Infiniti QX60
Midsize three-row luxury SUV · 2013–present. 27,808 units sold in the US in 2024
How it began
Infiniti, Nissan's luxury brand, grew out of a group formed inside Nissan in 1985 to build a new performance luxury vehicle; the name was chosen in 1987 and the brand launched in 1989 with 51 U.S. dealers and two models, the Q45 sedan and the M30 coupe. The JX, the QX60's direct ancestor, was announced in April 2011 by Carlos Tavares, then chairman of Nissan Americas, and unveiled in November 2011 by Ben Poore, vice president of Infiniti Americas. At the Smyrna plant, Susan Brennan, vice president of manufacturing, led the production start in February 2012. The 2022 second generation was revealed under Peyman Kargar, Infiniti chairman, and Jeff Pope, group vice president of Infiniti Americas. The releases reviewed do not identify the QX60’s designer or chief engineer.
From day one it has been built at Nissan's plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, near Nashville: it was the first Infiniti built at that plant and the first luxury vehicle made in Tennessee. Smyrna has built vehicles since 1983; the June 2021 release cited approximately 640,000 vehicles annually and 6,700 employees; it supplies the QX60 to North America and to buyers worldwide. Infiniti has design studios in Atsugi (Japan), London, San Diego and Beijing, although that release does not identify which designed the QX60. Current manufacturer information also identifies QX60 production at Xiangyang, China, with Dongfeng, for the Chinese market. The 2021 announcements gave differing start schedules, so an exact production-start date is not stated here.
Nissan announced in April 2011 that the JX would be built in Smyrna; the concept was shown at Pebble Beach in August 2011 and the production model debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 16, 2011. The first JX rolled off the line on February 21, 2012 and reached dealers in late March 2012 as a 2013 model, badged JX35. Since the 2014 model year it has been called QX60.
It was born as the JX35: the releases reviewed do not explain what the letters JX mean, and the 35 stood for the 3.5-liter engine. In December 2012 Infiniti announced a new naming scheme starting with the 2014 model year: Q for sedans, coupes and convertibles, QX for crossovers and SUVs, and a two-digit number showing where the model sits in the range. According to Infiniti, the Q recalls the Q45, its first flagship from 1989. That is how the JX became the QX60.
In the early 2010s Infiniti had no three-row, seven-seat luxury crossover, and Nissan wanted to raise its localized production in the Americas from 69 to more than 85 percent by 2015. The JX solved both: a luxury family vehicle with real room in all three rows, a middle seat that lets people reach the third row without removing a child seat, and built in Tennessee. Infiniti emphasized its combination of three-row utility with premium technology and finishes.
Generation by generation
- Gen. 12013–2015 · L50 (JX35 / QX60)
The JX35: the first Infiniti built in Tennessee
Photo: Tino Rossini · CC BY 2.0 What changed. It was an all-new model for Infiniti: a seven-seat, three-row luxury crossover with a 3.5-liter V6 making 265 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque, front- or Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, and the first CVT in an Infiniti. It started at $40,450 (JX35 FWD) and $41,550 (AWD). The second row slid 5.5 inches and its tilting middle seat let people reach the third row without removing a child seat. For 2014 it was renamed QX60, rose $300 (to $41,550) and added a Hybrid with a supercharged 2.5-liter four plus electric motor, 250 net hp.
The innovation. Backup Collision Intervention (BCI), billed by Infiniti as a world first: in reverse it detects crossing vehicles and objects behind the car, warns the driver and, if needed, brakes on its own.
If you buy one usedRecall scope differs by model and year. For certain 2013 JX35s, 13V069 concerns defective occupant-detection sensors; 14V138, 15V681 and 16V244 concern passenger-occupant misclassification that may deactivate the airbag, with different units, software or repairs involved. Some of those campaigns also include certain 2014–2015 QX60s. Campaign 13V445 concerns longer stopping distances under light braking on rough roads, including JX35s built September 15, 2011–January 16, 2013 and 2014 QX60s built through September 20, 2013. Campaign 12V398 concerns a misrouted fuel-transfer tube on certain 2013 JX35s built February 15–June 22, 2012. Also check 15V033 (hood latch/release mechanism, certain 2013 JX35 and 2014 QX60), 14V229 (a loose lug nut, certain 2014 QX60) and 15V012 (front-hub fasteners affecting braking, certain 2014–2015 QX60). These campaigns provide free remedies for eligible affected vehicles; verify the exact VIN and repair records. - Gen. 22016–2020 · L50 (actualización 2016)
New face, more power and the engine that reached 295 hp
Photo: Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0 What changed. Not a new generation but the big update of the L50. For 2016 it got a redesigned double-arch grille, bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, new shocks and springs, acoustic front glass and a drive mode selector (Standard, Sport, Eco and Snow); the base price was $42,600. For 2017 came the real change: a direct-injection 3.5-liter V6 with 295 hp, 30 more than before, and 270 lb-ft of torque, an 8-inch InTouch display on every model and a motion-activated liftgate. In 2015 QX60 sales had grown more than 33 percent and it was already Infiniti's second best-seller.
The innovation. Predictive Forward Collision Warning, new for 2016: the radar watches two cars ahead, not just the one in front, and warns of a hard stop before you can see it; it is paired with emergency braking with pedestrian detection.
If you buy one usedCampaign 18V601 concerns certain 2017 QX60 ABS-actuator pumps that may leak brake fluid onto a circuit board and cause a short with a fire risk. Campaign 19V807 expands coverage to certain 2017–2019 QX60s, including vehicles previously inspected and found not to need repair. For vehicles affected by these campaigns, the manufacturer instructs owners not to drive and to park outside away from vehicles or structures if the ABS warning lamp remains on for more than 10 seconds after startup. Also check 16V244 (occupant classification, certain 2016 QX60s), 19V654 (backup-camera display settings, certain 2019 QX60s) and 21V402 (improperly heat-treated rear suspension knuckles on certain 2020 AWD QX60s). Request CVT service records and verify the exact VIN and current repair instructions. - Gen. 32022–present · L51
The second generation: from V6 to VC-Turbo
Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 What changed. Revealed on June 23, 2021 from Yokohama with dealer arrival announced for fall 2021, with a $46,850 base price. It swapped the CVT for a 9-speed automatic with paddles, kept the 3.5-liter V6 at 295 hp and 270 lb-ft, and offered base towing of 3,500 pounds and up to 6,000 on properly equipped AWD versions with the towing package; the preceding generation’s maximum was 5,000. A 12.3-inch display with wireless Apple CarPlay, ProPILOT Assist with Navi-link, a panoramic moonroof and four grades: PURE, LUXE, SENSORY and AUTOGRAPH (six seats). For 2025 the V6 bowed out: in came the 2.0-liter VC-Turbo with 268 hp and 286 lb-ft, and the EPA label rose to 24 mpg combined. For 2026 came a new front end, dual 12.3-inch screens with Google built-in, Klipsch audio with up to 20 speakers, ProPILOT Assist 2.1 and the first SPORT grade.
The innovation. The variable-compression VC-Turbo engine, which Infiniti describes as the world's first in mass production: its compression ratio shifts on its own between 8:1 and 14:1, for punch when you accelerate and economy when you cruise.
If you buy one usedSelected campaigns include 22V111 (a missing second-row-seat-track bolt, certain 2022 QX60s), 23V814 (adaptive headlights aiming down at high speed, certain 2022–2024 models; IPDM reconfiguration), 23V108 (second-row seat travel/locking, certain 2023 models), 23V268 (driver power-seat welds, certain 2023 models), 24V154 (driver-airbag inflators that may absorb moisture, certain 2024 models), 24V176 (a missing left-front lap-belt-pretensioner rivet, certain 2024 models) and 25V173 (front brake calipers that may break, certain 2025 models). Check current campaigns and repairs by VIN. IIHS gives the 2025 QX60 its Top Safety Pick award, with Good ratings in small-overlap-front and updated-side tests and Acceptable in the updated moderate-overlap-front test.
Infiniti QX502008–2025
Infiniti QX802004–present (QX56 2004–2013, QX80 since 2014)
Infiniti Q50 (G)2002–2024
Ford F-Series (F-150)1948–present
Toyota RAV41994–present (US from 1996)
Honda CR-V1995–present
Ram 15001981–present
Tesla Model Y2020–present
Chevrolet Silverado1999–present
