Confident Capability: All-new 2022 INFINITI QX60 boasts increased towing capacity for upcoming crossover

February 26, 2021 by Infiniti

•All-new 2022 INFINITI QX60 offers towing capacity up to 6,000 pounds1 on select grades

•New 9-speed automatic transmission and award-winning 295-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 combine to offer up to 20% increase in towing capacity

•Rigorous testing across North America for thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of miles confirmed uprated capacity

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Capability requires confidence to unlock full potential.

When engineers began work with the all-new 2022 INFINITI QX60, the possibilities presented by the crossover's powertrain combination showed promise. Powered by an award-winning 3.5-liter V-6 coupled to INFINITI's all-new 9-speed automatic transmission, the upcoming QX60 had the bona fides on paper to exceed expectations.

In reality, it delivered much more. When it arrives later this year, the all-new 2022 INFINITI QX60 will boast a 20% increase in maximum towing capacity over its predecessor.

'The all-new INFINITI QX60 was designed to exceed expectations and perform not only with poise, but also power,' said INFINITI's General Manager, Product Strategy and Planning Eric Rigaux. 'The uprated towing capacity gives families the confidence to get where they want to be, without having to leave the things they need behind.'

Selected grades of the all-new QX60 can tow up to 6,000 pounds2 — enough for a 22-foot Airstream trailer or weekend adventure toys such as bikes, small motorized vehicles, or personal watercraft. Rigorous testing at INFINITI's Arizona Testing Center validated the exceptional capacity, even under harsh conditions.

'During our durability towing testing, I had our drivers actually approach me after they drove the vehicle and said it was one of the best vehicles they've driven for towing,' said Heather Kniep, senior project engineer at the Arizona Testing Center. 'They were really surprised at how easily (the all-new QX60) towed such a big trailer … We want the customer to feel confident that their vehicle is going to last a long time. We're testing the cars out to 20-plus years of mileage to what the customer would drive.'

Engineers have logged thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of miles behind the wheel of the all-new QX60 in validation and durability testing. Private roads at the company's Arizona Testing Center provide multiple scenarios including concrete, asphalt, and dirt surfaces but also 'Belgian blocks' — rough roads with protruding stones — rough gravel, washboard surfaces, and deep potholes.

The QX60s also were sent out into the 'wild,' real-world conditions that test a variety of conditions including high-altitude roads in Colorado, extreme cold in Alaska and other areas of North America, steep streets in San Francisco, and far-flung off-road ventures in Utah. Brutal heat is back at home, near Phoenix where temps can reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius) or hotter. The QX60 was even asked to perform on the grueling towing gauntlet universally accepted as the crucible of carrying capacity, the Davis Dam.

'We make sure to tow up to the 6,000-pound capacity. We want to make sure that the customer is confident that they can tow their travel trailer to their campsite for the weekend and not worry about their vehicle overheating,' said Kniep. 'In Arizona this year, we had a record number of days over 110 degrees (Fahrenheit) and the vehicle towed with no problem. We want the customer to know that they can be confident towing with their vehicle; they're going to have strong acceleration (and) they're going to have confident braking. I was really impressed with how it could accelerate up hills, even at the 6,000-pound towing capacity. It had absolutely no problem.'

That increased towing capacity is supported by increased cooling and stability assistants. Selected models receive an uprated transmission oil cooler, integrated hitch receiver, trailer-tuned stability programming, and dedicated prewiring harnesses.

On average, each engineer tasked with testing the limits of the all-new QX60 draws on a decade or more of professional experience developing and testing vehicles. That ensures that the extensive knowledge each engineer has filters through to drivers and owners of the new QX60 in everything they touch, feel, and hear; whether towing a large trailer or trekking across town with the family.

Located on more than 3,000 acres near Phoenix, Arizona, INFINITI's proving grounds simulate a wide range of roads and surfaces and is centrally located to destination testing in places such as Death Valley, California; Durango, Colorado; Flagstaff, Arizona; and Los Angeles.

Photo credit: Infiniti
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