The current automotive market is quite interesting as manufacturers clamor to gain more ground while balancing their electric vehicle and hybrid market shares. However, Infiniti has yet to jump into such a fray. Instead, they have made some moves on their powertrain front to be a little more efficient by departing ways from larger engines and introducing smaller displacement turbocharged units. As such, the new QX60 three-row crossover, after receiving a welcomed redesign for the 2022 model year, now departs from the 3.5-liter V6, replacing it with the 4-cylinder variable compression turbocharged engine that’s been a workhorse for the QX50 and QX55 crossovers, as well as the top trim Nissan Altima SR VC-Turbo.

In the past, I’ve given some praise to the 2.0-liter variable compression turbocharged (VC-Turbo) 4-cylinder engine but thought it would be better suited with a traditional automatic transmission instead of the CVT (continuously variable transmission) it has traditionally had. Well, Infiniti has listened and brought the engine over into the QX60 and mated it with the 9-speed automatic transmission, and after a week with the vehicle, it seems the pair work well together after a long learning curve of its rather unique power delivery.

See Also: 2023 Infiniti QX60 Sensory AWD Review & Test Drive

The Infiniti QX60, in its newly redesigned skin, was already a much-needed improvement over the outgoing model that started with using a traditional transmission over the CVT. However, the V6 engine used in the QX60 was a characteristic that kept the QX60 somewhat refined, while the new engine seems to have lost a bit of that smooth refinement, potentially taking away from the luxury approach of such a vehicle. However, the new variable compression turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, which is good for 268 horsepower and 286 lb-ft of torque, seems to fill the space quite well but only seldomly as the VC-Turbo engine is not nearly as smooth or predictable as the outgoing V6 engine. Compared to the old V6 engine, the VC-Turbo is down about 27 horsepower but adds 16 more pound-feet of torque and is about 39 pounds lighter. Putting all things together, you have more low-end grunt, better fuel economy, and the ability to still tow up to 6,000 pounds with the VC-Turbo engine-equipped QX60, which is now the only engine for the model lineup.

Out on the road, the new QX60 with the VC-Turbo hits 60 mph in 7.5 seconds, which is about a second slower than the outgoing V6 managed to do. Moreover, the performance downfalls of the new VC-Turbo engine seem to mount as the transmission is somewhat slow to downshift at times when power is demanded, in addition to being slow to shift into Park according to the indicator in the digital gauge cluster – which is often disconcerting as you hope that the vehicle doesn’t roll away after taking your foot off of the brake. The final draw of disappointment with the VC-Turbo powertrain, apart from its coarse sound, is the engine’s tendency to flail the RPM when you demand mid-level throttle. It is as if the engine thinks you’re flooring the gas pedal and tends to rev right through the full RPM range, but such is not your intention, thus causing you to dial it back too much, where you must overcompensate throttle input. This is part of that long learning curve for driving the new QX60 – which you’ll eventually master, but it will take some time – possibly months – for most. It’s possible that the overall driving feel and decent ride quality of the new QX60 may overshadow some of the VC-Turbo’s shortcomings for powering a 4,671-pound crossover.

Overall, the good about the new QX60 and its new VC-Turbo powertrain marginally outweigh the bad as you do benefit from better fuel economy to the tune of matching the EPA estimates for 22 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined in most cases in the real world. It’s just too bad that you sacrifice a few other things to get that better fuel economy over the outgoing V6 and a vehicle that’s fundamentally not as quick as it used to be. Hopefully, for Infiniti, there’s a good majority that will overlook the shortcomings and welcome the attempt to be more efficient as the key win-over for what is still considered to be a good value for a midsized three-row luxury crossover.

Much else about the Infiniti QX60 remains the same as the brand attempts to find a solid footing in the highly competitive automotive landscape. As the top-seller for Infiniti, the QX60 will still garner the proper attention as my test vehicle’s trim attempts to do with its unique $1,900 Black Edition package accenting the Harbor Gray exterior paint. There’s just enough of a luxury theme inside to keep consumers appeased for the bottom-line value proposition, considering a wide gamut of standard features with a few options only separated by marginal steps in the three trim levels. In the end, the QX60 will have its work cut out to remain competitive, but considering how most don’t rely on performance being the primary decision maker, the new VC-Turbo-powered QX60 still may have a chance to win over many.

The starting price of $52,200 for the base Pure AWD QX60 is appealing as is my test vehicle’s Luxe AWD trim with the Black Edition package coming to the out-the-door price of $62,745.