Jump LinksInfotainment: A Few Buttons Short Of GreatnessFrom its peak in the mid-2000s, Infiniti has seemingly faded to near irrelevance. The brand was once considered a leader in design, and one of the few companies that could go toe-to-toe with BMW when it came to offering both luxury and fun driving. Today, most of its lineup consists of warmed-over SUVs from Nissan - and it doesn't even have as many as it used to. So, the company has a long way to go to turn itself around. But it has exciting products planned, such as a manual-equipped sport sedan and body-on-frame SUVs — but they're years away. In the meantime, the brand is taking smaller steps. The Infiniti QX80 was fully redesigned recently and is selling well, and the brand also launched the QX65, a sleek, fastback version of its top-selling QX60 SUV.That fastback has some striking styling, and Infiniti has made it clear that it's inspired by one of its more iconic past models. However, it's not dramatically different from its more practical sibling. So, when Infiniti brought us down to Nashville, Tennessee, to actually drive the QX65, we didn't expect it to be any different than the QX60. We were surprised, then, to find that it's not just stylish, but the most fun version of the large crossover pair. The problem, though, is that it still has a number of the QX60's weak points, and unfortunately, this large luxury SUV segment is full of alternatives that offer luxury, performance, and style. Here's how the QX65 stacks up.First Drive events provide our initial impressions of a vehicle in a restricted environment under certain time constraints. Keep an eye on CarBuzz for our comprehensive Test Drive review which will follow soon. What Is It? 2027 Infiniti QX65 front three-quarterIn the same vein as crossovers and SUVs like the BMW X6 or Audi's various Sportbacks, Infiniti took the QX60, and gave it a fastback roofline. With it come some other minor exterior changes, such as a different front fascia and rear taillights, all meant to give the big Infiniti a sportier look. As a result of the new roof, cargo space is reduced, and the third row of seats has been removed. The QX65 also retains all the same mechanical parts of the QX60, although Infiniti retuned the throttle and transmission programming to give it a sportier feel. Exterior Looks: Infiniti Channels A Legend Fairly Successfully From the launch to the briefing before our drive, Infiniti made sure that everyone understood the styling of the QX65 is meant to evoke the look of the original FX35 and FX45. The FX models launched during that Infiniti heyday of the 2000s, and they were a big deal for multiple reasons: They were among the first SUVs to embrace styling more akin to cars. It was low and curvy, and while it had a relatively conventional roofline by modern standards, it was borderline coupe-like for the time. It also featured rear-drive car proportions with a long nose and the cabin set back toward the rear wheels.This look was supported by the fact that the FX was built on the G35 platform. As such, it had a traditional rear-drive powertrain layout with a longitudinal engine and either a rear- or all-wheel-drive drivetrain. That engine could also be either the G's 3.5-liter V6 or a 4.5-liter V8. That V8 even grew to 5.0 liters later. This meant that not only did it have the looks of a tall, sporty wagon, it had the dynamics, too.The QX65, sadly, does not have any of those mechanical advantages, which we'll talk about shortly. It also doesn't have the proportions as a result. We can't deny, though, that the gracefully arching roofline does match Infiniti's claims. Even if it didn't, it still makes the curvy crossover look surprisingly elegant. It doesn't look awkward or like an afterthought, even though it's clearly an attempt to stretch the market coverage of an existing vehicle. It's even highlighted subtly with the chrome strip (other companies' styling departments should take some notes).2027 Infiniti QX65 frontOther detail changes help the QX65 look like more than just a different body style. Compared to the QX60, the front fascia has more widely spaced grille slats with criss-crossing sections behind them. It also has larger outboard air intakes that extend lower. This gives the whole thing a lower stance. The rear has thicker lighting elements that are again broken up by vertical sections. It's aligned on the edge where the fastback meets the vertical plane of the hatch, so it gives a little bit of a ledge to accent the low tail. Interior: Just As Luxurious, Just A Little Less Of It While Infiniti was fairly thorough in tweaking the QX65's exterior, the interior is basically the same as the QX60's, just a bit smaller. One of the key differences is that there's a red leather color scheme available on the top-tier Autograph trim that we sampled. Additionally, it lacks a third row of seats, and you'll also find that headroom is a bit tight for rear occupants; everything else is basically identical to the QX60.There's good and bad to go with that. Among the good points is the generally high-quality cabin. The Autograph is particularly impressive with most dash surfaces covered in leather or leatherette, and the open-pore wood trim feels robust and classy. Lower trims get either a silver metallic trim or gloss black that are a noticeable step down. The dash design itself is unique with a bit of a shelf that the screen sits on, and the center stack controls are nestled against a little wall that provides a bit of separation between each side of the cabin, without making controls hard to reach.2027 Infiniti QX65 dashboardYou'll find plenty of space up front, augmented by plenty of seat adjustment (8-way standard for both seats). The seats themselves have enough cushioning to be comfortable for long periods, though a bit more support from the seat base would be welcomed. Seat heating is standard, and cooling is available on the two highest trims (out of three total). The rear seats are also spacious, despite the headroom disadvantages. These can even slide and recline, with quite a bit of the latter adjustment, so rear passengers can get comfy on a lengthy journey.Like with headroom, the QX65 has less cargo space than the QX60. Behind the second row, you'll find 35.8 cubic feet of space, and with them folded, you'll get 67.7 cubes. Comparably, the QX60 has 41.6 cubic feet behind the second row and 75.4 behind the first row. Towing capacity, though, is unchanged at 6,000 pounds. Infotainment: A Few Buttons Short Of Greatness InfinitiOn the topic of controls, the QX65 is a bit of a mixed bag. The instruments and infotainment are shown on a pair of screens, each measuring 12.3 inches. They're easy to read, responsive, and fairly easy to reach. The infotainment features Google Built-in, which means it has native support for a variety of Google apps, and even some created specifically by Infiniti, such as some that allow for interior controls, and even a unique one that makes it easy to set up your sound system's equalizer. With sound systems ranging from 11 speakers as standard, up to a 20-speaker system, that app is quite handy.InfinitiIf you don't necessarily want to mess with the on-board apps, the QX65 also supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also has a feature iPhone users and some Android users will be excited for: a Qi2 wireless charger. That means it has a magnet for securing the phone, plus higher charging rates and a fan for keeping the phone from overheating. It works really well.InfinitiLess great is the set of capacitive touch buttons on the center stack. They control the three-zone climate control, along with some stereo settings. The fact that they're dedicated and will always be in the same place is nice, but the plastic panel feels a little low rent and isn't as easy to use as real buttons. On the plus side, the knobs are physical and nice, as are the buttons on the steering wheel. Ironically, the QX65's cousin, the Nissan Pathfinder, has a bevy of physical controls. Powertrain & Driving: Infiniti Still Hasn't Fixed The Main Problem Though the QX65 is mostly identical to the QX60 when it comes to the mechanical bits, there are minor changes to tuning, which are restricted to the throttle and the transmission. The QX65 is also only available with all-wheel drive, whereas the base QX60 can be had with just front-wheel drive.InfinitiThe transmission tuning is borderline transformative. Infiniti's engineers said that it now holds gears ever slightly longer than it would in the QX60, and it's quicker to downshift, especially during braking. This is all to maintain turbo boost and to make sure that you're not waiting on the right gear going through a corner. In practice, it does exactly that. It never feels like it's having to drop through multiple gears, and you might not even need a downshift on corner exit, because it already did. Sport mode just holds gears and downshifts even more, and it's good enough, quick enough, and smooth enough that it feels like the ideal shifter setting when getting frisky on backroads.As for the throttle tuning, we have mixed feelings. We do like the added response, but Infiniti should maybe take a little bit of the edge off. It can be a little jumpy taking off from a red light, and if you're not using cruise control, you'll be putting a lot of effort into pressing the throttle as lightly as possible to maintain speed.2027 Infiniti QX65 Exterior 6Now, a large, front-drive-biased crossover is never going to be hugely exciting when you want to take on a back road, and that's still the case with the QX65. It's got plenty of mass (it's only about 30 pounds lighter than the three-row QX60), and you can tell that mass will keep it from being hustled too hard. Still, body roll is restrained, and the steering is accurate and appropriately heavy for a big vehicle. It also doesn't sacrifice comfort and avoids any sloshiness that some softer-tuned crossovers suffer from. It's a happy medium, if not an invigorating one.The main problem, though, is the same as that in the QX60: the VC-Turbo engine. For reasons that Infiniti representatives didn't really give, Infiniti swapped the 3.5-liter V6 that's used in the Pathfinder for a turbocharged 2.0-liter variable-compression four-cylinder. On paper, it's not a terrible decision. While it's down on horsepower, it's up on torque, which is handy around town. It's also a high-tech engine with its ability to adjust the compression ratio inside the engine.Unfortunately, the VC-Turbo is rather uncouth. It sounds like someone gargling in a garbage can when the revs rise, and they'll be rising a lot. The two big QXs are the largest vehicles to get the VC-Turbo, and it wasn't a particularly quiet engine when it was handling less weight. At the very least, it does have decent low- and mid-range torque. With that snappy throttle and good transmission tuning, it can feel nippy at first; it's just that the acceleration drops off the longer you have to stay on the throttle.What's funny is that Infiniti tries to make the VC-Turbo sound more engaging. In addition to active noise-canceling, Infiniti pipes in some artificial engine noises. They're especially audible in Sport mode. According to Infiniti engineers, the sound is based on a V6... You know, the engine that could absolutely fit in the QX65...Another odd quirk of the QX65 is that it's a tad less efficient than the QX60.It gets 20 mpg in the city, 26 on the highway, and 22 mpg combined. The QX60 with all-wheel drive gets 22 in the city, 27 on the highway, and 24 mpg combined. We assume this is due to the different throttle and transmission tuning. Those numbers also put it in the ballpark with the V6-equipped Nissan Pathfinder, with some versions offering worse economy, and some better, so the VC-Turbo isn't offering much of an efficiency advantage.2027 Infiniti QX65 Exterior Lead Image Verdict & Pricing: Style Is The QX65's Only Real Advantage The starting point for the QX65 is the Luxe, which starts at $53,990, or $55,535 with the $1,545 destination charge. It comes nicely equipped with an 11-speaker sound system, panoramic sunroof, three-zone climate control, hands-on highway drive assists, and power-adjustable heated front seats. The features keep stacking up through the Sport and Autograph trims, with the latter starting at $64,135 with destination added in. That top trim adds massaging front seats, heated rear seats, a head-up display, and a 20-speaker sound system.Most of the Infiniti's competitors, at least in base form, have quite similar pricing. They even mostly have turbocharged four-cylinder engines with similar output. The Lexus RX and Lincoln Nautilus are perfect examples of this with similar base pricing and powertrains. Against those base models, we'd say the Infiniti's looks and driving experience make it a solid competitor.Those aren't the only versions of the RX or Nautilus, though. They each have much more efficient hybrid versions, ones that sacrifice little in the way of performance. The RX's plug-in hybrid even offers significantly improved performance with more than 300 horsepower available. Other competitors offer improved driving dynamics and more refined engines, too, such as the rear-drive-biased Genesis GV80 and Mazda CX-70. The former can be paired with a hammer of a twin-turbo V6, and the latter has inline-six and plug-in hybrid options. The Acura MDX also has a couple of fairly potent V6s and the company's trick "Super Handling All-Wheel Drive."InfinitiThe Infiniti QX65 isn't a bad vehicle by any means, and the fact that it looks and drives better than the QX60 makes it an easy pick in the Infiniti showroom. If you're also looking toward the lower end of the midsize and large luxury crossover market, it's still not a bad choice. Unfortunately, it's easy to get even more of just about everything, from efficiency to fun, from loads of competitors, all without paying much more or sacrificing anything else.