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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Infiniti chose this city on the banks of the Ohio River as a change of pace from the West Coast to launch the new QX56, its full-size sport utility. And though this big sport utility vehicle excels in a lot of areas, this is going to be a tough sell.
 In a nutshell, it’s about perception. The QX56 is a seven or eight passenger sport-utility with a base price of 57,650 for the two-wheel-drive version or $60,850 for the four-wheel drive model. Tack on an EPA rating of 14MPG in the city and 20MPH on the HWY and it’s easy to understand why I say this is going to be a tough sell.
Still, Infiniti sees an opportunity. The company believes that sales in the full-size luxury sport-utility market have stabilized at a bit more than 100,000 units per year. That’s enough of a sliver to go after and here’s why: demographics.
Buyers of the old QX56 were younger and more affluent. The feeling is to keep a study stream of young affluent customers coming into Infiniti’s doors it’s a good idea to have other niche products that they want to own and you’ve got a shot at customers for life.
 The second generation QX is longer, wider but lower than the model it replaces. Add blacked out pillars, which make the side glass look continuous, and side portals that make the vehicle look shorter and that’s not a bad thing in this downsized world.
For 2011, the QX has a direct injection V8 that makes 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. It’s mated to a new seven-speed automatic transmission and the direct injection gasoline engine improves fuel efficiency by 10 percent. The new QX can also tow up to 8,500 lbs.
This engine was smooth, quiet and powerful. A couple of times while passing, the vehicle almost got away from me under sustained acceleration. Gear shifts were imperceptible. There was an ambience that I’ve come to expect from luxury vehicles that the 2011 Infiniti OX56 possessed.
 I think that the dashboard has been lowered which greatly improved visibility. The QX56 made me feel like I was sitting in a snug compartment. Alas, I didn’t even bother to try the second or the third row seats. But they looked good!
An optional hydraulic based system reduces body rool and bump shock. In a particularly tight curve, for the QX56, that we took at speed the vehicle remained level. There was no leaning when there should have been for a sport utility of these proportions. In other words, the Hydraulic Body Motion, as Infiniti calls it, worked.
The interior of my test vehicle was leather with double stitching and padding everywhere: the dash, the arm rests and the door panels. The QX was a pretty easy vehicle to drive, especially on the two-lane highways in this area.
My test vehicle was chock full of equipment. Lane departure warning and prevention systems as well as a blind spot warning prevention system were featured. The new QX can also be equipped with a triple screen entertainment system that can play three different media.
The QX also keeps its off road pedigree. The four-wheel-drive model has a system with automatic 4H and 4L modes. The system is designed to distribute torque to all four wheels when road conditions warrant.
 With Hill Start Assist, if a driver stops on a slope and steps off the brake pedal, the system will keep the QX stationary for a few seconds – with no roll back. This enables drivers to easily switch from the brake pedal to the accelerator on steep inclines.
When the 2011 Infiniti QX56 goes on sale in July, it will have three option packages: Technology, Theater, and Touring. My four-wheel-drive model had all three and it priced out at $70,000.
My only quibble with the vehicle is that it didn’t have a lane change signal. Still, if you like big powerful sport utilities and you’ve got a big wallet, take a look at the 2011 Infiniti QX56. Better yet, take one for a test drive.
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