Car Review: 2014 Infiniti QX70 Puts Safety Above Everything Else

by Ian Harwood on Saturday, January 11th, 2014

The safety features are incredible and most people would feel very safe driving it…

The 2014 Infiniti QX70 is a fusion of luxury, performance and SUV utility. Its aggressive styling and personalized driver’s cockpit serve notice of its performance underpinnings, with its long hood, stretched wheelbase, short front and rear overhangs and available 21-inch wheels and tires.

The 2014 Infiniti QX70 is a fusion of luxury, performance and SUV utility. Its aggressive styling and personalized driver’s cockpit serve notice of its performance underpinnings, with its long hood, stretched wheelbase, short front and rear overhangs and available 21-inch wheels and tires.

The 2014 Infiniti QX70 is a fusion of luxury, performance and SUV utility. Its aggressive styling and personalized driver’s cockpit serve notice of its performance underpinnings, with its long hood, stretched wheelbase, short front and rear overhangs and available 21-inch wheels and tires.

The 2014 Infiniti QX70 is a fusion of luxury, performance and SUV utility. Its aggressive styling and personalized driver’s cockpit serve notice of its performance underpinnings, with its long hood, stretched wheelbase, short front and rear overhangs and available 21-inch wheels and tires.

 

 

The Infiniti QX70 maybe a looker but its range of safety equipment is its most attractive feature.

Looks:

It’s distinctive Infiniti look to it should attract many buyers. The projector style headlights flow with the body lines and the fog lights look like they actually belong rather than appear an afterthought as is the case in some of its competitors. The side body lines almost give the appearance of waves moving up the vehicle. LED rear brake lights and center high mounted stoplight sit atop the rear power lift-gate. Chrome accents around the windows give it a sense of elegance. The functional side vents on the rear of the front fenders give it a European sporty look and reduce front end tilt by five percent.

In The Cab:

The cabin seems large at first, but after climbing in and getting comfortable you realize it is not all that big. Access to the controls is easy as they are well positioned. I like the navigation screen with 3D mapping and the around view monitor that gives you a bird’s eye view of the vehicle.

An eight-way power driver’s seat with adjustable lumbar support, six-way power front passenger’s seat, 60/40 split folding rear seats that individually fold flat, make for comfort.

The audio system is a Bose 11 speaker with two subwoofers, AM/FM/CD with MP3 playback capability and has a speed sensitive volume control. Color monitors are built in to headrests so rear passengers can enjoy movies or play their favorite games. There is an advanced climate control system that continuously cleans the cabin and automatically shuts off the outside air vents when exhaust fumes are detected.

Safety first:

The QX70 includes dual stage front airbags with seatbelt and occupant sensors, driver and front passenger side impact supplement airbags, roof mounted curtain side impact airbags with rollover sensor for all row outboard occupant head protection. Intelligent brake assist system is a safety feature that continuously monitors and analyzes closing speeds to a vehicle ahead and provides warnings. If a collision is imminent, it will also apply the brakes. There is also a lane departure warning and prevention system.

Power:

A 3.7 litre, 24 valve V6 engine with 325 horsepower and 248 foot pounds of torque power this vehicle. The 7 speed automatic transmission is an electronically continuously variable (CVT) with manual shift capabilities, that features downshift rev matching technology.

Pump frequency:

12.9/9.1 L/100km (city/highway)

Warranty support:

48 month/ 100,000 km

Roadworthy:

Excellent handling to this vehicle, steering was quick and responsive, and body roll was at a minimum. Even though the engine was more than adequate providing plenty of power, the CVT transmission was continuing to make adjustments and I found at times sudden bursts of power followed by a hard up shift. Definitely not something I expected with this type of luxury.

Verdict…

I was excited to drive this vehicle after reading some of the press releases, but was disappointed on the size of the interior space and performance. The safety features of this vehicle are incredible and I think most people would feel very safe driving it.

Sticker price:

Price as tested $64,495

Contact: ian [dot] harwood [at] drivewaybc [dot] ca