ANTICIPATION HAD BEEN SWELLING FOR MONTHS, BUT THE REVEAL OF INFINITI’S FLAGSHIP QX80 WITH ITS TECH-DECKED INTERIOR AND SILKY-SLEEK SHAPE WAS WORTH THE LESSON IN PATIENCE
BY AMANDA McCOY
The most memorable meals often begin with an appetizer, a piquing palate pleaser before the main course. Last August, six months before Infiniti lifted the curtain on the third generation of its flagship QX80, it served hungry enthusiasts the QX Monograph Concept. Introduced at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California, the svelte, futuristic high-rider served as a preview for the forthcoming redesign, and it only fueled appetites. In March, with expectations high, the Japanese maker revealed the all-new QX80, the first Infiniti to nab a six-figure tag.
First debuted in 2004, the QX80 is Infiniti’s largest soldier, a beefy three-row SUV with the polish and panache of a luxury chariot. The 2025 reimagining is the first production model to reflect the brand’s “product renaissance,” a sweeping range refresh inspired by the Japanese concept of Artistry in Motion. It kicks off a string of upcoming releases, including a slick, two-row QX65 crossover coupe (Infiniti also teased an all-electric SUV). The QX80’s graceful new look is rooted in understated elegance: strong, angular lines, flush door handles, and blacked-out door pillars for a sleek but assured stance. It’s the first variant to flaunt Infiniti’s new double-arch front grille, featuring a large open mouth balanced by slim, multi-element LED daytime running lights at either side. But grace alone isn’t enough to make a stir in an increasingly cut-throat segment (the global luxury SUV market is expected to surge another 18% by 2030), and Infiniti double-downed on the gusto with a meaty new powerplant. A 3.5-liter twin-turbo charged V-6 churns out 450 ponies and 516 lb.-ft. of torque, a bump from 400 horsepower and 413 lb.-ft. of torque in the outgoing V-8 (like many makers, Infiniti shed a gas-guzzling, naturally aspirated big block for a smaller, turbo-charged engine).
In addition to a suite of Infiniti firsts from a pair of 14.3-inch digital screens to an electronic air suspension the QX80 boasts several segment firsts, including a clever biometric cooling system that uses an infrared sensor in the vehicle’s headliner to detect when a passenger is too warm, instantly adjusting the temperature and directing airflow to that seat. Front Wide View, another first-in-class, offers a 170-degree vista around the sides of the vehicle, ideal for squeezing into impossible parking spaces.
The QX80 hit dealerships this summer, with a starting MSRP just above $82,000. It tops out around $110,000.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, drivers can opt for an electronic air suspension, lowering by just shy of three inches when parked for easy loading. For unpaved expeditions, an off-road function raises the ground clearance by a couple inches to maximize toughness.
THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT TRIMS, including the top-dollar Autograph, which adds snazzy features like 22-inch wheels, open-pore ash wood trim, and a sleek two-toned roof and dark chrome exterior accents.
SIT BACK AND LET THE COMPUTER TAKE THE WHEEL with the latest version of Infiniti’s active cruise system, the ProPILOT Assist 2.1, which offers hands free driving in certain freeway conditions.
BRING ON THE BASS WITH KLIPSCH PREMIUM AUDIO, offering up to 24 speakers and 1,200 watts of power. The new system debuts Dynamic Audio Reveal technology, which actively adjusts audio equalization to mask background noise for clean, crisp sound. A nifty Individual Audio function sends certain elements, like navigation or phone calls, directly to the speakers embedded in the driver’s headrest, so the other passengers can focus on belting out Beyoncé lyrics.
THIS IS INFINITI’S PLUSHEST CABIN YET. Think massaging first and second row seats, semi-aniline leather finishes, and a personalized ambient lighting system with 64 different color options.
Edison Infiniti
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