More Presence, More Tech: 2026 Infiniti QX60 Refines the Three-Row Formula
Infiniti’s midsize, three-row QX60 enters the 2026 model year with its first significant update since the second-generation SUV bowed in 2022 (2025 model year). The refresh touches nearly every corner of the vehicle—styling, screens, driver-assist hardware, and even the materials you sit on—while leaving the proven variable-compression turbo powertrain intact. A newly minted SPORT trim, sharper exterior details inspired by the larger 2025 QX80, and an all-new Klipsch audio partnership are the headline changes. Here’s what stands out.
What’s New for 2026
• Fresh front fascia with an “Artistry in Motion” grille, illuminated three-dimensional badge, and segmented LED daytime running lights.
• SPORT grade slots between LUXE and AUTOGRAPH, adding a more aggressive face, gloss-black 20-inch wheels, darker exterior accents, and standard captain’s chairs.
• ProPILOT Assist 2.1 (optional on AUTOGRAPH) enables hands-off, eyes-on freeway cruising where mapping allows.
• Google built-in now runs natively on the 12.3-inch infotainment screen, supplementing Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
• Klipsch 16- or 20-speaker systems replace last year’s Bose setups, accompanied by driver-focused “Individual Audio” on AUTOGRAPH.
• 20-inch wheels are standard across the board (PURE wore 18s last year).
• New Deep Emerald paint and Stone Gray interior color join the palette.
Design Tweaks Beyond the Surface
Infiniti hasn’t altered the sheet-metal stamping, but clever details make the 2026 QX60 appear lower and wider than the 2025 model. Notice how the front bumper’s painted surfaces “float” the grille, how the lower door garnish stretches the profile, and how the liftgate’s body-color section drops closer to the pavement. AUTOGRAPH models add an elaborate Light Path welcome sequence that projects the brand script and wing-like graphics onto the ground for a dose of driveway theater—flashy, yes, but also an unmistakable way to locate the SUV on a dark night.
Wheel designs are new throughout: PURE and LUXE pick up fresh 20-inch alloys, while AUTOGRAPH adopts a double-wing motif under a tinted clearcoat. The SPORT’s black five-spokes and contrasting body trim supply the visual muscle that previous QX60s lacked. A small, square “AWD” stamp mimics a Japanese hanko seal on all-wheel-drive models, another detail pulled from the QX80 playbook.
Cabin: Screens, Sound, and Sustainable Touches
Dual 12.3-inch displays are now standard, and the infotainment side finally gets onboard Google Maps, Assistant voice commands, and Google Play app compatibility. The digital instrument cluster remains customizable, but its skins are cleaner and add a route preview when navigation is active.
Infiniti swaps last year’s Bose hardware for audio gear from Klipsch, an American brand better known for home hi-fi. LUXE and SPORT grades carry a 16-speaker, 600-watt setup with titanium tweeters and an 8-inch TriPower subwoofer. AUTOGRAPH goes further, packing 20 speakers and a 24-channel amp plus driver-only “Individual Audio” that isolates phone calls or nav prompts to the left front seat—handy when the third-row occupants doze.
Material changes are subtle but worthwhile. PURE and LUXE now feature TailorFit upholstery—65 percent recycled content, softer and easier to clean than the imitation leather it replaces—while a new Stone Gray scheme joins the existing Graphite and Saddle Brown shades. SPORT’s Dusk Blue/Black combo and black headliner distinguish it from the other trims, and AUTOGRAPH models keep their semi-aniline leather with kimono-inspired stitching.
SPORT Grade: Bringing Attitude
The new SPORT grade gives the QX60 something it never truly had: curb appeal for buyers who find the regular model too genteel. A crisper honeycomb grille insert, gloss-black body accents, and unique lower aero pieces hint at performance without changing anything under the hood. Standard AWD, second-row captain’s chairs, and that monochrome “S” badge complete the package. Color choices are limited to Mineral Black, Grand Blue, Radiant White, or Graphite Shadow; the two lighter shades can be paired with a contrasting black roof.
Driver Assistance and Parking Tech
ProPILOT Assist 2.1 raises the QX60’s semi-autonomous profile. When the system detects a compatible divided highway, it can take over steering, throttle, and braking, provided the driver keeps eyes forward and is ready to override. The feature comes only on AUTOGRAPH and may not justify the upcharge for buyers who do most of their driving on surface roads.
Parking chores are easier thanks to a new 3D Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection (standard from LUXE up). Eight cameras stitch together multiple perspectives; AUTOGRAPH models add a “spin” mode that lets you swipe around a virtual model of the SUV. Front Wide View and Invisible Hood View project obstacles ahead and beneath the bumper—useful in tight urban garages or on car-wash rails.
Engine, Transmission, and Towing
Infiniti sticks with its 2.0-liter VC-Turbo four-cylinder, still good for 268 hp and 286 lb-ft. Engineers tweaked the intake and exhaust for improved sound quality under load, but output and EPA estimates mirror the 2025 figures: 22/28/24 mpg (city/highway/combined) for FWD and 22/27/24 mpg for AWD. A nine-speed automatic remains, as do paddle shifters and multiple drive modes. Properly equipped, any QX60 can tug 6,000 lbs—still a best-in-class number among unibody three-row crossovers.
Pricing and Availability
The 2026 Infiniti QX60 arrives in U.S. showrooms this summer. Official MSRPs are forthcoming, but expect a modest bump over the 2025 model’s $50,200 base tag, with the SPORT slotting somewhere above LUXE AWD and below the fully loaded AUTOGRAPH.
Takeaway
The 2026 QX60 refresh doesn’t rewrite the formula—it sharpens it. Buyers shopping the premium three-row segment now get a fresher face, bigger standard wheels, a far more sophisticated infotainment/driver-assist suite, and a richer listening environment. The new SPORT grade finally injects a measure of excitement, though the unchanged powertrain keeps performance in the “adequate” column. For families who prioritized the QX60’s packaging and towing prowess in 2025, the 2026 updates simply sweeten the deal.
-Ed
2026 Infiniti QX60
