Preview: The 2027 Infiniti QX65 Is a Luxe, Coupelike Version of the QX60

The QX65’s stylish roofline comes with obvious pros and cons. The lack of a third row likely provides more room for second-row passengers and more cargo space behind the rearmost seats. But when we tested the 2022 QX60, its thick rear pillars already created large blind spots, and most cars with similarly arched roofs have the same problem. We’ll also have to see whether this affects headroom. 

We generally liked that pre-2026-refresh QX60 and expect the QX65 to be more of the same, aside from the roof. The model purchased for our tests proved to be a well-appointed luxury crossover with decent acceleration and a softer, more comfort-tuned suspension. We weren’t a fan of the touch-sensitive climate control panel beneath the infotainment screen because it takes attention away from the road to make sure you’re hitting the right “button,” but at least these features have a dedicated space and weren’t moved onto the touchscreen itself. The QX65 (and the new QX60) features a Google built-in infotainment system—technology that has been fairly straightforward to use on recent Nissans we’ve tested.

While we haven’t driven the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine in the QX60, this engine hasn’t felt very refined in other Infiniti and Nissan models. But Infiniti says it’s been continuously revising this engine since its release, so we’ll have to see exactly how much it’s improved. Likewise, while both the QX60 and QX65 share an automatic transmission with paddle shifters, Infiniti claims the QX65 was tuned more aggressively to improve acceleration. 

The new QX65 has many of the same design elements as the redesigned QX60, with the biggest difference being its dramatically sloping roofline that incorporates a subtle rear spoiler that hides a standard rear wiper. The Autograph trim’s black roof and satin-chrome window trim further accentuate the styling. If you prefer a less flashy look, the Sport model features a mesh grille insert, gloss-black wheels, black emblems, and a black chrome window surround. 

Black trim around its lower edges and large wheels help give it an aggressive stance. The Luxe and Sport trims come standard with 20-inch alloy wheels, with the top Autograph trim stepping up to 21-inch alloy wheels. 

Its large grille features thick diagonal lines inspired by a bamboo forest, set off with a standard illuminated Infiniti badge. Across the rear is a full-width light bar with several vertical elements that form vestigial taillights near the edges, even though the whole bar lights up at night. LED lighting comes standard on the front and rear of the vehicle, and plays an animated sequence when the car locks and unlocks. 

The QX65 even gets its own special three-layer paint color, Sunfire Red, which incorporates gold-covered glass flake into the finish and recalls a similar red offered on the Nissan GT-R. (Less blinged-out paint colors are also available.) 

The new QX65’s interior is largely a carry-over from the QX60, only without the third row of seating and with a fastback roof that trades vertical space for style. The dashboard is the same, with a 12.3-inch driver’s information display, a 12.3-inch central infotainment touchscreen, and a slick touch-sensitive panel with climate and stereo controls. The driver and passenger temperature controls, as well as the on/off volume knob for the stereo, get their own physical knobs. Optional upgrades include a 10.8-inch head-up display, a rear-view mirror camera, and 64-color ambient lighting.

The QX65 features a Google built-in infotainment system, which has native Google Maps, a Google voice assistant capable of handling conversational voice commands, and access to additional apps through the Google Play store. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come standard, along with a wireless charging pad and four USB-C ports for charging. The wireless charging pad features magnets to help keep your phone in place, as well as a fan to keep its temperature down. 

Under the QX65’s hood is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine carried over from the QX60, capable of outputting 268 hp and 286 lb.-ft. of torque. A nine-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters is standard across all trims, which Infiniti says has been tuned for more aggressive acceleration for the QX65. 

Each QX65 is fitted with all-wheel drive, though the wide, low-profile tires are clearly geared more for pavement than for scrambling across loose surfaces. 

The QX65 includes a number of standard active safety and driver assistance features, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, reverse automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance, a direct driver monitoring system, and automatic high beams. 

Adaptive cruise control comes standard, along with the ProPilot Assist active driving assistance system, which combines adaptive cruise control and steering assist to take over acceleration, steering, and braking on longer trips, but it still requires hands on the steering wheel. The ProPilot Assist 2.1 hands-free driving system is available on the top Autograph trim, which takes over steering, braking, and throttle inputs on certain freeways. 

A surround view camera comes standard on the Sport and Autograph trims, which also includes an “Invisible Hood View” that allows drivers to see directly underneath and in front of the vehicle as if the hood weren’t in the way.