Base w/Split Bench Seat Package 4dr All-Wheel Drive
2011 INFINITI QX56

The Infiniti QX56 competes with the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, Lexus LX 570, Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, Audi Q7, and Range Rover. Some would say that all of these full-size sport-utility vehicles are outdated concepts because of their size, weight and fuel economy, but Infiniti believes the segment, which has shrunk to a third of its former self, is important. Infiniti says there are still families who need seven or eight seats and 8500-pound towing capability, and we agree.

For 2011, QX56 has a completely new look, with a lot of the oddball design touches taken out. The rear of the roof no longer dips down at the third seat, a boon to third-row headroom. The rear side door handles are now on the same plane as the front door handles. The squared-off fenders have been rounded off, and the pillars are now blacked out instead of painted, to give the QX56 a more unified look from end to end. The front and rear bumpers are more fully integrated into the design, the tow hitch receiver is hidden behind the rear bumper, and the chrome strips on the bodyside are gone. And, yes, those are portholes in the front fenders, the right side decorative, the left side functional for engine air intake. The entire nose of the QX56 is far more rounded, and helps create a drag coefficient of 0.37, quite good for such a barn-sized truck.

The frame underneath is new, with new fully independent suspension calibrations, premium shock absorbers, automatic rear load-leveling, and an optional feature that no other truck in the class offers. It's a closed hydraulic circuit that connects all four suspension units and moves hydraulic pressure from front to back and side to side as the truck moves, keeping the body from leaning over in corners. In effect, the system replaces conventional sway bars. The body itself has thicker sills, a new steel tailgate ring, is some 26 percent stiffer, and uses a new generation of body mounts for quietness. The new body generates zero front and zero rear lift in the wind tunnel.

A 5.6-liter, 32-valve, double overhead-cam V8 engine, now fitted with direct fuel injection and variable valve timing and lift, produces 400 horsepower and 413 foot-pounds of torque, figures very close to the power and torque of the high-performance M56 sedan, and some 25 percent more power than the previous engine, with a 14-percent improvement in fuel economy.

The QX56 powertrain for 2011 features a new 7-speed double overdrive transmission to provide first-gear acceleration for the 5600-pound truck and its cargo or trailer, and good highway fuel economy at the same time. The 7-speed automatic transmission has adaptive shifting to match each driver's driving style, …
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