Print

Infinti JX



2013 Infiniti JX configurator

Few automakers make crossovers quite like Nissan does. And that extends to its luxury division Infiniti, as well. Infiniti crossovers tend to be, well... rather small. The FX combined a sportscar with a crossover long before BMW thought of the X6, and the EX is barely bigger than most hatchbacks. Want something bigger from Infiniti? That'd be the QX, but it's a proper truck-based SUV, and that behemoth just isn't for everyone. Enter the JX.

We tried out the seats and found the access to the third row to be best in class. An upward tug on the second-row seatback resulted in a spring-loaded launch forward and an opening big enough for a real adult to crawl through. The model on the show stand had a sunroof, so our headroom was pretty scrunched back there. Nonetheless, the third row is only for occasional use when you have to bring the entire soccer team home, so a lack of headroom in the third row is entirely forgivable.
Fold down the third row of seats and you have a substantial cargo area, though it is slanted rearward and not completely flat, meaning when the bag of turnips overturns on the way home from the grocery store you're going to be chasing the little Brassicales all down the driveway, cursing the good name of Infiniti.
The second and third rows of seats offered plenty of room in all directions.
The dash had a distinctive Infiniti look to it, centered around the big knob that controls the car's many telematics. That includes a means of downloading your entire calendar and other data from your mobile phone. It also syncs with Inifiniti's Personal Assistant, a sort of rolling concierge service.
The JX is powered by a 265-hp, 248-lb-ft version of the venerable VQ35DE V6 mated to a CVT. The JX goes on sale in Apri and will be built in Smyrna, Tenn.


Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20111117/LOSANGELES/111119853#ixzz1h0WHD3Tg

The production version debuted just this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and the 2013 Infiniti JX35doesn't go on sale until spring 2012, but that hasn't stopped Infiniti from putting up an online configurator for its new three-row crossover, or releasing a trio of new videos.

Pricing starts at $41,400 (including a $950 destination charge), but Infiniti is offering some $12,000 worth of packaged options. We managed to load one up to the tune of $55,170. The JX will initially come in just two flavors: Front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive. Both will be powered by a 265-horsepower version of the ubiquitous Nissan 3.5-liter V6 mated to a continuously variable transmission. Infiniti lists an estimated fuel economy at 17 city, 23 highway for both models.



One new technological feature that stands out from the rest is the Backup Collision Intervention system. This new system warns the driver if another vehicle is entering his path and, if needed, can even apply the brakes to help avoide the collision if the driver does not properly react in time.

We're thinking six months is a long time to wait, and Infiniti seems to agree, as it's upping the ante for those interested in the new vehicle now. If you reserve a JX through its website and follow it through to purchase, Infiniti will give you his and hers Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones or a Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker.

Free Bose gear aside, it will be interesting to see how the JX fares once it hits the market, alongside the brand's smaller EX and FX crossovers. With Infiniti having pursued a performance-oriented, rear-wheel-drive-based brand strategy for the past several years, this new front-wheel-drive crossover would appear to represent a different direction for the marque. Check out the configurator, but not before clicking past the jump to watch a trio of videos that feature running footage and the JX's interior in detail.


Sources:
Autoweek
Topspeed
Autoblog / Autoblog