Infiniti QX80 review: All-new model

The new QX80 pulls off a clever visual trick: it’s still massive, but looks like a regular SUV.
The soft, bulbous curves of the old model are gone – as are the sad droopy headlights. In their place: sharp lines, flush surfaces, a dramatically oversized grille, and LED lighting bright enough to guide ships into port. It’s as if the QX80 went to an overpriced Swiss clinic and came back with cheekbones and confidence.

The design team clearly spent time in a Range Rover and thought, “Why not us?” There’s open-pore ash wood, quilted semi-aniline leather, and ambient lighting with 64 colour options. Twin 14.3-inch screens handle infotainment and instrumentation, with a third touchscreen dedicated to climate control.

And this one makes you feel cared for. The seats are palatial, with bolstering that improves posture and cooling tech that uses biometric data to track your body temperature and adjust airflow accordingly.

A 24-speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere set-up turns the cabin into a sound studio. A new feature called Individual Audio that isolates phone calls to the driver's seat headrest speakers while other passengers can continue listening to music.

Under the bonnet, Infiniti has swapped its old-school V8 for a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6. V8 purists may mourn, but the new engine delivers 450 horsepower and 699Nm of torque – more than enough to make this 2.7 tonne leviathan feel surprisingly light on its feet.

It still tows up to 3.8 tonnes – so your boat, horse, or desert caravan is in good hands. But what really matters is the throttle response: there’s urgency now, not the moan of a straining engine.

The QX80 debuts Infiniti’s most advanced driver-assist system yet: ProPilot Assist 2.1, allowing hands-free driving on select roads. It’s not quite autonomous, but it’s close enough for motorway cruising.

The QX80 now comes in four trims: Pure, Luxe, Sensory and the fully loaded Autograph.

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