The Infiniti QX4 was the Infiniti version of the Nissan Pathfinder, the SUV that had been on sale since 1985. The Pathfinder was built on Nissan’s compact pickup platform, and its second generation, the R50 introduced in late 1995, is the generation the QX4 belongs to.
Infiniti QX4 at a glance
| Model | Infiniti QX4 |
|---|---|
| Basis | Nissan Pathfinder, second generation (R50) |
| Maker | Infiniti (Nissan) |
| Class | mid-size SUV |
| Construction | body-on-frame, on Nissan’s compact pickup platform |
| Pathfinder since | 1985 |
| R50 introduced | late 1995 |
| Engine (R50 Pathfinder) | 3.3 L VG33E V6, 168 hp, 266 N·m |
| Outside North America | the Pathfinder was sold as the Nissan Terrano |
| Later Pathfinder | the R52 of 2012, a three-row unibody crossover |
The QX4 is described on the English Wikipedia page for the Nissan Pathfinder; this short article stays with the Pathfinder facts available there and has only one photograph of the QX4.
History of the Infiniti QX4
The Nissan Pathfinder appeared in 1985 as a body-on-frame SUV built on the company’s compact pickup platform, shared with the Navara and Frontier. Outside North America the same vehicle was marketed as the Nissan Terrano, and from 2004 the Pathfinder name was used worldwide. The QX4 was Infiniti’s luxury version of this vehicle: the second generation, the R50, arrived in late 1995 with revised styling and a larger engine.
The R50 Pathfinder moved from the earlier 3.0-litre V6 to the 3.3-litre VG33E, rated at 168 hp and 196 lb·ft of torque. The body-on-frame layout continued until the third generation; in 2012 the R52 Pathfinder became a three-row crossover on the unibody Nissan D platform, and the body-on-frame role in Nissan’s range passed to the Terra and X-Terra, which arrived in 2018 on the D23 Navara.
Design and features
- Pathfinder basis: a luxury Infiniti version of Nissan’s long-running SUV.
- Body-on-frame: the R50 kept the pickup-based ladder chassis of the Pathfinder.
- VG33E V6: 3.3 litres, 168 hp and 266 N·m in the second generation.
- Worldwide names: the same vehicle was sold as the Nissan Terrano outside North America.
Infiniti QX4 versions
- QX4: the Infiniti version of the R50 Pathfinder.
- Nissan Pathfinder R50: the car it was based on.
- Nissan Terrano: the name used outside North America.
- Pathfinder R52 (2012): the later unibody crossover that ended the body-on-frame line.
The QX4 was replaced in Infiniti’s range by the Infiniti FX and sat below the QX56. More cars are in the Infiniti collection.
Video: 2001 Infiniti QX4 – View our current inventory at FortMyersWA.com
Video by skbarker192528 on YouTube.
Sources
- Nissan Pathfinder, English Wikipedia: Pathfinder history, R50 generation, VG33E engine, Terrano name
