I Drove The 2027 Infiniti QX65 For A Week: It Looks Like A Luxury SUV—But Does It Feel Like One?

The 2027 Infiniti QX65 understands the value of a memorable entrance. One evening during my week with it, I used the sloping-roof SUV to shuttle family and friends to a Barenaked Ladies concert. Finished in a rich two-tone Emerald green, my Autograph tester made me look as if I did, in fact, have a million dollars, especially as its illuminated grille and razor-edged rear light bar came alive after sunset. Everyone cheerfully climbed aboard and felt appropriately high-class arriving in such style.

That was the QX65 at its most persuasive. After dark, the sculpted bodywork, distinctive lighting, and softly illuminated cabin created exactly the sense of occasion Infiniti needs. The smaller details faded into the shadows, the ambient lighting highlighted the cabin’s best features, and the QX65 felt like more than just a two-row version of the QX60 it is based on.

Daylight, though, was a bit less flattering. Over roughly 300 miles of city errands, highway driving, and a run along British Columbia’s Sea-to-Sky Highway in sun, clouds, and rain, the QX65 struggled to support the promise made by its dramatic exterior. Its powertrain proved to be its biggest liability, while familiar controls and some disappointing cabin materials let its Nissan roots show through the cracks. To me, the QX65 Autograph felt like one step in the right direction for a brand that needed to take three.

Cole Attisha

2027 Infiniti QX65 Autograph specifications

Thinking about selling your car? Get an instant cash offer online now. Click here to get started.

Cole Attisha

Exterior — 9.5/10: The QX65’s strongest argument

The QX65 shares its underlying structure and much of its mechanical package with the three-row QX60, but it thankfully avoids looking like a QX60 with its roof hastily chopped. Its silhouette is its strongest angle: long, low, and smoothly tapered, with enough visual weight over the rear wheels to mostly mask the forward-biased nature of its platform. The 21-inch wheels fitted to the Autograph also fill the arches nicely.

Cole Attisha

Its front end has nearly as much presence. Infiniti says the grille’s intricate pattern was inspired by bamboo, and the treatment is distinctive without feeling needlessly ornate. At the other end, a sharply jutting light bar emphasizes the QX65’s width and gives it an unmistakable nighttime signature. The two-tone Emerald finish of my tester complemented the shape especially well, revealing subtle green hues as the light changed.

Cole Attisha

This is not simply an attractive luxury SUV by Infiniti standards—it’s undeniably one of the more visually interesting entries in its class, and it gives the brand a badly needed identity distinct from the Nissan showroom. Against the conservative Lexus RX, the understated Lincoln Nautilus, and the smaller Audi Q5 Sportback, the QX65 is the one I would most likely turn around to look at after parking.

Shopping for a new car? Click here to get a great deal on your next vehicle. Powered by Carvana, no haggle pricing, 100% online.

Cole Attisha

Interior — 7.8/10: Expensive at first glance, less convincing under inspection

The Autograph’s cabin makes a strong opening impression, too. Quilted semi-aniline leather, open-pore wood, warm metallic accents, and generous ambient lighting give the QX65 considerably more ceremony than its QX60 sibling. The light-coloured upholstery in my tester made the cabin feel airy, and the dashboard’s broad horizontal layout suits the exterior’s sense of width.

The seats were comfortable throughout my week, with heating, ventilation, and massage up front. The massage function was a bit too gentle to be especially useful, but the seats themselves remained supportive during longer stretches. Road and wind noise are kept to a minimum, reinforcing the relaxed character that the powertrain sometimes undermines.

Cole Attisha

Cole Attisha

Look more closely, however, and the illusion begins to fray. Some buttons are shared with less luxurious Nissans, the lower door panels use plastic that looks and feels inexpensive, and seat-adjustment latches and controls would be unremarkable even in a mainstream crossover. Most notably, the steering wheel is too Nissan-familiar and insufficiently special for a new flagship-style Infiniti interior. None of these elements ruins the cabin on its own, but luxury is built from accumulated details. Too many of the QX65’s details remind you that its family tree reaches down to the humbler Nissan Murano.

Cole Attisha

Cole Attisha

The roofline also exacts a real cost in the back seat. At five-foot-10, my head just barely cleared the ceiling. The rear seatbacks recline, which creates more space, but leaning passengers rearward is a workaround rather than a solution. Anyone over six feet should try the second row before signing paperwork. Legroom, entry, and general comfort are otherwise good, though the shallow front seatback pockets hold less than expected.

Cargo space is more useful than the shape suggests. With the second row folded, I fit a bicycle in the back without drama; on another occasion, I stacked two bikes inside. Buyers lose the QX60’s third row but gain a stylish cargo hold that remains genuinely usable.

Cole Attisha

Cole Attisha

Cole Attisha

The Autograph trim is essential to the experience. Its richer upholstery and decorative detailing justify the jump over the lesser trims because, without them, I am not convinced the QX65 would make a persuasive case for itself as a luxury vehicle.

Cole Attisha

Technology — 8.0/10: Feature-rich, though not always contemporary

Infiniti equips the Autograph generously. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster sits beside a 12.3-inch touchscreen with Google built-in, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A head-up display, digital rearview mirror, and detailed surround-view camera system add daily convenience. Phone pairing and the core interfaces were generally seamless during my week. Even the wireless device charger, which is pretty much a useless feature in most modern cars, worked quite well, aided by a magnet that keeps it in its optimal charging position and in place during spirited driving, and a fan that prevents overheating.

Cole Attisha

Cole Attisha

The software itself is less impressive. Its dated-looking graphics don’t match the exterior’s forward-looking presentation, and the interface lacks the polish of the wide-screen system in the Genesis GV80. The 20-speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere system sounded solid, but I never noticed a meaningful contribution from the speakers integrated into the front headrests. My Canadian tester added a $4,200 CAD Technology Package containing ProPILOT Assist 2.1, enhanced camera functionality, active driver monitoring, and a center airbag. For someone like me, who prefers to drive myself, the package asks a lot for a collection of otherwise incremental features. Buyers who regularly use compatible divided highways may value them differently.

Cole Attisha

One everyday technology deserves its own warning: the automatic brake-hold system was unusually fussy. At times, it held the vehicle after I had pressed the accelerator, allowing the engine to rev before releasing. On other occasions, it failed to engage as expected, allowing the QX65 to edge forward until I reapplied the brake more firmly. Auto Hold should reduce effort in traffic, not demand extra attention.

Cole Attisha

Powertrain — 6.8/10: Jumpy, but not fast

Every QX65 uses Infiniti’s 2.0-liter variable-compression turbocharged four-cylinder, producing 268 horsepower and 286 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a nine-speed automatic and standard all-wheel drive. Those figures appear competitive on paper, but the experience behind the wheel is the QX65’s clearest weakness. The default throttle calibration is overly sensitive. A modest pedal input prompts an eager initial response, as though the QX65 is trying to convince its driver that something sporty is about to happen. The acceleration that follows does not fulfill that promise. From a stop, during highway merging, and while passing, the QX65 feels strained rather than strong—jumpy before it is fast.

Transmission calibration compounds the problem. The nine-speed automatic favors tall gears and low engine speeds, often leaving the turbocharged four-cylinder outside its most responsive range. Ask for more speed, and the transmission must first sort through its options before the engine delivers meaningful thrust. Sport mode sharpens the same artificial first response without giving the vehicle the effortless reserve expected in a luxury SUV. Paddle shifting isn’t unpleasant, but manually managing the transmission never quite transforms the experience. The QX65 feels most natural when driven gently in full automatic—and, unexpectedly, in Eco mode. I rarely prefer an SUV’s Eco setting around town, but here it softens the throttle and encourages smoother shifts. With the drivetrain no longer trying so hard to imply athleticism, the QX65 settles into a wafting, composed rhythm that suits it far better.

The rest of the dynamic package is competent. Its steering, braking, ride quality, and body control felt much like those of the QX60: generally well judged, if not especially memorable. On Vancouver streets, the QX65 was quiet and comfortable. Along the Sea-to-Sky Highway, however, the engine and transmission dulled what should have been an entertaining drive. The stylish body implies a grand-touring character that the mechanics simply cannot deliver. Fuel consumption offered no consolation. I averaged roughly 12 L/100 km, or 19.6 mpg, with a mix of city and highway driving. Infiniti rates the QX65 at 20 mpg city, 26 highway, and 22 combined in the United States, so my result fell just shy of its official combined figure despite including substantial highway mileage and plenty of time spent in Eco mode.

Cole Attisha

Value — 8.0/10: A surprising amount of occasion for the money

The QX65’s value story is stronger than its dramatic positioning might suggest. In the United States, the Autograph starts at $63,285 before a $1,575 destination charge, bringing it to $64,860. That is essentially on par with a 2026 Lexus RX 350 Luxury AWD at $65,095 including delivery, while giving the Infiniti a more distinctive exterior and a richer standard feature set.

The regular Genesis GV80 2.5T AWD makes for an even more revealing comparison. It starts below the QX65 Autograph and makes 300 horsepower, while its cabin materials, controls, and infotainment system feel more cohesively premium. Although the QX65’s shape invites comparison with the Genesis GV80 Coupe, the two are not true equivalents in terms of price or powertrain, as the GV80 Coupe is available only with a turbocharged V6. The 375-horsepower GV80 Coupe 3.5T starts well above $80,000 in the U.S. It’s faster, more polished, and more materially convincing, but it belongs to a meaningfully higher price bracket.

Prices are manufacturer-listed starting MSRPs and may treat destination fees differently. The RX figure includes delivery; the QX65 figure excludes its $1,575 destination charge.

The Audi Q5 Sportback is smaller and less spacious, but it brings stronger acceleration from the same claimed horsepower. The Lincoln Nautilus Reserve lands in nearly the same price territory and offers a hybrid option, plus an interior whose panoramic display makes a more immediate technological statement. Meanwhile, the RX offers gas, conventional hybrid, performance hybrid, and plug-in-hybrid powertrains, emphasizing just how limited Infiniti’s one-engine strategy is.

There is also an unusual comparison within Infiniti’s own showroom. A QX65 Autograph costs less than the three-row QX60 Autograph despite looking and feeling more special. Unless I regularly needed the QX60’s third row or preferred its more conventional cargo shape, I would choose the QX65. It’s undoubtedly the more characterful vehicle and the one that better communicates where Infiniti wants to go next.

My Canadian tester complicates the picture. Its $76,245 CAD base price rose to $83,040 with the Technology Package, freight, and fees. I would personally keep the Autograph trim but skip the technology option, preserving most of what makes the QX65 desirable while avoiding an expensive package centered on a system I would rarely use.

Cole Attisha

Verdict — 8.0/10: One compelling step forward, two missing ones

The 2027 Infiniti QX65 Autograph succeeds at something the brand has struggled to provide lately: it makes an occasion out of being seen. Its silhouette is elegant, its lighting signatures are memorable, and, in the right color at the right time of day, it looks far more expensive than it is. The Autograph interior supports that impression with attractive leather, wood, and illumination, while useful cargo space and strong noise insulation make it a credible daily luxury SUV.

Yet the QX65 doesn’t feel equally special beneath its surfaces. Its turbocharged four-cylinder lacks an effortless response; the transmission is too eager to settle into tall gears, and its default throttle tuning trades smoothness for oversensitivity. Daylight exposes materials and controls that the ambient lighting flatters after dark. The QX65 can disguise its Nissan-ness beautifully, but it cannot erase it, and that tension ultimately defined my experience. On the Sea-to-Sky Highway, where a vehicle this stylish should have come alive, it disappointed, but when pulling up to a concert after sunset, it delivered exactly the upscale theatre its design promised. Both experiences were authentic, and neither cancels out the other.

The QX65 Autograph is therefore easy to admire, but harder to love without reservation. A stronger, smoother powertrain and another round of attention to the cabin’s smallest touchpoints could make it genuinely aspirational. But as it stands, Infiniti has taken one confident step toward that goal when the brand really needed to take three.

View post: I Drove the 2026 Genesis GV80 Coupe Prestige Black: Here’s My Honest Review of Genesis’ Striking Luxury SUV

Reviews

I Drove the 2026 Genesis GV80 Coupe Prestige Black: Here’s My Honest Review of Genesis’ Striking Luxury SUV

Cole Attisha

Apr 10, 2026

0 comments

Autoblog aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.

About the author

Cole Attisha

Staff Writer, Autoblog

Cole Attisha is an automotive journalist whose writing is shaped by direct industry experience as a former salesperson for brands including Hyundai, Mazda, and Mercedes-Benz. A lifelong enthusiast, his passion spans a broad spectrum of the automotive world, from high-performance sports cars to obscure and practical classics. His analysis focuses on the complete ownership experience, evaluating vehicles not just on performance, but on their practicality, value, and the intangible charisma that resonates with enthusiasts. He is based in the Pacific Northwest.