The 2011 Infiniti QX56 exterior design is a clean-sheet-of-paper redesign, far cleaner than any previous QX56 body, with a more rounded and unified appearance and fewer things that look added on, like squared-off fender flares and chrome strips. The entire nose has been rounded off and each element integrated into a unified whole that looks better and works better in the wind tunnel and on the showroom floor. The dipped rear roof section has been abandoned in favor of a flat roof, the pillars have been blacked out, and the door handles chromed and lined up. Twenty-inch wheels and tires fill the wheel wells, and 22-inchers are optional.
The 2011 Infiniti QX56 has been completely redesigned inside, including the extra-thick seats, instrument panel, center stack and console, to be more user-friendly and to look and feel more upscale and luxurious. It seems like the entire cockpit has been built around the 8-inch central screen display, and the center console cascades down from it in beautiful, organized fashion. The electroluminescent gauges are softly lit, easy to read, and housed in a swoopy escutcheon very much like the one in the new Infiniti M sedan, a piece that adds to the driving pleasure.
A unique feature of the QX56 interior is the remote-controlled second-row flip-fold seats, operated from the key fob, a feature that lets families load from back to front with a minimum of hassle with the seats. The third-row seats also power-fold forward to increase the cargo area, and the third-row seats also recline up to 20 degrees. Another unique feature is the trademarked Around View monitoring system with front and rear sonar, a system that enables the driver to see all the way around the vehicle before moving off, to make sure that there are no people or objects in jeopardy, and that there is room to maneuver.
Someone at Infiniti believes that quiet equals luxury, because measures have been taken to make the QX56 very quiet inside once underway. The huge rear seats boast the longest legroom measurement in the class at 41 inches, and can be had with optional heaters.
Our test QX56 was the all-wheel-drive version equipped with the Theater Package, the Deluxe Touring package, and the Technology Package, so it was at the very top end of the sticker price range.
The Infiniti QX56, referred to by its makers as being like a private jet, is more like a hotel room on wheels than a truck. You can control the lighting, set the thermostats front and rear, move the furniture around, and choose your entertainment.
Fit, finish, tolerances and materials are at the top of the class. The first and second row bucket seats are some of the thickest, most comfortable we've ever tried. It's quiet, plush, luxurious, and very, very complete in terms of its equipment, and it is very easy to drive down the road. The fun here is not in cutting corners and carving canyons but rather in the vast array of electronic entertainment and information available to its family users.
Underway, the QX56 responds to its 5.6-liter V8 engine. Full-throttle acceleration with two aboard and no cargo is solid if not spectacular, as this engine is tuned for low-end torque, load-hauling and trailer-towing, not high-rpm wailing. It sounds powerful, and it is, but this truck weighs almost 5900 pounds at the curb.
The power steering ratio and regressive assist are just about right for a long, tall, heavy vehicle like this one, and the brakes are powerful and progressive even when soaking wet (we drove nearly the entire day in a raging thunderstorm). The Intelligent Braking System uses sonar ranging to stop the QX56 all by itself as it approaches another stopped vehicle, which is a bit disconcerting at first, but once you get used to it, it's a nice thing to have in stop-and-go traffic, and it's part of the Technology Package.
The ride is supremely cushy and quiet, but the body's movements over the suspension are well controlled and there is very little body roll or wallow, even in fast corners, owing to the hydraulic body motion control system.
The 2011 Infiniti QX56 comes in two models, the rear-wheel-drive QX56 ($57,200) and the all-wheel-drive QX56 4WD ($60,300). (All New Car Test Drive prices are Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Prices, which do not include destination charge and may change at any time without notice.)
Standard features include leather seating and trim, 8-way power seats, dual-zone climate control, a multi-function steering wheel, power windows, mirrors, and locks, cruise control, and four 12-volt power points. The hard-drive navigation system comes standard and includes XM NavWeather, XM NavTraffic, the Zagat Survey restaurant guide, and voice activation for navigation, audio and vehicle systems check. It also comes with a Bose 13-speaker AM/FM/CD/DVD/MP3 sound system with XM satellite radio, Bluetooth streaming audio, AUX plug, and iPod compatibility. The standard seating configuration is two front bucket seats, two second-row bucket seats with a second console, and a three-place folding rear seat, but if the customer needs seating for eight, a folding second-row bench seat is available at no extra cost.
Four option packages are available: the first is the eight-seat, no-cost option. The Theater Package ($2450) buys twin 7-inch screens mounted on the front-seat headrests, two sets of wireless headphones, and a 120-volt power outlet to power up gaming consoles or other entertainment equipment.
A Deluxe Touring Package ($5800) features 22-inch alloy wheels and tires, the new Hydraulic Body Motion Control System, semi-aniline leather seats with heating and cooling in the front row, heating in the second row, an upgraded HVAC system (and headlamp washers on 4WD models).
The Technology Package ($2850) adds Blind Spot Warning, Intelligent Brake Assist with Forward Collision Warning, which will actively brake the car to prevent a collision, Intelligent Cruise Control, adaptive front lighting for cornering, pre-crash seat-belt tensioners, and Lane Departure Warning and Prevention. This latter system will actually steer the vehicle back onto its intended path if the driver lets it wander into the next lane and ignores the warning.
Safety equipment includes six airbags, front, side-impact and curtain, ABS brakes, traction control, yaw control. The optional all-wheel drive and the Technology Package further enhance safety as they can help the driver avoid an accident.