Infiniti's 2019 QX50 Is the First Car With a Variable Compression Engine

The coolest thing about Infiniti's newly redesigned QX50 crossover has nothing to do with its looks, its technological goodies, or even its ability to (kinda) drive itself. No, the best thing about this vehicle is sitting under the hood, and it's got an important message for the drivers of Earth: Reports of the internal combustion engine's demise might be a tad premature. That's because this compact five-seater features the world's first variable compression engine. We've known about this clever system for a few years, but now it's finally entering the market. The trick lies in the engine's ability to change the compression ration, which determines how tightly the pistons squeeze the air and fuel before the spark plug ignites the mixture (that's the combustion bit). It does that by changing the angle of a center link, which rotates around the crank shaft and separates upper and lower piston links, and thus the distance the piston travels up the cylinder.