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Infiniti QX50 stretches for rear-seat comfort (pictures)

Pumping new life into its old QX50 model, Infiniti lengthens the body, applying all that extra space to rear seat legroom and longer doors.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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The Infiniti QX50 used to be called the EX35, and comes out for 2016 with primarily packaging updates.

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The QX50's style, although almost a decade old, remains characteristically Infiniti and shows a modern flair.

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The QX50 is a small crossover, with room for five passengers and available in rear-wheel- and all-wheel-drive formats.

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For the 2016 model year, Infiniti stretched the QX50 by 4.5 inches, also adding 3.2 inches to the wheelbase. That extra room goes to the rear seat, with larger rear doors for improved access.

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With a rear-wheel-drive platform, the QX50 uses a 3.7-liter V-6, an engine that has seen much use in both Infiniti and Nissan models.

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The availability of all-wheel-drive gives the QX50 appeal for those driving in slippery winter weather.

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In line with the Infiniti brand, the QX50 is a premium car, with power-adjustable seats standard and quality cabin trim.

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Rear seat legroom has been increased by 4.3 inches, a big improvement over the previous model year.

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Cargo area is only 18.6 cubic feet, but improves greatly with the rear seats folded down.

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The QX50 exhibits old-school driving feel due to its hydraulic power steering.

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Drivers can activate Infiniti's Distance Control Assist with a button on the steering wheel, which automatically applies the brakes in traffic situations.

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The simple monochrome display in the instrument cluster shows this model's age.

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The seven-speed automatic transmission includes sport and manual modes.

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The navigation system offers perspective and plan view maps, although the resolution is a little low.

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This navigation system dates back to the previous decade, and lacks online destination search.

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The cabin electronics include traffic and weather information brought in through satellite radio.

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Audio sources include satellite radio, Bluetooth streaming, and a USB port for drives and iOS devices.

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The surround view camera system includes front, rear and curb-side views.

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