2011 Infiniti QX Preview
By Nelson Ireson, Author, September 10th, 2009 Nelson Ireson September 10th, 2009
Last December we brought you spy shots of the next-generation Nissan Patrol SUV, and now images of the 2011 Infiniti QX have emerged, revealing the next-gen luxury SUV to be based on the same platform. The images, captured at what appears to be an invitation-only event, reveal the SUV's large chrome grille and vaguely Kia Soul-like profile.
Earlier this year Nissan ceased production of the QX56 and the Nissan Armada on which it was based, leaving Nissan and Infiniti without a full-size SUV to take their places. As we pointed out last year, however, the next-gen foreign-market Nissan Patrol, is the most likely candidate for a replacement.
Comparing those spy photos to the newly-snapped 2011 Infiniti QX makes it clear that both vehicles wear the same underclothes, though the QX's new grille and headlight treatment definitely set it apart from its workaday cousin. Comparisons to the Nissan Cube and Kia Soul are also likely, as something about the vehicle's proportions remind the eye of those smaller crossover/hatches as well, though that may come down to the odd angles and semi-fish-eye view of the 2011 QX in these grainy shots.
Our sources tell us that the 2011 Infiniti QX is intended as a Range Rover competitor, which could also put it on the same playing field as the Lexus LX10, both of which currently start about $20,000 higher than the phased-out QX56's $56,050 starting price. The entry-level Range Rover Sport, however, starts at just $60,000, leaving the door open for Infiniti to slip in just below Lexus's range-topping SUV.
It's not yet known what sort of power the QX will get, though a big, torquey V-8 is almost a certainty given its place in the market. A 3.0-liter V-6 is also available from the Nissan-Renault alliance, and with the way fuel economy and emissions regulations are going, it could potentially see service in the U.S. as well, making the the QX a potential cross-shop to the Audi Q7 TDI.
With so many variables in the air as to configuration, target market segment, and equipment level, pricing of the 2011 Infiniti QX is anyone's guess, though it'll likely need to stick between the outgoing QX's $56,000 base price and the $80,000 range of the upper-end Lexus and Range Rovers SUVs.
The vehicle isn't expected to make its debut in Infiniti trim until sometime in 2010.
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2011 Infiniti QX 
