2026 Infiniti QX60 Autograph AWD Review: The Pathfinder's Better-Dressed Older Brother

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from Infiniti. Last fall they handed me a pre-production 2026 QX60 Autograph AWD and a road trip from Detroit to St. Joseph, Michigan - my first real time behind the wheel of one of their vehicles for more than a couple of hours at an event. Turns out that's exactly the kind of time it takes to understand what this brand is actually building.

Infiniti is an interesting brand to cover. They don't court the influencer circuit the way Lexus or Genesis do. Their marketing presence leans toward auto shows and traditional media - the kind of placements that skip guys like me entirely. That's genuinely their loss, because what's sitting in their lineup right now is harder to ignore than their marketing budget suggests.

If you've driven a Pathfinder, you already understand the QX60's architecture. Same platform, familiar seating position, similar sight lines. The difference is what Infiniti has done on top of that foundation. The steering wheel is wrapped in leather that holds its character. The seats - quilted semi-aniline with massage function and 8-way power adjustment in the Emerald Green and Stone Gray Autograph I drove - earn their keep on a long stretch. My wife Heather would have been more than comfortable in the heated and ventilated second-row captain's chairs. That's the kind of thoughtful detail that separates this from its mainstream sibling.

The Cabin Is Where Infiniti Really Shines

The QX60 Autograph wins its argument inside. Dual 12.3-inch displays handle infotainment and instrumentation running Google Built-In with Google Maps, Assistant, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard. No cable management on a road trip. The system stays clean to use because Infiniti kept physical controls alongside the touchscreen - buttons and knobs for the things you reach for without looking.

The 20-speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere audio system with individual headrest speakers is the feature most reviews undersell. The driver can hear navigation or take a call clearly without disturbing passengers - on the open stretch between Kalamazoo and St. Joseph with SiriusXM running, road noise wasn't competing with anything.

ProPilot Assist 2.1 handles steering, braking, and acceleration on compatible highways fully hands-free. On I-94 it managed lane position cleanly and without drama. The 10.8-inch head-up display keeps speed and navigation visible without pulling eyes from the road, which matters when you're letting the assist system handle the miles.

The Engine Trade-Off Is Real, and I'm OK With It

On paper, the numbers sting a little. The 2.0L VC-Turbo makes 268 hp - down from 295 in the previous gen QX60, and even a touch below the 284 hp in the Pathfinder this car shares its bones with. Professional reviewers have called it a downgrade, and technically they're right.

But here's where context matters. Torque tells a different story - the VC-Turbo makes 286 lb-ft vs. the Pathfinder's 259, and torque is what you feel when you pull away from a light, merge onto a freeway, or decide to zoom around someone on a two-lane road in Southwest Michigan. The QX60 handles all of that respectably. It isn't going to embarrass a sports sedan off the line, but it doesn't feel sluggish either.

What you can't dismiss in a luxury vehicle - and what most performance-focused reviews skip past - is noise and efficiency. The VC-Turbo is noticeably smoother and quieter than the V6 it replaced, and that matters on a three-hour road trip in a way that peak horsepower simply doesn't. Fuel economy improved meaningfully too: 22 city and 27 highway in AWD trim vs. roughly 19 city and 26 highway with the old V6. With gas prices doing what they're doing right now, that gap adds up fast over a long drive.

I'd always take more power if someone offered it. But in a mid-size luxury SUV where comfort is the whole point, trading a little top-end muscle for a smoother, quieter, more efficient ride is the right call.

Three Rows, Six Adults, No Complaints Up Front

The QX60 Autograph handles most real-world passenger loads without compromise in the first two rows. The third row is honest for shorter hauls but tightens up on adults over longer stretches - that's true across most three-row crossovers in this class and not a dealbreaker here. What matters is that everyone in the Autograph's quilted leather seats up front arrives feeling like they rode somewhere, not survived it.

The QX60 Is What Happens When a Pathfinder Gets a Custom Interior

That's the clearest way I can describe the 2026 QX60 Autograph. The bones are familiar if you've spent time in the Pathfinder - but from the moment you sit down, Infiniti has replaced nearly everything you actually interact with. The leather, the seats, the audio, the tech, the way the cabin insulates you from the road. It's the same SUV handed to a custom coach builder with a real budget and a specific brief: make this feel special.

It does. And at $66,150 base - undercutting comparable German luxury three-rows by $10,000 to $15,000 - the argument gets harder to dismiss the longer you sit in it. If you've been driving a Pathfinder and quietly wondering what the next step looks like, this is the answer. For current inventory and pricing, visit infinitiusa.com.