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2019 Infiniti QX50 gets fancy-pants Autograph interior

The 2019 Infiniti QX50 has primarily garnered attention around car enthusiast circles for its variable compression engine. It's a marvel of engineering that uniquely changes its compression ratio to maximize power and fuel efficiency. It can also switch between Atkinson and regular combustion cycles, utilize multi-point or direct injection, it's turbocharged, and even features an electric motor that controls the variable compression ratio. Nifty stuff, but it seems likely that all that technobabble will make the average buyer of Infiniti's new compact SUV go crosseyed. It may not even be mentioned. "It has an engine? Great, let me see the inside." Well, dear car shopper who doesn't give a hoot about the greasy bits, have we got a bit of QX50 news for you. Infiniti has announced the QX50 Autograph package, a special $2,000 option with a seriously upgraded interior. Fancier materials and unique color schemes were selected, drawing inspiration from luxury beach resorts and being awfully similar to those found in the latest Pantone Fashion Color Trend Report. It's probably best to turn things over to the press release at this point. "Starting with warmer color tones, the rich chocolate brown replicates wood applications in the (beach) resort and the surrounding trees, followed by a creamy off-white representing the sand on a beach. The highlights of a cooler dark navy blue on the center console, reminiscent of ocean water, strike the proper balance between warm and cool, creating a comfortable, yet invigorating environment." Have you gone crosseyed? Well, now you know how it feels when describing the greasy bits to a non car person. Those cream, brown and blue bits are the Pantone colors, which, respectively, are known as "Coconut Milk," "Emperador" and "Sailor Blue." In the QX50, the Sailor Blue-esque blue is applied to the center console, dash and doors in Ultrasuede. The Emperadorish brown is on the steering wheel, leather-wrapped dash top and doors, outer portions of the seats and the lower door portions. Coconut Milk is indicative of the creamy dash color and the seat leather, which is diamond-quilted and contrast-stitched. There's also open-pore wood trim. Though I made light of this, the QX50 Autograph interior is actually quite striking. As Infiniti points out, consumers are starting to embrace color, which is worth celebrating. Give me Coconut Milk, Emperador and Sailor Blue over beige, grey and black any day.

Production Infiniti QX50 will mostly look like the concept

At this year's Detroit auto show, we got a look at the nearly production-ready Infiniti QX50 concept. Now we get our first look at how close to production the concept was, thanks to new spy photos. The overall shape remains very similar to that of the curvy concept. However, the greenhouse looks taller with more glass. While it isn't quite as low and aggressive-looking, we're sure drivers will appreciate the small compromise for better visibility. At the front, there are more changes that are a little less subtle. The grille looks a bit smaller all around, and even looks a tad lower than the concept. The headlights also don't stretch as far back, and they aren't as narrow either. In the front bumper, the two side scoops of the concept have been significantly toned down, and now look like more traditional grilles that follow the shape of the bumper. The lower grille is more open with just a mesh insert instead of the concept's skidplate-style chrome bar. Moving to the back, we find the taillights look nearly identical to the concept's. They're very long and narrow, and they connect into a metal crease that looks a bit like a spoiler. It looks as the though the faux skidplate treatment on the rear bumper will also make it to production, but the integrated exhaust tips have given way to more conventional round tips in bumper cutouts. It also may have lost the concept's air vents on each side of the hatch. Though they may have also just been toned down enough that they don't show through the camouflage. When the QX50 hits dealers, it will be available with Infiniti's fascinating variable compression four-cylinder making 268 horsepower. The crossover will also feature a version of Nissan's ProPilot semi-autonomous technology, which has been implemented in the Nissan Serena minivan in Japan. We expect to see the fully revealed production model very soon, possibly by the end of the year. Related Video:

Infiniti lifts veil on Q60 Concept in final teaser shot

Well, here it is. Ahead of its official debut at next week's 2015 North American International Auto Show, Infiniti has given us our final "teaser" image of the new Q60 Concept. Teaser, though, applies only loosely, as this is a full-frontal shot of the new two-door, meaning all we're waiting on is the glut of information that will follow ahead of next week's show in Detroit. Overall, it's a very attractive piece of sheetmetal. There are a lot of interesting design touches, including the new nose, which is very, very heavily inspired by Infiniti's partnership with the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team. Aside from that, many of the company's most notable styling touches have been toned down on the Q60 Concept, particularly the double-arch grille, which has been softened noticeably. The slim headlights, aggressive kink in the beltline behind the B-pillar, strong character line and the air-curtain-like element behind the front wheel arch are the other big styling features. We'll have far more on the Q60 Concept on Sunday, January 11, when it makes its official debut on the eve of the Detroit Auto Show. Until then, take a look at the final teaser up top and let us know what you think of Infiniti's latest efforts in Comments.