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The most advanced gasoline engine on the planet may get lost in the 2019 Infiniti QX 50.

The luxury crossover SUV likely will be coveted for its good looks, spacious interior, and advanced safety features—none of those are bad things.

Buyers will notice its fuel-efficiency without knowing what makes the engine work, and that’s just fine.

We start with the inside, like most owners. The QX 50 adopts an elegant style direction for Infiniti, evidenced by its stitched dash and comfortable seats. The good news gets better in top trims with diamond-stitched, natural leather and suede inserts, although every version is serenely quiet.

Outside, the QX50 takes elements from other Infiniti vehicles (dramatically kinked roof pillar, open grille, and sculpted hood) and wraps them in a popular crossover shape.

Infiniti fundamentally changes how it delivers power with the 2019 QX 50's new engine. Under the hood, a 2-liter turbo-4 can vary how much power it delivers based on need by varying its displacement. It's a nifty trick that involves vast amounts of engineering brainpower, but operates seamlessly for drivers.

The bottom line is a 30-percent gain in fuel economy returns over the last generation. The EPA rates the QX 50 up to 27 mpg combined.

Five adults won’t have a problem fitting comfortably in the QX 50, which boasts a sliding rear seat that offers up to 38.7 inches of rear seat leg room—tops in its class. The front seats are even better; high-density foam borrowed from parent-company Nissan makes the Infiniti QX 50 all-day comfortable.

Forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking are standard on all QX 50s, and active safety features are available on top trim levels.

Base QX 50s don’t skimp on features, but we start with the mid-grade and move up from there. The top trim level offers surprising value—and better options.

All trim levels include at least 19-inch wheels, Bluetooth connectivity, power adjustable front seats, and a dual-screen infotainment system. We have our beef with that dual-screen setup—especially that it doesn’t offer alternatives from Apple or Android—but acknowledge that it may not be a deal-breaker.

More attractive to shoppers will be the 27 mpg combined in front-drive versions or 26 mpg combined in all-wheel-drive versions of the QX 50.

Infiniti’s latest design direction comes together in the 2019 QX 50.

The luxury crossover SUV sports the same elements from other vehicles in the lineup: double-arch grille, dramatic rear roof pillar kink, and bulging hood, but in more tasteful ways.

The cabin is filled with classy touches that are in Infiniti’s wheelhouse. The cohesive package looks better with more money thrown at it: natural leather and diamond quilting looks the high-class part, while open pore wood and available blue suede headliners add a palatable lick of style. The dual-screen infotainment system may be at odds with the elegant approach, and some trims of the QX 50 are let down by black plastic by the gear selector. Those are small quibbles.

Bystanders will get a good view of Infiniti’s latest design language, particularly up front. The sculpted nose is punctuated by an aggressive hood, and the big grille sports an equally big luxury badge up front. From the rear three-quarter view, the light dips and ducks around the doors—breaking up the large swathes of sheet metal required to cover a crossover these days.

The 2019 Infiniti QX 50 boasts an excellent drivetrain with tech that’s easy to overlook.

Wrapped in luxury crossover clothes, the 2-liter turbo-4 under the hood is a remarkable achievement for its frugality and ingenuity.

The short of the long: Infiniti’s variable compression 2-liter turbo-4 can fundamentally change how it operates to save fuel or provide more power. It’s the first mass-produced, mainstream variable-compression engine, and it nets a 30-percent improvement in fuel economy without sacrificing quickness compared to the V-6 it replaced.

On paper, the turbo-4 makes 268 horsepower, which is less than the 325 hp found in the outgoing version. Torque is up in the new version: 280 pound-feet compared to 267 lb-ft in the V-6.

The net for most drivers will mean more low-speed power in around-town cruising but less top-end power high in the rev range. Most drivers may willingly make that sacrifice for a 30 percent improvement in fuel economy, we think.

The early versions we drove had peaky torque delivery and sharp throttle responses, which may take some drivers time to acclimatize if those make it into production versions. We’ll report back once we’ve driven cars destined for dealer lots.