2023 Infiniti QX50 Interior and Cargo

In terms of material quality, the QX50 excels with soft-touch surfaces, premium leathers, and luxurious trims. There are some buttons and controls shared with Nissan, but they are few and far between. At the base level, the QX50 is only available with Graphite leatherette paired with aluminum trim. The Luxe gets leather upholstery in Graphite or Pebble Gray. The new Sport trim gets semi-aniline leather upholstery in a choice of Graphite or Monaco Red, while the Sensory's semi-aniline leather reverts to Graphite or Pebble Gray. The Autograph trim steps up to semi-aniline leather, and includes Natural Maple wood interior trim accents, and an Ultrasuede headliner. The Autograph is the only trim also available with a premium white interior color, paired with blue accents for a unique signature look, in addition to the normal Graphite and Pebble Gray.

Vehicles competing in the luxury SUV market need to juggle practicality with a premium driving experience, and we applaud the Infiniti QX50 for doing just that. Not only is the interior refined, but there is also good space on offer, both for people and their stuff. The QX50 offers a class-leading 31.4 cubic feet of space behind the second row of seats, while cars fitted with the power moonroof see that number drop slightly to 31.1 cubes. This is enough space to carry a week's worth of groceries for a sizable family, and if you need even more space, the rear 60/40-split fold-down seatbacks can avail a whopping 65.1 cubic feet (or 64.4 cubes with the moonroof fitted). Small items can be stored in the glovebox, door pockets, front seatback map pockets, or center armrest storage compartment, and there are dual cupholders front and back.

Infiniti does not hold back when it comes to standard features: the base model offers a wide range, including highlights such as dual-zone automatic climate control, eight-way power-adjustable front seats with driver power lumbar support, intelligent key with illuminated push-button ignition, remote engine start, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, and safety tech such as Infiniti's ProPILOT Assist, which includes steering assist and advanced intelligent cruise control with full-speed range and stop-and-hold functionality, as well as lane-departure prevention and blind-spot intervention high-beam assist, predictive forward-collision warning, and forward emergency braking with pedestrian detection.

Luxe models add features such as leather upholstery, front-seat heating, a motion-activated power liftgate, and a panoramic power moonroof. The Sport trim offers even more tech; here, you get a standard surround-view camera system, traffic-sign recognition, navigation, and front and rear parking sensors. The Sensory trim includes a head-up display and heated rear seats. Autograph derivatives add luxuries such as tri-zone climate control and quilted leather upholstery.

Infotainment may be the QX50's most glaring weakness. All trim levels use Infiniti's InTouch infotainment system with eight-inch upper and seven-inch lower touchscreen displays. The top screen is reserved for the navigation map or Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, while the lower screen is used for climate, radio, and other functions with some physical shortcut buttons surrounding it. We found the system to be confusing to use, and the two screens look as though they came from different decades. There is no greater example of this than the surround-view eye camera, which has harsh divider lines and low resolution. The Nissan Rogue's system looks more modern, and this should not be the case when spending more on an Infiniti.

At least they feature wireless Apple CarPlay, but Android Auto is wired. Bluetooth streaming, SiriusXM satellite radio, a wireless charging pad, and a six-speaker audio system with AM/FM radio and CD player all come standard, while the Sport and up gain a 12-speaker Bose audio system (optional on the Luxe) and built-in navigation. A Bose Performance Series sound system with 16 speakers is standard on the top two trims.