Third-generation, three-row SUV moves to a split-headlight arrangement and swaps its naturally-aspirated V8 for a twin-turbo V6
https://www.carscoops.com/author/chris-chilton-cc/
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by Chris Chilton
2 hours ago
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Infiniti’s giant QX80 SUV was launched 20 years ago as the QX56, and while the name has changed, one thing hasn’t: the biggest QX has always been among the ugliest SUVs you can buy. But the third-generation model Nissan’s upscale brand is getting ready to reveal has clearly had enough of looking like a rolling Victorian freak show and is bringing some real style to the table.
Style? Okay, let’s just check ourselves there, because there’s only so much a designer can do when told to package a vehicle that the engineering department has already decreed must be shaped like a 1970s school bus. But last year’s QX80 Monograph Concept introduced us to a QX that was boxy, brutalist, and undeniably cool at the same time. And judging by these latest spy shots the production version is all but identical.
There are definitely some strong Range Rover influences going on with the new QX’s styling that give it a modern look. Adding to the contemporary feel are the flush door handles and split light arrangement that places the DRLs in a thin strip at the top of the fender and the real headlights some way down the same panel. Ditching the kink in the D-pillar (this car uses camo to hide the new design) helps make the SUV look less heavy around the rear, and the new grille is meant to look like bamboo shoots.
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But it’s not like Infiniti has thrown everything from the outgoing model away. Common themes like the vents in the front fender are carried across. What isn’t expected to be carried over is the current QX’s 5.6-liter naturally-aspirated V8, which gives way to a twin-turbo V6 that should be good for 450 hp (456 PS) and also be more fuel efficient.
We’re still waiting to get a glimpse of the interior, but we do know it will feature a high-end Klipsch audio system with 24 speakers, titanium tweeters, an eight-inch subwoofer, and of course, a 24-channel amplifier.
The word is Infiniti will reveal the QX80 before the end of the summer, which should mean it will go on sale this fall for the 2025 model year. Prices are likely to start at around $80k, and like the outgoing SUV, it’ll be battling over customers with rivals that include BMW’s X7.
