The 24-valve 3.5-liter V6 is rated at 240 horsepower and 265 foot-pounds of torque at 3,200 rpm. This puts the QX4 among the leaders in horsepower in its class. With an Environmental Protection Agency-estimated 15/19 miles per gallon city/highway, fuel economy is on a par with or better than the competition, equaling the Grand Cherokee V8 model's and exceeding the Discovery's 13/17 mpg.

Should you need it, this is a capable vehicle off road. It has an ultra-low transfer gear, essential not only for safe descents of unpaved tracks but also for walking-speed ascents of rock-strewn trails, which attests at least to an intent by its designers and engineers that the QX4 be perceived as more than merely a pretending dirt-tracker.

Adapted from a high-performance sport coupe available only in Japan, the QX4's four-wheel-drive system is fully automatic. When road conditions change the driver doesn't have to do a thing except drive. A collection of electronic sensors monitor what's happening at each axle and direct power where it can best be used. For true off-road travel, there's a manually selected, ultra-low set of gears permitting the optimal application of horsepower and torque at walking speeds. The 2WD model boasts the same ground clearance as the 4WD model, a quite respectable 8.3 inches.

Despite all its luxury features and adornments, the Infiniti QX4 is still a sport-utility vehicle. Although much of the roughness normally associated with truck-based utility vehicles has been squelched and upholstered over, the QX4's center of gravity is immutably higher than a car's. So, like any SUV, it leans more when turning, no matter the speed or road surface.

The QX4 comes with disc brakes in front and drum brakes in the rear, rather than the superior four-wheel disc brakes.