Infiniti QX60 Monograph concept unveiled
Infiniti has unveiled the QX60 Monograph, a near-production-ready concept previewing a replacement for the ageing, left-hand-drive-only QX60 SUV (which launched in 2012 as the JX).
The latest concept from Nissan's luxury brand debuts a striking new look that strays from Infiniti’s existing design language.
Up front there’s a large, chrome-trimmed grille proudly wearing the Infiniti badge, flanked by high-set LED headlights and sculpted, vertical air intakes. Metallic skid plates towards the edges of the front bumper round out the front-end look.
Down the side, the QX60 Monograph sports a bold, upright look, with a high shoulder line, smooth body lines (aside from a central crease between the wheel arches) and flush door handles that echo the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Tesla Model S. The pillars and roof have been blacked out, while the C-shaped D-pillar graphic seen throughout much of the current Infiniti range has been dropped.
Highlights at the rear include slim tail-lights integrated into a full-width black panel, prominent black roof spoiler, large ‘INFINITI’ script across the tailgate, quad (though likely faux) exhaust tips and a metallic lower bumper.
Images of the QX60 Monograph’s interior have yet to surface, but given Infiniti’s semi-premium aspirations, expect an array of high-tech comfort and convenience features, with certain elements and components borrowed from the wider Nissan portfolio.
No details have been released regarding the Monograph’s powertrain, nor the second-generation QX60 due in 2021 that the concept is set to heavily inspire.
Given the production model is likely to share its front-wheel-drive underpinnings with the next-generation Nissan Pathfinder – a model set for Australian showrooms – powertrain options for new QX60 buyers could include a carryover 220kW/366Nm 3.5-litre naturally-aspirated V6 mated to a nine-speed auto, or a version of the smaller QX50’s 200kW/380Nm, variable-compression 2.0-litre turbo-four.
While the QX60 Monograph concept will hit US dealers in 2021 as the next-generation QX60 seven-seater, the SUV is off the cards for Australian customers, as the Infiniti brand is set to depart from the Australian market entirely in late 2020, citing low sales and greater focus on its key markets of China and North America.
Below: the current QX60, launched in 2012 as the JX