Infiniti Unveils QX50 With A Break-Through Engine That Could Kill Diesel Forever

Infiniti has unveiled its newest luxury SUV, the QX50, at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show on Tuesday night which features the first production-ready example of Infiniti’s new, variable compression ratio engine, better known as the VC-Turbo.

The groundbreaking petrol VC-Turbo is the first of its kind and claims to be more efficient than a diesel but without harmful emissions.

The company, which is the luxury subsidiary of Nissan Motors, says the VC-Turbo combines the thrust of a small turbocharged engine with the fuel-efficiency of a four cylinder diesel.

The Infiniti’s new 2.0-litre variable compression (VC) turbo means you can get petrol power but with diesel’s efficiency benefits. The lightweight VC-Turbo works by using a different compression rate, depending on how the owner is driving.

At lower speeds it’ll return diesel-like economy without throwing out harmful gases. At higher speeds you’ll get the performance of a V6 petrol engine.

The QX50’s engine will put out a promised 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, and deliver a combined fuel economy of 27 miles per gallon on the front-wheel-drive models and 26 mpg on all-wheel-drive versions. Capable of 0 to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, it will have a top speed of 143 mph.

The sleek SUV, which is a much more attractive design than the previous QX50, features luxury quilted seats, two screens in the cabin-one for sat nav and one for car controls vehicle.

It will also be outfitted with the ProPilot semi-automated driving-assist package found on other Infiniti and Nissan vehicles which means it can drive itself in a single lane on motorways and in stop-start traffic.

Mazda is working on a similar SkyActiv-X engine for its future motors but that’s not ready yet. The new QX50 will be priced at around £35,000 when it goes on sale next year.