans, but in recent years the manufacturer has fully bought into the posh, 4x4 concept, and the 2023 QX60 is one of its latest entrants into that market. And, while roomy, it certainly isn't a bus.
So … lots of space? Yes. Classy? For sure. Powerful? Well, the QX60 doesn't have quite the same grunt as some of its contemporaries, but the kind of drivers the Infiniti brand appeals to won't be too bothered about that.
The ride quality and general feeling of sturdiness are likely to be the main factors those on the inside will be concerned about, and there is little to question on either of those fronts.
Still, the new QX60 should be able to get you up to 100 kph in a smidgen over six seconds, which is respectable for any three-row seven-seater.
You'd certainly have difficulty doing that in a rather less well-appointed vehicle of similarly ample girth.
However, talking of size, it should be noted that the QX60 is a midsize SUV — there are plenty of bigger vehicles out there. That you can actually fit seven people inside comfortably is testament to some design nous on the part of Infiniti.
As we said, it's a roomy ride, but not, like some of its heavyweight rivals, a vehicle comparable in size to a ballroom.
There are four different trim levels of the QX60 available — Luxe, Pure, Sensory and Autograph — and as you move up the food chain there are more package options on offer.
All models come with a 12.3-inch information display screen and you get an array of driver aides and early warning systems that also come as standard.
Inside, Infiniti's designers apparently embodied the Japanese concept of “ma” with, according to them, “areas of detail and minimalism complementing each other in subtle harmony”.
That seems a fair description. It's all very neat in the cabin, and there are none of those ever-so-slightly jarring touches you still find in some vehicles, where design and functionality seem to have been afterthoughts in the creative process.
There are some nice, subtle details on the QX60 as well, like the intricate pattern within the headlamps which has been designed to resemble the folds of a kimono, and there is an “aesthetic of ripples on a pond interpreted in the leather-appointed seats”.
All we can say about that is it all adds to the general comeliness of the vehicle, with that whole luxury thing being underlined again.
The latest model also features a motion-activated gate that opens the cargo space with the merest flick of a body part.
The QX60 is a decent choice if you want a vehicle to cart a lot of people about as it retains an air of panache. It isn't a budget option, but, then again, it's an Infiniti, so you wouldn't expect it to be. There might be something to that whole subtle harmony thing after all.
