AI Auto Podcast Apr 23, 2026

S7E27: 2027 Infiniti QX65 First look – Real Gold Paint, Next-Gen Tech & Klipsch Audio

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Car

2027 Infinity QX 65

They’re talking about the next Infiniti QX65 coming out in 2027. The point is how Infiniti is trying to make the SUV not only drive well, but also feel easier and more enjoyable to use day to day.

Concept

vehicle marketability

Marketability is basically how “sellable” and appealing the car is to real people. It means the car needs to do what customers want, feel easy to use, and be presented in a way that makes people trust and want the tech.

Concept

user experience

User experience (UX) in a car is about how intuitive, comfortable, and satisfying the vehicle feels to use—especially through screens, controls, and driver-assistance systems. Here, it’s mentioned alongside performance and autonomous-drive interfaces, implying the team designs the tech so drivers can understand and operate it easily.

Concept

autonomous drive interface

The autonomous drive interface is how the car talks to you when it’s doing driving help. It includes what you see on the screen and what warnings you get, so you know what the car is doing and what you still need to do.

Brand

Kelly Blue Book

Kelly Blue Book is a well-known guide people use to estimate a car’s value. The hosts are saying that years ago it was more common to rely on that “book,” while today there are lots of websites giving pricing and info.

Topic

how customers shop for cars (pre-shopping, information overload, showroom focus)

They’re talking about the steps people go through before buying a car. It includes searching online, reading a lot of info, and then how dealerships try to get you to come in and decide.

Concept

focus messaging

It means companies try to say the most important things to the right people. Rather than throwing lots of details at you, they focus on the points that help you choose.

Concept

research online and then have very short time period where they're making a decision

People often look things up online first, then decide pretty fast after they’ve found what they want. That means the last part of the buying process has to be clear and persuasive.

Term

third generation wireless charger

They’re calling it a “third generation” wireless charger, meaning it’s a newer improved version. They built it to charge faster and keep your phone from overheating or slipping while you drive.

Term

15 watts

“15 watts” is how strong the charger is. More watts usually means faster charging, but it can make the phone warm—so they add cooling to help manage that.

Term

fan

They put a small fan in the charger. Wireless charging can warm your phone up, and the fan helps keep it cool so charging works better and doesn’t overheat the device.

Term

magnet

They also use a magnet to help hold your phone in the right spot. That way it stays lined up for charging and doesn’t slide around while you’re driving.

Concept

handling loop in our test track

A test track “handling loop” is a route engineers drive to simulate real driving stresses like cornering and braking. They use it to make sure the phone stays put on the charger when the car is moving.

Concept

real world problems

They’re saying wireless charging has to work in everyday driving, not just on a bench. They test things like whether the phone stays in place and how it behaves when the car is moving.

Concept

customer engineering group

A customer engineering group is a team that focuses on what customers actually want. They help turn those needs into real features in the car.

Concept

customer focused, customer centric

Being “customer focused” or “customer centric” means decisions are guided by user needs and experience rather than internal preferences. In car development, this often shows up in how features are designed, tested, and refined for real-world ownership.

Term

volume knob

A volume knob is the dial you turn to make the music louder or quieter. Cars often use it so you can change volume without digging through menus.

Term

knurling

Knurling is the rough, patterned grip on a knob. It helps your fingers hold on better so you can turn it smoothly.

Term

real gold in the paint

This means the paint isn’t just dyed gold—it has actual gold flecks mixed into it. That’s why the car can look like it “glows” or sparkles when the light hits it.

Concept

gold flecks get layered into the paint

The gold flecks are added during the paint process, not sprayed on afterward. How they’re layered affects how the car looks—especially how sparkly or reflective it is in sunlight.

Term

audio system

They’re talking about the car’s audio system, not just the speakers. Good sound depends on how the system is built into the cabin, not only on what hardware is installed.

Term

aniline leather seat

Aniline leather is a nicer kind of leather that keeps more of the hide’s natural look. It usually looks richer and more “alive,” but it can be more sensitive to stains than tougher, more coated leathers.

Concept

pattern on the seats...meant to represent a kimono

They’re saying the seat pattern isn’t random—it’s designed to look like the way a kimono wraps. It’s a design idea that brings cultural inspiration into the car’s interior.

Term

Authentic wood

They’re saying the trim is real wood, not a fake wood pattern. Real wood looks more natural and upscale, but you should clean it gently so it doesn’t get damaged.

Company

Klipsch

Klipsch is a well-known audio brand, and the segment credits its audio system as part of the QX65’s luxury experience. The important context is that the audio is tuned for the vehicle’s cabin acoustics.

Term

Farmington Hills, Michigan

They say the sound system was tuned in Farmington Hills, Michigan. That suggests they adjust the audio specifically for how the car’s interior sounds.

Term

VC turbo engine

They’re describing the QX65’s turbocharged engine setup. The main idea is that it’s tuned to feel quick and responsive, so you don’t have to wait for power.

Term

nine speed automatic transmission

This is the QX65’s automatic gearbox with nine different gears. More gears can help the car feel smoother and more responsive when you accelerate or slow down.

Concept

no compromise ride and handling

They’re describing a goal where the car feels comfortable but still drives confidently. It means the suspension and tires are set up so bumps don’t feel too harsh, but the car still sticks to the road.

Term

21 inch tire

A “21 inch tire” indicates a larger wheel/tire package, which often changes ride feel and grip characteristics. The segment claims it maintains good grip without becoming jarring, implying careful suspension tuning to offset the larger tire’s impact.

Car

Infiniti QX60

The Infiniti QX60 is a mid-size luxury SUV meant for everyday driving with extra comfort and space. The podcast calls it important because it sells the most for Infiniti. That means it’s a major part of the company’s business.

Car

Infiniti FX series

They mention the Infiniti FX series as an earlier model line that the QX 65 is paying respect to. It’s a way of saying the new SUV keeps some of the same “good things” people liked before.

Car

Infiniti QX 80

The Infiniti QX 80 is Infiniti’s bigger, more upscale SUV. They’re saying the QX 65 takes some styling ideas from the QX 80 so it feels like it belongs in the same family.

Concept

D platform, D segment SUV platform

A platform is the car’s main “skeleton” and engineering base. They’re saying the QX 65 uses a different base than the QX 80, but still borrows some design features.

Term

on frame vehicle

“On-frame” means the car has a strong separate frame underneath, like a truck. They’re pointing out that the QX 80 is built that way, while the QX 65 is built differently.

Term

front grille resembles a bit of the QX 80

They’re talking about how the QX 65’s front grille is designed to look similar to the QX 80’s. It’s a styling trick to make the cars look like they’re from the same family.

Term

bamboo

They mention “bamboo” as part of the car’s design. That usually means there’s a bamboo-like material or accent used in the interior to give it a more upscale look.

Term

digital piano keys headlights

These are headlights designed to look like thin, evenly spaced “keys,” similar to a piano. They help the car look sharper and more sporty, and they also make the car’s front lighting easier to recognize.

Term

infotainment system

The infotainment system is the car’s main screen and controls for things like music, maps, and settings. They’re about to explain what’s improved or added in this new QX65.

Company

Google built in

“Google built in” means the car’s screen and voice features can use Google services. It’s meant to make it easier to find things like music, directions, and information without using your phone as much.

Term

ProPilot assist 2.1

ProPilot Assist 2.1 is Infiniti’s semi-automated driving help. It’s meant to reduce driver workload by assisting with things like staying in the lane and maintaining speed.

Concept

put content in the car that customers are using

This is a concept about infotainment strategy: instead of adding features for their own sake, the manufacturer tries to deliver content and services that match real customer usage. It’s essentially about tailoring the in-car experience to what people actually want day-to-day.

Term

affordable price

They’re saying the goal is to offer these newer tech features without charging a huge premium. It’s about making the upgrades easier to afford.

Concept

personalized sound profile

It’s a feature that “tunes” the car’s speakers to you. The car plays a quick test sound, you tap what you can hear, and then it adjusts the music so it sounds better for your ears.

Company

Google app

They say there’s a Google app already in the car. That app helps run the features they’re talking about, like the personalized audio setup.

Term

hearing test

The car plays different tones and you tell it which ones you can hear. That information helps the audio system adjust the sound for you.

Term

10 band equalizer

A 10-band equalizer splits audio into multiple frequency ranges (“bands”) and lets the system boost or cut each range. Here, the system uses your hearing-test results to automatically adjust those bands so the overall balance matches what you can hear best.

Term

moving parts

“Moving parts” just means there are a lot of different pieces involved. In cars, that usually means lots of systems have to work together.

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Well, today we're sitting here in the 2027 Infinity QX 65 with Gene Mastronardi, who I'm not going to try to

repeat his title because he just have an addition to his title.

So, tell me the whole thing, place how, what are you responsible for?

Sure, thanks, Javier.

Vehicle marketability, so vehicle performance development manager, which is essentially total

vehicle performance, but then also user experience and autonomous drive interface and marketability as well.

So, I guess if I let me translate that in like, simple man words, you build a nice car so people can buy it, and they like it.

Exactly, put simply, we are the customer engineering group.

Our main job is to try and take customer demands, wants, trends, get them implemented in the vehicle, but also

implemented in such a way that the car is easier to use and attractive to the point where people want to use the

tech and, you know, the car works for them.

It sounds really, really interesting because especially nowadays with so much information around there, that the people

have available now, like we were talking last night at dinner, and that's why I got the idea of talking to you about this.

25 years ago, let's say, when I started doing this, the internet was just popping up, like little things, like some pages, but

they, people still, I remember people still talking about the Kelly Blue Book, the actual book.

The actual book, yes, for sure.

Most people don't know that anymore.

Correct.

And nowadays they have tons of information, like a thousand websites, a ton of people like me and other other

journalists who do this.

We try to help, you try to put your product out, but we might confuse people because, like, people get so much and then, I

don't know, I mean, what's the flow of information that you guys work with?

Sure.

So we look at not just what customers want in cars, but how they shop and ways that we can bring our technology out into the

public.

Yeah.

So, for example, one great thing we learned is that, you know, customers are spending a lot longer shopping for a car,

pre-shopping for a car, and then they're trying to go through, as you mentioned, lots of information.

And then some of it's true, some of it's not, right, because sometimes people misrepresent things.

So what we're trying to do is create that focus messaging, talk about topics that customers want to hear and bring them

into the showroom.

And ultimately, we know that customers, you know, research online and then have very short, very short time period where

they're making a decision and it may only be like one car that's their lead candidate.

Yeah.

And the problem that I find with people, when people ask me what kind of friends, neighbors, they see the cars in my driveway,

what car should I buy?

And I tell them what I think would be a good buy fit for that person knowing more or less their budget, not all their

finances, but a little bit like judging by what they've been driving, where they live or what they do or whatever.

But then they said, no, I just want like this brand.

Okay, then why did you ask me that?

Yeah, yeah.

It's kind of frustrating.

And for you guys, with all the technology that constantly pops up in the world and I think you're planning five, seven years ahead.

I mean, that's a very tough job you have.

It is.

We're not just working in my role.

We're not just working to improve products in the current, but we're also trying to do a little forecasting and predicting on where technology

trends will go, for example.

I'll give you a real quick.

The QX 65 has our new third generation wireless charger.

That's one where out of technology, you say, well, a phone charger, how complicated could it be?

But what we quickly learned is customers are expecting, you know, that kind of fast charging performance that they get in their home

chargers that we have to make it work in a car.

Actually, yeah, there's been a lot of, not a lot, but I've heard some people complain like this wireless charger is like so slow.

It doesn't really work.

The phone moves.

I mean, they're very specific details and then they're like thousands of them in a car.

That's the real problem that you face, right?

And just to wrap up on that phone charger, our new phone charger is now 15 watts, so it's going to charge fast.

It has a fan so that when the phone starts to heat up, it's cooling the phone.

And then it also has a magnet.

So whether you have an Apple or Android product, as long as it's magnet compatible, it stays.

Exactly.

The fun that we get to have is we went and tested probably the top 10 or 15 vehicles and chargers and we got to go on our

handling loop in our test track and make sure the phone stays put.

So, you know, these are real world problems that we're trying to solve.

And there's going to be one person that doesn't have one of those 10 phones that are going to say, OK, my phone doesn't

stick, but whatever.

It's impossible.

It's really impossible.

It's really incredible the work you guys do.

And I don't think car companies do justice to all.

I mean, there's thousands of people, right?

Like, who work with you?

Like, how big is your team?

Your team probably is like hundreds of people like working in.

And you mentioned like thousands of little details.

That's right.

Globally, globally, we are our team that kind of as a customer engineering group is quite large.

Locally, our team, there's about eight, nine of us.

Oh, wow.

We we we fall under a much larger organization.

That's about 120.

But the bottom line is the entire organization is very customer focused, customer centric.

It's what we do every day to make sure that our affinity products are meeting their customer.

Yeah, I told the story before and I applied for a fellowship.

My idea was to make a documentary about how cars are made.

And my idea was to bring the first scene was a car.

You exploded into a million or exploded like in the graphic.

Put it out in a million little parts.

Then you take one part.

And in this case, my idea, because then the volume knob was in was trending.

That topic was trending back then.

Yeah, you take the volume knob out and then you start researching how many people work

or make decisions around the volume.

And Alfonso Alvarez, the head designer, told me you cannot believe the amount of

meetings in Japan and in the US.

I was involved by the volume knob.

And it's one of how many 30,000 more parts in account.

Yes, a simple thing like a volume knob.

We have to look at the diameter, the knurling, how the friction with the skin and moisture

in your skin and then we have to look at things like when you rotate the knob,

how many volume levels is it changing?

Is is it reachable?

Is it visible at night?

I know, there's just so many things.

And their companies go, we're just going to get rid of them.

But anyway, that's not the case.

So tell me more about the.

I mean, I'm sure there's like a ton of stories behind the new 65.

But for example, the paint, the paint, I discovered it yesterday.

We were shooting here across the street of the hotel just at the right time when the

sun was very, very neat.

And oh my God, the gold comes out.

Yeah.

So our Vermilion red interior and our red exterior actually has real gold in the paint,

gold flecks in the paint.

So basically what happens is in that paint process, when those gold flecks get layered

into the paint, that gold is very, very reflective.

And so as you pointed out, depending on the angle, you really get that shimmer.

Sometimes it looks gold, like a little bit has a gold hue.

Sometimes it looks dark red.

It's outside.

Yeah, it's incredible.

Yeah.

And then, I mean, the interior of the cabin, I mean, this wood sitting in the top.

Yes, this is the autograph, right?

Like the autograph, like, like supposed stitching, like everything.

What else can you tell me about how was the process of putting all this together?

The clips, the audio system?

So interesting thing, us obviously being a Japanese brand, it's the little details

that we'll get more into today.

But for example, the pattern on the seats, it's an aniline leather seat.

But what you're actually seeing is the pattern is asymmetrical.

And that's because it's meant to represent a kimono.

Because when you have a kimono, you have it going down and then you have it going over this way.

Yeah, this is audio, but you check my videos and you'll see that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So it's meant to be like a wrap.

So different details like that.

Or when you look at other brands, we actually are still putting open poor wood.

I see that.

Yeah, it's beautiful.

Authentic wood.

And it's just when you feel and touch the inside of the vehicle, you feel those touches.

And then you mention, you know, it's not just the feel and touch.

It's the car is the perfect environment to create that kind of calming.

And whether you're calming or, you know, I don't know, sporty driving to work.

We have the Clipsch audio system and in the autograph, it is a 20 speaker system with 1200 watts.

But not just 1200 watts and 20 speakers.

It was tuned in Farmington Hills, Michigan, where I work.

We have a team where we go and tune the vehicles based on their acoustics.

You know, things like that, all those little details are what matter to us.

Yeah, yeah.

And then you also work in the mechanics of the car, like the engine, the powertrain and all that.

Tell us a little bit more about that.

Sure. So QX65 features our VC turbo engine, but it is very uniquely tuned.

This this VC turbo tuning, the engine has been around for more than 12 years.

A word winning engine.

I remember when it came out.

So this tuning is going to be very aggressive, very sporty.

So what you'll feel is very quick downshifts, very quick accelerator response.

The customer will not be waiting very long for the to feel something.

Then we also pair it with our nine speed automatic transmission.

And then the ride and handling is really, I'd like to say, a no compromise ride and handling.

It's a 21 inch tire, but it rides very nice.

You can still it has very good grip, but you're not feeling a jarring ride here.

And this is a very important car for the company, right?

I mean, the QX 60 and 65 is the most sold vehicle.

Yeah, QX 60 is by far our most sold vehicle.

And so we feel 65 positioned in there is also just a natural progression.

A little bit at a tip of the hat to the previous FX series.

And something very, very attractive car, even still today.

So we feel that's a good natural progression for someone who is either,

you know, early in their in their successful career later and just looking for a car

that is more rewarding and individual about them.

Yeah. And these take some cues, design cues from the QX 80 that

debuted at a couple of years ago in New York, by the way, the most spectacular

the view of a car I've seen in, I don't know, probably ever.

I mean, on top of the edge in New York, 110 stories up.

That was really, really amazing.

And the weather cooperated.

It was a little cold, but it was really, really nice.

But again, like this car, I'm not going to say it's like clothing, large,

medium, small, but it takes some of the details, right?

Like the idea, like Alfonso Albais and his team put into the face of the company,

like the image, right?

That's right.

So the QX 80 is very large on frame vehicle.

So obviously completely different audience.

But this vehicle is on our D platform, D segment SUV platform,

but it takes those design cues.

For example, the front grille resembles a bit of the QX 80.

It has bamboo.

Yeah, I remember that.

Yes, it's actually meant to look flowing.

We have the digital piano keys headlights.

So they're very slim and sleek.

They give it a very athletic looking front.

Yeah.

What about a little more about that technology infotainment system?

What are the new things in this car?

Sure.

So we have the Google built in, you know, and also our ProPilot assist 2.1.

So it does have Autonomous Drive.

Those are some of our key technologies, the Clipster audio system.

Think things like that.

And then the most important thing is we try to put content in the car

that customers are using.

Everything that we hear that they want at a very affordable price.

We do that.

And that process of hearing people must, I mean, it's endless.

I mean, you could still be working, you want it, right?

But I guess it gets to a point where, OK, we're going to we're going to go with this,

especially with technology, as we say, it evolves so quickly.

But I mean, I'm always amazed, like you guys come up with what seems to be

right at the moment.

I don't know.

You probably can reveal the secrets of that process, but it's pretty amazing.

I will tell you a little experience you're going to have this afternoon

that I think will really amazing if you have not.

It's called personalized sound profile.

OK. So this was actually developed by our engineers

that sit right next to me in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

We developed a Google app that's already downloaded in these vehicles.

And you'll have a live demonstration later today.

What it does is it is an industry first and no OEM has done this.

The audio system, our 20 speaker clips will give you a hearing test.

Oh, really? Oh, my God, I'm afraid.

I'm going to fail.

I'm going to be all right.

Well, here, you know what?

You know what? You just led me exactly to the point.

So what it does is it gives you a very short three minute hearing test

that plays some tones and then you tell it by touching the screen what you can hear.

Oh, wow. What it does is it takes a 10 band equalizer

and it adjusts it based on the frequencies you can hear.

And what that does for the client is they're hearing music as it was meant to be heard.

So when you are in the vehicle,

what you're hearing is the music as it was intended.

So it's adjusting levels so that things that frequencies

that you may not be able to hear, you can suddenly hear. Oh, my God.

So like this guy is a very new, new design, new technology.

New is like going to the ear doctor and then gold in the paint.

Gold in the paint. That's incredible.

Yes. Well, congratulations.

And again, I think car company should give more credit to you guys

because a lot of people talk about the CEO, the engineers, which are important.

I'm not saying they're not.

But there are so many people, very interesting people like you.

You work. It's amazing. I mean, like I'm talking to you.

I can't tell that you enjoy it so much.

I absolutely love it.

And it's it's incredible because there's there's always people behind the car.

The cars are amazing as a minus the end result of all that effort

and experience and collaborations and all that.

But there's always people.

So thank you very much for your time, for your insights.

And we're going to go and get ready to drive.

Yeah, let's go drive together.

Your test. All right. Thank you.

Thank you.

That's it for today's AI auto podcast with Javier Mota.

Hope you enjoyed the ride as much as we did.

Tune in next time for more on how AI steering the wheel of tomorrow's autos.

Drive safe, stay curious and catch you later.

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About this episode

Gene Mastronardi, Infiniti’s customer engineering/vehicle performance lead, breaks down how the 2027 QX65 is shaped by real customer behavior and “focus messaging” as shoppers research online and decide fast. Highlights include real gold flecks in Vermilion red paint, kimono-inspired asymmetrical seat stitching, authentic open-pore wood, and a 20-speaker/1200-watt Klipsch audio system tuned in Michigan. Tech details cover Google built-in, ProPilot Assist 2.1, a next-gen wireless charger, and a personalized sound profile hearing test that calibrates a 10-band EQ to your ears.

10 band equalizer 15 watts 21 inch tire aniline leather seat audio system autonomous drive interface customer engineering group customer focused, customer centric digital piano keys headlights D platform, D segment SUV platform

Infiniti FX Infiniti QX60 Infiniti QX80

Original notes

In this episode we’re in Nashville for an exclusive first drive of the all-new 2027 Infiniti QX65, where we break down the SUV’s bold new direction, including the stunning Sunfire Red paint infused with real gold-coated glass flakes, a refined driving experience, and a tech-forward interior designed for comfort and connectivity.

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AI Auto Podcast

Javier Mota

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