Infiniti recently unveiled the QX50 concept at the
North American International Auto Show and now we could be getting our best
glimpse of the production model.
These patent images show a stylish crossover which
closely mimics the aforementioned concept. There are a handful of
changes including a slightly smaller grille and a new front bumper with more
restrained air intakes.
The side profile remains pretty true to the concept
but designers installed traditional door handles and revised side skirts.
Additional changes are limited but there's a more conventional rear bumper and
a new tailgate-mounted spoiler with a smaller third brake light.
Infiniti hasn't said much about the model but when
they introduced the QX50 concept, they strongly hinted the production crossover
would use their new Variable Compression Turbo (VC-Turbo) engine.
Infiniti mentioned that the crossover
is "one of the ideal applications" for the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo which
produces a higher output than "many competing four-cylinder turbocharged
gasoline engines." The automaker also suggested the engine would be paired
with a front-biased intelligent all-wheel drive system.
The engine is set to go into production in 2018 and
engineers are targeting a 27-percent improvement in fuel efficiency over V6
engines with a similar power output.