Infiniti QX56 2011

After a quite entertaining piece of both gravity and physiology-defying strangeness from some smiley Cirque de Soleil performers (Infiniti is the official sponsor of Cirque de Soleil), Infiniti's product boss Carlos Tavares took the wraps off the all-new QX56. Based not on the Nissan Armada chassis (like the previous QX56) but instead on the heavy-duty Patrol, the new QX56 is a large, eight passenger "5-Star Luxury" body on frame SUV. That said, Infiniti managed to shed over 100 pound of flab compared to the 2010 QX56.

Speaking of the 2010 iteration, the previous QX56 is roundly regarded as one of the most awkward and ungainly looking luxo-barges, well, ever. In fact, if we were to put together a museum exhibit about the uncontrolled and obnoxious wild excesses of the just-ended SUV craze, the old QX would get top billing right next to a Hummer H2 and the Cadillac Escalade EXT. The new QX56 changes all that. It's world's better looking. We'd even go so far as to state that it has a certain Middle Eastern chic to it. Put it like this: if you had to cruise around your kingdom checking oil wells what would you rather be driving?

Infiniti is billing the QX56 as an eight-passenger private jet. Mr. Tavares must have said the word "luxury" a dozen times in his ten-minute presentation. Judging by our time with the all-new 2011 M37 and M56, we can declare then when they want to, Infiniti is fully capable of building a world-class interior. In the 2011 QX56, even the third-row reclines. Oh, they've also seen fit to stuff seven-inch color displays into the backs of the front head rests.

Hardware-wise, the QX56 is a body-on-frame full-size SUV sporting the same 5.6-liter variable-timing, direct-injection V8 as the M56, although in QX-trim it "only" makes 400 horsepower. However, while Infiniti had no official word on torque, they did explain the new QX56 can tow 8,500 pounds. And the big boy's seven-speed automatic allows it to get an almost, kinda respectable 20 mpg on the highway.

Most noteworthy is the inclusion of a Hydraulic Body Motion Control system that Infiniti claims reduces body roll by 40%. It uses an X-corner fluid distribution system (similar to how the Audi RS4 is suspended) that moves suspension fluid from the left front damper to the right rear, and vice-versa. Infiniti also claims the system is so effective that new QX56 has less body roll than the BMW 5 Series. Either way, the QX56 goes on this sale this summer, starting at the exact same price as the old one, $56,700.