One of the most awaited highlights from the Nissan stable this year is the launch of the new full-size luxury SUV, the 2011 Infiniti QX56, that goes on sale in the US later this summer.

In a press release dated 14 Jan, 2010, Nissan and its luxury wing, Infiniti confirmed participation in the 2010 New York International Auto Show which kicks off on March 30, 2010, thereby ending any and all speculation of a pull-out by the Japanese automaker giant.

Nissan North America product public relations director, Scott Vazin said, “The show perfectly suits our needs in terms of launch timing, media attendance and, most importantly, our customer base.” Nissan North America is very smart and aware of the venue and the launch — it is a known fact among auto makers in the industry that New York is a very important designated market area.

The spy shots were out and up for public speculation sometime last September during the 2009 Dubai Auto Show, and around the same time Nissan decided to close production of the current 2010 Infiniti QX56 and the Nissan Armada at its Canton plant in Mississippi, paving way for the 2011 version to be outsourced overseas to a Nissan plant in Japan.

It will be powered by a 5.6-L V8 engine and rated at more than 400 hp similar to the phased-out 2010 version. Besides retaining certain styling elements from the current phased out version, the vehicle is much smoother, with harder angles and a slightly modified grill and D-pillar treatment.

The 2011 Nissan QX56 is going to be a close rival to the Range Rover Sport and the Lexus LX570 in terms of price. It has a price tag somewhere close to $56,000- $60,000 which is slightly a little below the Range Rover and somewhat above the Lexus, thereby keeping the competition fairly close.