Infiniti is gearing up to introduce the 2019 QX50 at the Los Angeles Auto Show and the company recently invited a handful of journalists to try out the model’s new turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with variable compression technology.
Automotive News was one of the companies that attended the event and they are reporting the new engine produces 268 hp (200 kW) and 288 lb-ft (390 Nm) of torque. This will reportedly enable the QX50 to accelerate from 0-60 mph faster than any of its four-cylinder competitors.
While the performance is impressive, the technology and design of the engine is what really sets it apart. As the publication explains, the engine is equipped with an electrically controlled actuator and a unique “elliptic device” called a multilink. These two components, along with some clever engineering, allow the engine to adjust its compression ratio from 8:1 to 14:1.
Thanks to variable compression technology, the engine manages to be both powerful and fuel-efficient. Infiniti hasn’t released detailed fuel economy figures but Nissan’s chief powertrain engineer, Shinichi Kiga, said the new QX50 will have a combined fuel economy rating that is 27 percent higher than the outing model which has a 3.7-liter V6 engine that develops 325 hp (242 kW) and 267 lb-ft (361 Nm) of torque.
The engine will be connected exclusively to a continuously variable transmission and it should allow the model to return around 26 mpg combined. Automotive News says the engine offered outstanding performance and refinement during test drives but noted the engine requires premium fuel.
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