2003 Infiiniti Qx4 *** 1 Owner *** No Reserve *** 4x4 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

The Nissan Patrol may become America's next Armada

Plausible rumors are swirling that the Nissan Patrol, the Land Cruiser rival sold outside of North America, might come to the US as a replacement for the unrelated Nissan Armada. That large SUV's future was left ambiguous after the news of the Xterra's discontinuation, as Nissan's press release ominously promised information on the Armada "at a later date" without further elaboration. That left us scratching our heads and thinking that, perhaps, it would be quietly killed off in the future. If the rumors are true, it will be. And then it will be reborn. It'll join its old platform-mate, the Infiniti QX80, on the Patrol platform. The QX abandoned its Titan-based platform in 2011, becoming the Patrol-based QX80. So you can think of the Armada as catching up, a few years late. The QX80 was refreshed last year, a mainly cosmetic nip-and-tuck. The Infiniti utilizes the 5.6-liter, 400-hp V8 and a 7-speed auto, so it's a safe bet that this powertrain will make it into the Armada version. Less likely, but plausible, would be the availability of the new powertrains intended for the Titan XD and upcoming lower-grade Titans. The massive SUV market tends to be a bit conservative, so the Cummins diesel V8 that's the sole engine in the Titan XD right now seems unlikely. The forums are abuzz with a photo of what's purported to be a leaked marketing image of the new Armada, so head to this TitanXDForum thread if you'd like to see what that's about. (Spoiler: it looks a lot like the Patrol above, minus some of the Nismo flair.) Related Video:

Driving the Honda Ridgeline and marveling at Tesla | Autoblog Podcast #638

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and Associate Editor Byron Hurd. They start off talking about why more people should buy the Honda Ridgeline, because it's a pretty darned good truck. Next, Byron talks about some Hyundais. He shares his experiences with the 2020 Sonata Hybrid and talks briefly about the prototype 2021 Elantra currently occupying his driveway. Up next, Jeremy shares his feelings about the BMW X1 crossover he spent some time with, prompting the gang to mull over the notion of BMW's modern interpretation of "Ultimate Driving Machine." After that, Byron talks about towing his 1990 Mazda Miata with the 2020 Infiniti QX80, and then they wrap up with some discussion of the mystery surrounding the Ford Maverick and some comments on the current state of Tesla. Autoblog Podcast #638 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Hauling dirt with the 2020 Honda Ridgeline Driving the 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Discussing the 2021 Hyundai Elantra Driving the 2020 BMW X1 Towing a 1990 Mazda Miata with a 2020 Infiniti QX80 News Ford Maverick tailgate stamping leaks; we may see the whole thing in 2021 Tesla reports profit for fourth straight quarter, setting it up to join S&P 500 Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

How Infiniti's 'gas-generated EV' isn't the jumbo shrimp of powertrains

LOS ANGELES — Infiniti recently introduced the concept of what it's calling "gas-generated EV" powertrain technology. At first read, and perhaps everyone thereafter, the term seems contradictory, not unlike "jumbo shrimp." How can an electric vehicle use gasoline? The answer to that is both a technological one and a marketing one. Technologically speaking, Infiniti's electrified powertrain concept is a series hybrid, most comparable to what Honda employs in its Insight, Accord Hybrid and new CR-V Hybrid. In the most basic of terms, the car's electric motor powers the wheels, the battery pack powers the electric motor, and the gasoline engine recharges the battery pack along with regenerative braking. By contrast, a parallel hybrid system as used by Toyota and others can power the wheels with the electric motor, the engine or, most frequently, both simultaneously. The result of a series hybrid is a powertrain that performs and feels more like an electric vehicle, while the engine generally whirs away, often not in step with what your right foot is doing. The Infiniti system is comparable to this, albeit with more powerful motors resulting in a more performance-oriented bent. Here's where things diverge, however. Under certain constant cruise conditions, say on the highway, the Honda system directly connects the engine with the drive wheels for greater efficiency. The Infiniti "gas-generated EV" concept will not, which frees engineers and designers to package the gasoline engine someplace other than under a front hood. In that way, it benefits from the sort of packaging advantages associated with electric vehicles. The closest comparable in this way is the BMW i3, which locates its tiny gasoline engine under the cargo area and does not attach it mechanically to the drive wheels. That's a range extender for an electric vehicle, though, which Infiniti is quick to insist is not what's going on here. There is no plug. This is a hybrid. So what's the deal with that name? If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck Â… Talking with Infiniti Group VP Jeff Pope, "gas-generated EV" is definitely a work in progress or at least a placeholder for something catchier and perhaps less contradictory in the future. "Why we're using 'gas-generated EV' is to get away from 'hybrid,' because 'hybrid' is associated with a parallel hybrid system, which has a gas engine and an electric motor that both run the powertrain.