2020 Infiniti Qx60 Luxe Awd on 2040-cars

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New details emerge on Inifiniti QX50’s unique new variable-compression engine

Infiniti will release the world's first production variable-compression engine when it releases the 2019 QX50 midsize SUV sometime next year. Now we have some new details on the innovative new engine, which Infiniti is calling VC-T, for Variable Compression Turbo, after the luxury brand offered a prototype test drive. We wrote extensively about the complicated technology underpinning the new engine last year. It's the latest novel development that could represent a range-extender, if you will, for the embattled internal combustion engine in an era when automakers and governments are shifting their focus to electric vehicles. The VC-T is a new inline-four, 2.0-liter that combines the power of a high-performance turbo gasoline engine with the torque and efficiency of an advanced diesel engine, but without the latter's notorious emissions. It features the ability to seamlessly raise or lower the stroke of the pistons in the combustion chamber, depending on the driving conditions it detects and inputs from the driver, to select the best compression ratio—anywhere between 8:1, typical for high-performance engines, and 14:1 for high efficiency. In essence, it delivers the performance of a V6 but is much more efficient, with improved fuel efficiency of between 10 to 15 percent with its best competitors, per Car and Driver. You can view how it works in motion via the video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. It's also quieter, more lightweight and compact than V6 engines with comparable power outputs, estimated at 268 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque. In a prototype test drive, Car and Driver writes that the engine "felt very conventional" and responsive, with strong and smooth acceleration. "The only indication you have that the compression ratio is changing is from an indicator in the instrument cluster next to the boost gauge." The engine is expected to deliver fuel economy gains of 27 percent in combined city-highway EPA rating over the outgoing QX50, which had a 3.7-liter V6. The 2019 model, fitted with the VC-T, should get about 26 mpg in combined fuel economy, and it will get to 60 mph almost one second faster than its four-cylinder counterparts, Nissan's chief powertrain engineer, Shinichi Kiga, told Automotive News. The VC-T engine is the result of 20 years of development spanning more than 100 prototypes and around 300 patents at Nissan.

Infiniti Q30 Concept might be the cleverest Q model yet

When we first got official word of the Infiniti Q30 Concept, the Japanese automaker said that the crossover's "harmonious contrasts and dissymmetric philosophy" would "make an emotional connection with customers spontaneously." Now, we might not be heads of design studios or directors of marketing departments, but we're pretty sure we can translate that to: "The production Q30 will compete with the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class."
In all seriousness (if we can say that of a concept car painted a sort of rose metallic), the Q30 concept looks fetching here in Frankfurt; its rather convoluted and flowing bodywork just carried off successfully because of its grownup hatchback proportions and, frankly, huge wheels. The Q30 could seemingly slot into the current, attractive Infiniti range of production cars and not look amiss (though we'd prefer a color palette that looks a little less like Grandma's sitting room sofa).
Look above for our live images of the Infiniti Q30 Concept from the show floor in Frankfurt, below for stock pictures of the thing, or scroll down to re-read the breathless press release.

Infiniti delays fastback-like QX55 crossover until late 2020

Infiniti confirmed it has delayed QX55 production by about five months. The as-yet-unveiled crossover is a swoopier, more stylish evolution of the QX50 with a fastback-like roof line inspired by some of the company's past models. The Nissan-owned company informed its suppliers production will start in November 2020, not in June as previously announced. It explained it needs to "ensure production capability" at the Aguascalientes, Mexico, facility that will manufacture the model. It didn't provide additional details, though a spokesperson confirmed the new timeline to Automotive News. The factory — a joint-venture between Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler and Nissan — also makes the QX50, the A-Class, the Kicks, and the Sentra, among other models. "Production schedules are internal and due to various operation priorities can move — sometimes forward, sometimes backward — as a normal course of business," a spokesperson told Autoblog.  The QX55 is based on the aforementioned QX50, and spy shots confirm the two models share several design cues when viewed from the front. Minor nameplate-specific details will set the 55 apart from the 50. It's a different story out back, where the 55 ditches the 50's family-friendly silhouette for a fast-sloping roofline penned with an eye on the first-generation FX released for the 2003 model year, five years before the original BMW X6.  Infiniti is not yet revealing technical specifications, but we expect the variable-compression VC-Turbo engine will be one of the available powertrains. The turbocharged, 2.0-liter unit makes 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque in the QX50. It also returns 26 mpg in combined driving, according to the EPA. What remains to be seen is whether the delay also affects the car's unveiling date, which hasn't been publicly announced yet. An Infiniti spokesperson told Autoblog the QX55 is scheduled to make its debut "in the next few months," and pointed out it's one of five new models due out in the next three years. When it does arrive, the Infiniti QX55 will compete in the same segment as the BMW X4 and the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe.