2027 Infiniti QX65 Review. The FX Spirit Is Finally Back and It Brought Everything With It

There are second chances in the automotive industry, and then there are genuine rebirths. The difference between the two is the difference between a car that corrects the mistakes of its predecessor and a car that rediscovers the spirit that made its nameplate worth caring about in the first place. The 2027 Infiniti QX65 is unambiguously the latter. Revealed in late March 2026 and scheduled to reach Infiniti retailers in early summer of the same year, the all-new QX65 does not merely add a sloping roofline to the existing QX60 architecture and call it a coupe SUV. It represents the most emotionally committed, most thoughtfully executed and most stylistically ambitious new product that Infiniti has introduced since the original FX35 arrived more than twenty years ago and rewrote the rules of what a luxury crossover was allowed to look like.

Gallery: 2027 Infiniti QX65

The QX65 enters a segment that it helped create, was largely absent from for years, and is now returning to with a product designed to reclaim the creative authority that the FX once held so convincingly. The BMW X6, the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, the Porsche Cayenne Coupe and the Genesis GV80 Coupe have all built strong positions in the fastback luxury SUV space during Infiniti’s absence. With the QX65, Infiniti’s argument is that none of them should be considered the default choice any longer. That is an ambitious claim. On the strength of the QX65’s design, engineering and specification, it is a claim that deserves to be taken seriously.

A Design That Rediscovers Infiniti’s Original Courage

The first and most important thing to understand about the 2027 Infiniti QX65’s design is that it was not created by committee consensus or market research algorithm. It was created by designers working within Infiniti’s Artistry in Motion design language who understood clearly that the car’s success depended entirely on whether it had the courage to be genuinely distinctive in a segment full of vehicles that have become progressively more similar in their styling vocabulary. The original FX succeeded because it looked like nothing else on the road in 2003. The QX65 needed to carry that same spirit into the current decade — and from its dramatically arching roofline to its aircraft fin-inspired LED taillights, it does.

The QX65’s profile is defined by a stretched arch silhouette that draws the eye from the prominent front fenders rearward along a continuous, falling roofline to a powerful rear stance that communicates both sportiness and substance simultaneously. This is not a subtle design. The bodysides are precisely sculpted with lines that the brand itself describes as unapologetic — a word chosen with intention, because the QX65 does not apologise for the practicality it trades away in exchange for its athletic profile. It accepts that trade fully and confidently, and the design makes the best possible case for why that trade is worth making. The three-dimensional illuminated grille emblem, the available Infiniti Light Path projections that cast wing-like geometric shapes at either side of the vehicle upon approach, and the full-width three-dimensional rear LED tail lamp with its vertical aircraft-fin-inspired elements create a lighting identity that is immediately recognisable at any distance or time of day.

The paint technology deployed on the Sunfire Red finish deserves specific attention as an example of the level of craft investment Infiniti has brought to the QX65’s exterior presentation. Inspired directly by the limited-edition Regal Red finish of the Nissan GT-R — a paint with genuine supercar credentials — Sunfire Red employs genuine gold-coated glass flecks suspended within a red basecoat and requires a three-layer application process to achieve the luminous, deeply saturated finish that appears in press photographs. The gold flecks catch and reflect light at subtly different angles as the car moves, creating a dynamic surface quality that conventional metallic paint cannot replicate. It is a paint finish that belongs on a car worth looking at, and the QX65 is emphatically that.

The World’s First Variable Compression Engine: Technology That Earns Its Name

The 2027 Infiniti QX65 is powered by Infiniti’s Variable Compression Turbo engine — a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit that produces 268 horsepower and 286 lb-ft of torque, mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission with standard paddle shifters and standard intelligent all-wheel drive. The VC-Turbo designation carries genuine technological significance. This engine was the world’s first production variable compression powertrain when it was introduced, a distinction recognised by Ward’s 10 Best Engines list in its debut year and maintained through continuous revisions and enhancements since that introduction.

Variable compression ratio is an engineering achievement that the automotive industry spent decades attempting to realise in production form. The ability to alter the effective compression ratio of a combustion engine while it is running allows the engine management system to optimise the balance between performance and efficiency in real time, applying a higher compression ratio when the engine is operating under light load for improved fuel economy and a lower ratio when full power is demanded to accommodate the higher boost pressures generated by the turbocharger without the risk of destructive detonation. The practical result for QX65 drivers is an engine that delivers meaningful fuel economy advantages during ordinary driving while providing a genuinely responsive, confident power delivery when acceleration is required — a combination that most turbocharged engines of conventional architecture can only approximate through fixed-compression compromise.

For the QX65 application, the VC-Turbo has been specifically retuned with a sportier, more aggressive shift schedule that makes the car feel more eager to accelerate from rest, providing the decisive off-the-line performance and powerful highway merging capability that the fastback SUV’s visual character demands. The transmission holds gears more assertively during spirited driving and downshifts with greater urgency when the throttle is pressed, ensuring that the driving experience feels appropriately athletic rather than merely competent. Active Noise Cancellation eliminates unwanted mechanical frequencies from the cabin environment while Active Sound Enhancement simultaneously amplifies the sportier exhaust harmonics, creating a carefully curated acoustic character that reinforces the car’s performance-oriented identity without resorting to artificial engine noise generation. The QX65’s standard towing capacity of up to 6,000 pounds — managed through a dedicated Tow Mode and Trailer Sway Control technology — completes a powertrain package that is as practically versatile as it is technologically sophisticated.

Three Trims, Three Distinct Personalities

The 2027 Infiniti QX65 is offered in three trim grades — Luxe, Sport and Autograph — each of which establishes its own visual and experiential identity while sharing the fundamental architecture, powertrain and technology foundation of the model. This approach allows Infiniti to address a broader range of luxury SUV buyers within the QX65 family without diluting the character of any individual trim through excessive overlap with the others.

The entry Luxe grade, priced from $53,990 plus destination, establishes the QX65’s premium standard comprehensively. Standard equipment includes 20-inch alloy wheels, LED exterior lighting, the dual 12.3-inch display setup, Google Built-In infotainment, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four USB-C charging ports, a panoramic sunroof, tri-zone climate control, an 11-speaker audio system and the Qi2-standard wireless charging pad. This is a standard specification that many rivals reserve for mid-level trim grades, and it confirms that Infiniti has positioned the QX65 as a value-competitive premium product rather than a model that relies on add-on packages to reach a reasonable standard of equipment.

The Sport grade, entering at $57,235, takes the QX65’s visual presentation in a more aggressive and monochromatic direction. A sportier front grille design distinguishes the Sport’s exterior profile from the Luxe, accompanied by unique 20-inch wheels and a comprehensive Gloss Black exterior accent package that covers window trim, roof rails, door trim, rear bumper protector and all exterior emblems. The Sport’s interior adopts a graphite headliner and gloss black carbonite trim pieces that create a darker, more intensely athletic cabin character. The audio system steps up to the 16-speaker Klipsch Premium system — a 600-watt installation with an 8-inch TriPower subwoofer and 1-inch titanium dome tweeters — representing a meaningful quality improvement over the standard system.

The Autograph grade, at $64,135, represents Infiniti’s most eloquent statement of what the QX65 can be at its most refined. Satin chrome window surround trim and 21-inch machined-finish alloy wheels give the exterior a more polished, classically luxurious character than the Sport’s darker aesthetic, while a black-painted roof maintains the fastback coupe’s distinctive two-tone identity. Inside, the Autograph introduces one of the most culturally distinctive interior design decisions in the segment: semi-aniline leather seats with an asymmetrical diagonal quilting pattern directly inspired by the layered folds of a traditional Japanese kimono. Open-pore wood-toned accents replace the carbonite trim of the Sport, a quilted dashboard adds a further layer of tactile luxury, and front seat massage functions complete an interior specification that reflects a genuine understanding of what the word comfort means in a long-distance driving context.

Technology and Safety: A Standard That Resets Expectations

One of the most significant achievements of the 2027 Infiniti QX65 is the breadth and depth of technology that Infiniti has committed to standard equipment across the entire lineup rather than reserving it for the most expensive trim. The dual 12.3-inch display setup — one screen serving as a reconfigurable digital instrument cluster, the other as the primary infotainment interface — runs Google Built-In as its native operating system, providing access to Google Maps navigation with real-time traffic data, Google Assistant natural language voice commands and the ability to download additional applications through the Google Play store. The integration is deeper and more seamless than the smartphone projection systems that many competitors rely on, providing a more cohesive and responsive user experience without the occasional connectivity delays that Bluetooth and cable-dependent systems can introduce.

The Autograph trim’s 20-speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere audio system represents the flagship audio offering in the QX65 lineup, producing 1,200 watts of power through a speaker configuration that includes units mounted within the front seat headrests — a positioning that enables Infiniti’s Individual Audio technology to route navigation prompts or phone call audio specifically to the driver through the headrest speakers while the remaining occupants continue enjoying music through the main cabin speakers uninterrupted. The Personalized Sound application, accessible through the vehicle’s infotainment system, conducts a quick hearing assessment for the driver and automatically calibrates the audio system’s frequency response to match the individual’s specific hearing profile — a technology borrowed conceptually from premium headphone design and representing one of the most genuinely user-focused audio personalisation tools available in any production vehicle at any price point.

The QX65’s active safety suite is standard across all trim grades and comprehensively equipped. Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, reverse automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and assistance, a direct driver monitoring system, automatic high beams and adaptive cruise control are all fitted as standard — a safety specification that places the QX65 at the top of its segment for standard-equipment active safety content. Standard ProPilot Assist provides Level 2 driver assistance on longer journeys, managing acceleration, steering and braking simultaneously on compatible roadways while requiring the driver to maintain hands on the wheel and remain ready to resume control. The Autograph’s available ProPilot Assist 2.1 takes this further, enabling fully hands-free operation on compatible freeways at the driver’s discretion — the most advanced semi-autonomous driving assistance technology Infiniti has ever offered on a production vehicle.

Practical Luxury: Space, Cargo and Capability Without Compromise

The 2027 Infiniti QX65’s fastback roofline is the car’s most visually dramatic design decision, and it is entirely fair to ask what that roofline costs in terms of the practical interior space that family buyers depend on. The answer is that Infiniti’s engineers have managed the trade-off between styling and utility with more intelligence than many competitors in this specific body style have demonstrated. The absence of a third row — the QX65 accommodates five passengers in two rows — allows the second-row seats to be positioned further rearward than would be possible in a three-row configuration, providing second-row legroom that is meaningfully more generous than the styling of the roofline might suggest. Cargo capacity behind the second row stands at 35.8 cubic feet — a genuinely competitive figure for a fastback luxury SUV at this size — expanding to 67.7 cubic feet when the second row is folded, with additional underfloor storage providing practical flexibility for items that benefit from being out of sight. The QX65’s 6,000-pound towing capacity further extends its practical versatility into territory that most fastback-bodied rivals cannot credibly claim.

The QX65’s Position in Infiniti’s Revival Story

The 2027 Infiniti QX65 matters beyond its own specification sheet for a reason that Infiniti’s leadership has acknowledged directly and that automotive observers have noted with genuine interest: this car is the most visible and most important element of a brand revival strategy that has been building for several years and that the QX65 must now deliver. Infiniti’s product lineup has been narrow, and its competitive position has weakened relative to the brands it was founded to challenge. The QX65 is designed to reopen that conversation — to remind buyers who crossed-shopped Infiniti enthusiastically in the FX era that the brand has recovered its creative confidence and its engineering ambition, and that the QX65’s combination of distinctive fastback design, VC-Turbo sophistication, kimono-inspired Autograph interior and technology leadership provides a genuinely compelling alternative to every established competitor in its class.

Whether the QX65 fully achieves that ambition will become clear once real-world driving impressions accumulate. What the car’s specification, design resolution and technology depth already confirm is that Infiniti has not approached this model timidly. The QX65 is a bold product from a brand that needed to make one. Infiniti’s next era, as Eric Ledieu described it at the car’s debut, has a worthy opening statement.

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2027 Infiniti QX65 — Specifications and Details Chart

Category	Specification
Body Style	Two-Row Fastback Luxury Crossover SUV
Seating Capacity	5 (Two Rows)
Engine	2.0-Litre Variable Compression Turbo (VC-Turbo)
Horsepower	268 hp
Torque	286 lb-ft
Transmission	9-Speed Automatic with Paddle Shifters
Drivetrain	Intelligent All-Wheel Drive (Standard All Trims)
Towing Capacity	Up to 6,000 lbs (With Tow Mode and Trailer Sway Control)
Cargo (Behind 2nd Row)	35.8 cu ft
Cargo (Maximum — 2nd Row Folded)	67.7 cu ft
Infotainment	Dual 12.3-inch Displays (Cluster + Touchscreen)
Operating System	Google Built-In (Google Maps, Google Assistant, Google Play)
Connectivity	Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — Standard
USB-C Ports	4 (Two Front, Two Rear)
Wireless Charging	Qi2 Standard — Up to 15W with Cooling Fan
Audio — Luxe	11-Speaker Standard System
Audio — Sport	16-Speaker Klipsch Premium — 600W / 8-inch Subwoofer
Audio — Autograph	20-Speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere — 1,200W
Individual Audio	Headrest Speaker Routing (Autograph)
Personalized Sound App	Hearing Profile Calibration — All Grades
Driver Assistance	ProPilot Assist Level 2 (Standard All Trims)
Hands-Free Driving	ProPilot Assist 2.1 (Available — Autograph)
Standard Safety Features	AEB with Pedestrian Detection, BSW, RCTW, RAEB, LDW, LKA, Driver Monitoring, AHB, Adaptive Cruise
Drive Modes	Including Sport, Tow Mode
Noise Management	Active Noise Cancellation + Active Sound Enhancement
Luxe Wheels	20-inch Alloy
Sport Wheels	20-inch — Unique Design with Gloss Black Accents
Autograph Wheels	21-inch Machined-Finish Alloy
Sport Exterior Accents	Full Gloss Black Pack (Trim, Rails, Emblems, Bumper)
Autograph Exterior	Satin Chrome Window Surround + Black Roof
Signature Paint	Sunfire Red — Gold-Coated Glass Flecks — Three-Layer Process
Autograph Seats	Semi-Aniline Leather — Asymmetrical Diagonal Kimono Quilting
Autograph Front Seats	Massaging Function
Autograph Dashboard	Quilted Finish
Autograph Interior Trim	Open-Pore Wood-Toned Accents
Sport Interior	Graphite Headliner + Gloss Black Carbonite Trim
Lighting Sequence	Sequential Welcome — Emblem to Piano Key Grille Elements
Available Projection	Infiniti Light Path — Wing-Like Geometric Ground Projections
Rear Lighting	Full-Width 3D LED — Aircraft Vertical Fin-Inspired Elements
Hidden Rear Wiper	Integrated Within Rear Spoiler
Starting MSRP (Luxe)	$53,990
Starting MSRP (Sport)	$57,235
Starting MSRP (Autograph)	$64,135
Destination Charge	$1,545
Assembly	Smyrna, Tennessee, USA
On-Sale Date	Early Summer 2026
Design Inspiration	Infiniti FX (Original Generation)
Design Language	Artistry in Motion
VP Comment	Eric Ledieu — Vice President, Infiniti Americas