The 2025 Infiniti QX80. The daytime running lights are meant to resemble the keys of a piano.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
During the 13-year run for the Infiniti QX80, it has been left behind by newer and more modern competitors like the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator, both of which enjoy much higher rankings on the sales charts.
For the 2025 model year, we finally get an all-new QX80 and it’s the first model that’s part of Infiniti’s rebirth in which the company says it will embrace its roots.
Neel Surve, senior product planner with Infiniti Canada, says the brand is “doubling down on their Japanese DNA.” They’ve incorporated elements of this into the design like the front grille inspired by bamboo forests and patterns in the door pockets reminiscent of the sand in a zen garden.
“It’s the first car featuring our new brand identity,” he says. “The grille, piano key headlights, even the Infiniti wordmark at the rear.”
The QX80 is the largest and most expensive vehicle in Infiniti’s lineup. It’s grown in all dimensions from the previous version and the design is almost exactly like the QX Monograph concept shown last year. The size increase translates to more space in all three rows, but it’s the third row that’s the most impressive with a comfortable seat that’s not too low to the ground and enough knee and legroom to accommodate my six-foot frame while still leaving space for the passenger in front. It’s much easier to get back there too with conveniently placed controls to fold the seat and a larger space to step through.
While space might be a big requirement for a full-size SUV, the QX80 is also a luxury product and is priced accordingly.
“This is not a customer that’s just looking for a big vehicle that’s practical,” says Surve. “In terms of budget, they can probably buy anything they want, so it’s what the car brings, what’s unique and special that matters.”
Infiniti says the cabin was inspired by private jets, which are the pinnacle of luxury travel. Sumptuous quilted leather covers the seats. The first and second-row seats are heated and cooled and the third row is heated for the first time.
Pricing starts at $104,995 and tops out at $124,995 for a fully equipped QX80 Autograph, which gets massaging seats in the first and second row and a cool box, essentially a large fridge under the front armrest.
Dual 14.3-inch screens are controlled by another, lower nine-inch touchscreen, but happily a volume knob remains. There are some innovative new camera angles that can be accessed including one that allows you to see around large objects and another that allows you to see through the floor of the vehicle. You can also geotag a specific camera view to a certain location like your driveway, and it will pop up every time you’re there. The new camera views can also be stretched to cover both screens, which Infiniti says is a world first.
The addition of a new hands-free autonomous driving system that can also change lanes seems like a direct response to Cadillac and Lincoln’s hands-free systems. Infiniti isn’t hiding the fact that it benchmarked those two vehicles when designing the QX80.
Surve says the driving experience offers “a perfect balance” of comfort and driving dynamics and size was an important consideration for them. On one hand it needs to be big to accommodate up to eight passengers, but it can’t be so big as to hamper agility.
There’s little feel from the steering, but the QX80 is more nimble than its size would suggest. The air suspension does an admirable job of soaking up lumpy surfaces and keeps the QX80 reasonably flat through the winding roads in California. The twin-turbo V6 in the Infiniti offers 450 horsepower and 515 lb-ft of torque and while it can’t match the sonorous quality of Cadillac’s V8, it’s more powerful and more efficient. The V6 is smooth and there’s lots of torque for passing slower vehicles. The Cadillac and the Lincoln feel bigger and heavier behind the wheel, giving the QX80 the dynamic edge, but only slightly.
Driving dynamics are probably of less concern to a QX80 customer. For these drivers, it’s the design and the execution of the interior materials and how premium everything looks and feels that matters more.
And of course, there’s also the badge, which can often become the deciding factor. The QX80 is comfortable and feels as premium as anything it competes with. There’s even a new 24-speaker Klipsch audio system that can belt out the beats if you feel so inclined.
This is the best QX80 yet and it sets a high bar for the rest of the brand’s transformation, but it also doesn’t really do anything unique for the segment. It merely comes across as another good choice in an ever-expanding sea of premium SUVs. Whether it’s enough to steal sales away from the segment leaders remains to be seen. Expect the new QX80 to be in dealers by mid-summer.
Tech Specs
2025 Infiniti QX80 Autograph
- Base price / as-tested: $104,995 / $124,995 plus $2,495 for freight, pre-delivery inspection and fees, plus tax
- Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6, 450 hp, 515 lb-ft of torque
- Transmission / drive: Nine-speed automatic / all-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): 15.1 city; 12.2 highway; 13.8 combined
- Alternatives: Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, BMW X7, Lexus LX
The taillights are supposed to mimic the lights of a city skyline dancing off the water.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Looks
It’s still bloated, but this is the best styling effort for the QX80 yet. The daytime running lights resemble the keys of a piano and the taillights are supposed to mimic the lights of a city skyline dancing off the water, but it’s probably not going to win any beauty contests.
The 2025 Infiniti QX80 Autograph has side-by-side 14.3-inch screens that are controlled by another, lower nine-inch touchscreen.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Interior
The designers wanted it to remind you of a private jet inside with luxuriously trimmed seats, finely stitched leather and expensive feeling wood trim. There’s a big control screen for second-row passengers who also get niceties like a massage function and ventilated seats. Autograph trims get a fridge under the armrest that chilled my large bottle of water in about 20 minutes. I suspect you could easily fit a six-pack in there. Coke, of course.
The lower nine-inch touchscreen.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Performance
The V6 is fairly efficient and it moves the large and heavy QX80 quite swiftly down the motorway. SUVs like this aren’t built for any sort of driving enjoyment, but the big Infiniti does pretty well on twisty roads.
The 2025 Infiniti QX80 Autograph comes with a fridge under the front armrest.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Technology
The new camera angles, especially the one that lets you see around cars and other objects will come in handy in tight parking lots or driveways. Second-row passengers get biometric cooling that uses infrared technology to determine how hot or cold you are and can cool you down automatically. Nissan’s Propilot hands-free driving tech is good, but GM’s Super Cruise is still the better system.
The third row is big enough for adults to be comfortable.Kunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
Cargo
With all three rows in place, there’s 623 litres of cargo space, 28 per cent more than the previous QX80. Fold all three rows down and it expands to 2,860 litres. If it still doesn’t fit, the QX80 can tow up to 8,500 pounds, which is the most in its class.
The 2025 Infiniti QX80 Autograph is powered by a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 engineKunal D'souza/The Globe and Mail
The verdict
Infiniti has thrown everything it can at the new QX80, which is now more competitive than it’s ever been. While it’s worthier of consideration than ever before, it doesn’t exactly bring anything distinct to the table to entice loyal Cadillac and Lincoln buyers away from their rides.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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