- Infiniti’s QX65 arrives for MY27 with a turbo-four engine.
- A more powerful V6 is expected to join the lineup next year.
- The brand hopes the new engine will revive fading interest.
Infiniti’s upcoming QX65 crossover hasn’t even hit showrooms yet, but the brand already has a plan to make it louder, faster, and hopefully more popular. What does the struggling Lexus rival have in mind? More cylinders.
According to a new report, Infiniti plans to introduce a V6 version of the QX65 in 2027, roughly a year after the coupe crossover launches. The reason is straightforward and slightly old-school. As one Infiniti insider put it to Auto News, “the V6 is still king” as far as American buyers are concerned when it comes to perceived power.
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When it launches later this year, the QX65 will start life with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder producing 268 hp (272 PS). That engine already powers the more upright QX60, sending power through a nine-speed automatic to either the front or all four wheels. It should be perfectly adequate for everyday driving. But adequate just isn’t very exciting or premium.
Six-Cylinder Rescue
That’s where the V6 comes in. The upgraded version is expected to use the familiar 3.5-liter engine found in the 284 hp (288 PS) Nissan Pathfinder, but tuned to deliver around 300 hp (304 PS) in Infiniti form.
That setup would also make it easier for Infiniti to launch a hotter Red Sport version later. The brand has hinted that eventually it wants performance variants across its lineup, and a V6 makes that far easier to achieve than a four-cylinder does.
“Infiniti wants a performance model for every vehicle eventually,” the insider told Auto News, “and the V-6 makes that easier.”
QX60 interior shown
The QX65 itself sits between the discontinued QX50 and QX55 models and the larger three-row QX60. It adopts a swooping coupe-like roofline and aims to attract buyers who want something sportier than a family hauler but still practical enough for bikes, golf clubs, or the occasional road trip. Inside, it’s expected to mirror the QX60 (shown above) with a pair of 12.3-inch screens handling instrument and infotainment duties.
Fading Away
Whether the QX65 can actually help revive Infiniti remains to be seen. The brand launched in the US in 1989, the same year as Lexus, but the posh Toyota division sold over 370,000 vehicles across a dozen model lines in America in 2025. Infiniti sold fewer than 53,000, and with the QX50 and 55 axed, it currently has just two MY26 models, the QX60 and QX80.
The gallery below shows last year’s QX65 Monograph concept, which is 90 percent of the production QX65, plus spy shots of QX65 prototypes.
Infiniti
