2015 Infiniti Q70L – Squeezing Out V8 Juice

There are luxury cars, and there are luxury cars built like a tank. In retrospective of a week’s long trial, the monstrous Infiniti Q70L unmistakably falls under the latter category.

As the top model in Infiniti’s sedan lineup, the Q70L is decked with top tier components and extravagant styling inside out. But what what makes the Q70L a well-deserving badge is its propulsion unit boasting a colossal 5.6L V8 producing 416 horsepower and 414 lb.ft of torque.

Speaking of “crazy 8’s”, Infiniti is definitely not off the hook in the open market of big engine extravaganza. The ever emerging brand of Hyundai and Kia are examples of performance inspired Genesis and the ultra-luxurious K900 both sporting a 5.0 V8 with equal capable power output compared to the Infiniti Q70L.

Bold Styling and Craftsmanship

The Q70L is truly a thing of beauty.  Its front fascia is a sophistication of muscled front hood contours, unconventional chrome framing around its front air vents and stylish LED  headlamps.  Its side view shows off the Q70L’s true size with its curvaceous body, massive 20″ 5-spoke alloy wheels and chromed side skirt ascent.  No details are missed out back with more chrome panels accompanying the trunk panel, round fillet tail lights and chrome tip dual exhaust pipes.  The overall design treatment gives the Q70L an overall bold stance and visual depiction of pure confidence.

Its carefully crafted interior cabin space deserves equal levels of accolade.  The highly polished wood grain encompassing the center console gives it an organic look and feel.  Console controls is layered with quite a number of buttons, still easily manageable and intuitive, and personally, I’d take tactile controls over resorting to touch screen any day.  What  was somewhat of a miss was the feel of the massive steering wheel.  Though layered with leather material, the overall grip just did not feel assuring to the driver.

Digital entertainment is enjoyed by high wattage Bose Studio Surround system with 16 speakers strategically scattered throughout the cabin space.  And thanks to its well insulated cabin space and active noise-cancelling technology, audio is crisp and clear with a definite room to spare in volume control.

Voice recognition and navigation is not bad as well with its well communicated, but somewhat tedious voice instructions.

Making V8 Use

Under the hood of the Q70L is its thick blooded 5.6L Direct Injection Gasoline engine producing a menacing 416 horsepower and 412 lbs.ft of torque. Coupled to the engine shaft is a Infiniti’s in-house 7 speed automatic transmission with Adaptive Shift Control, and manual shift mode with automated downshift rev matching.

Acceleration in the Q70L is both aggressive with audible evidence in the cabin space. But it’s not quite as granular as I had hoped as acceleration decisions by foot felt induced by onboard computer nannies. Drive modes are offered in a more subtle eco mode with relaxed throttle mapping and forgiving gear shifts, normal mode, or performance mode sparking up throttle mapping while latching revs on a higher scale. Manual shifting can also be accomplished via its magnesium steering mounted paddle shifters, or via sequential shift mode via the gear lever.

Its massive grip and heavy-rated steering is a quick reminder of how big the Q70L really is. Spanning at a wheel base of a lengthy 120.1″ and with a curb weight of 4352 lbs, steering precision and driving confidence felt a bit compromised. Its stiff tuned suspensions does entice handling capability around corners though, but with uncertainty in steering control and lack of fine-grained acceleration in the driver’s seat.

But, but, and but… make up your mind

The Q70L’s got the stuff to stand tall and flash its badge in the big power luxury sedan pool.  But there is also that element of harmonizing its engineering capability to the human soul. You either tailor a car’s driveability towards performance or comfort – just like what the Hyundai Genesis, or Kia K900 has accomplished.  In the case of the Q70L, it’s a gray area.  It’s got stiff sport-tuned suspensions to handle the corners, but its lengthy wheel base and somewhat sticky and ultra heavy steering takes away its true capability.  But at the same time, spacious legroom is enjoyed thanks to its super-long wheel base (a significant 9″ increase compared to the Genesis V8 Sedan).  So why not relax the re-tune the suspensions more towards the comfort zone?

It’s as if the Q70L is a reminiscent, and probably nostalgic to the Infiniti Mx37 that was available nearly 3 years ago nearly mirroring the same looks.  And like the Mx37, the Q70L seems to float un-decisively between wanting to be an luxurious sporting machine, or a an ultra smooth sailor. If I were to be put on the executive chair, I’d opt for the latter and dial down the rock-hard suspensions in favor of offering a more pleasant ride – the other option would require a massive hack saw, extensive chassis and mechanical surgery, and a lot of time.

Specifications

• Vehicle : 2015 Infiniti Q70L
• Model : Infiniti Q70L
• Price as Tested : $68,400
• Vehicle Type : 5 Passenger Sedan
• Seating Capacity : 2+3
• Powertrain Configuration : AWD
• Engine : 5.6L V8
• Transmission : 7 Speed Automatic Transmission with down shift rev matching
• Fuel Economy: 15.0/10.2 L/100km city/hwy

Pros

• Awe-inspiring design
• Luxurious cabin space and ultra long chassis for extended rear leg room
• Beautiful interior craftmanship

Cons

• Stiff-tuned suspension compromised for comfort
• Hefty price-tag.
• Non-organic driving behavior