NAPA, Calif. – Confession time. I type of forgot that the Infiniti QX80 exists. Positive, it’s gotten a refresh or two up to now few years, nevertheless it’s basically been the identical huge ol’ three-row SUV since 2010. I’m fairly positive I used to name it Fudgie the Whale. Or perhaps it was Pudgie the Whale. Like I stated, it’s been a minute.
Now I’ve gotten a style of the 2025 QX80 and hey, what have you learnt, there’s a lot to love. The third-generation of the body-on-frame SUV goes huge on tech, fashion and luxury, making it a decent triple into the right-center hole. Nevertheless, its trip high quality retains the QX80 from being a house run.
Fudgie’s V8 was nixed in favor of a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 good for 450 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Positive, it doesn’t sound fairly pretty much as good because the older powerplant, nevertheless it produces extra energy and higher gas financial system as well – 18 mpg mixed with rear-wheel drive and 17 with four-wheel drive. The previous one managed solely 15 mpg with four-wheel drive. With low-mpg numbers like these, that’s truly an enormous distinction. The brand new turbo V6 is well-mated to a nine-speed automated transmission, placing the facility right down to the rear wheels as commonplace in Pure and Luxe trims, or all 4 wheels as an choice with these trims or as commonplace with the upper Sensory and Autograph.
There aren’t any complaints about energy supply. It has greater than sufficient grunt for merging and the transmission downshifts readily for simple passing. There are 5 drive modes in addition to a Private setting, however I spend my time alternating between Commonplace and Sport. The latter tightens up the steering and powertrain, permitting the SUV to hustle pretty effectively on a twisty street with out a lot physique roll. It’s no Mercedes-AMG GLS, however beginning at underneath $85,000 together with vacation spot, it’s not practically as costly both.
It’s if you’re simply toddling round city that the trip high quality turns into an issue. All however the base Pure trim comes geared up with an “Digital Air Suspension” and “Dynamic Digital Suspension,” the latter operate monitoring the QX80’s motions to electronically apply damping forces. This isn’t essentially something new within the automotive world, however different producers simply do it higher. Up and down motions are well-controlled, however I’ve been in row boats with extra side-to-side stability. My head will get tossed round like I’m piloting a Jeep on a dusty again street, and all I’m doing is driving the paved streets of Napa Valley, California.
I’d be curious to drive the bottom Pure mannequin with out the Digital Dynamic Suspension to see if the usual coil-spring suspension makes any distinction. Sadly, there weren’t any out there at this press occasion. Because it stands, I wouldn’t purchase an SUV that makes me vaguely queasy, not to mention $112,590 for the Autograph trim I drove.
It’s a disgrace too, as a result of there are such a lot of different issues that Infiniti bought so very proper. The styling is 100% on level and I’d put it up subsequent to the Vary Rover or Cadillac Escalade any day. Infiniti says the grille was impressed by a bamboo forest – if they are saying so, however the QX80 has a really good-looking face. The segmented daytime operating lights are up excessive and slender whereas the headlamps are decrease, forming a little bit of a dimple on both aspect of the grille. There may be even some cool destructive house occurring right here as a part of the aerodynamics, funneling air across the wheel wells.
Twenty-inch wheels are the smallest you’ll get, however the 22s on my tester look proper at residence on the QX80. Door handles are flush with the physique, coming out if you strategy the rig, nevertheless it’s the rear finish that basically seals the deal right here. The horizontal LED gentle bar spans the total 83 inches of width, and it’s segmented just like the operating lights up entrance. Nevertheless, the bar is narrower within the center, giving it a cool, edgy look. Sturdy work, Infiniti.
The wonderful design continues inside with open-pore wooden trim and aluminum accents, semi-aniline quilted leather-based seats and loads of soft-touch surfaces. The seats are supremely comfortable with all trims getting heated in all three rows. Most trims get cooled first- and second-row seats, and there’s even an out there therapeutic massage operate within the first and second rows. It’s not essentially the most refreshing therapeutic massage on the face of the planet, however therapeutic massage is like pizza – even dangerous therapeutic massage remains to be therapeutic massage.
And it’s lots roomy, too. The third row is definitely comfy for full-sized adults, which hasn’t been a given for full-size SUVs, they usually even recline a bit. The second-row seats take a little bit of time to maneuver out of the best way, however as soon as they’re moved ahead, it’s straightforward sufficient to get into that third row. All rows get USB-C cost ports with as much as 15 watts of energy for fast machine charging.
Dominating the sprint are two 14.3-inch shows. The gauge cluster is configurable 3 ways, and the middle show comes with Google Constructed-in. Which means built-in Google Maps with better performance than the CarPlay norm, downloadable apps from Google Play, and voice management courtesy of Google Assistant. What’s actually cool is that navigation instructions, music and cellphone calls may be set to play simply via the driving force’s aspect headrest speaker, essentially the most novel of 24 different audio system included with the Klipsch Reference sound system (Sensory and Autograph trims). Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are commonplace as effectively, however you gained’t get the person audio operate.
Underneath the infotainment display is a 9-inch touchscreen for HVAC and drive mode controls. This one makes use of haptic suggestions to let you know you’ve efficiently chosen a characteristic, nevertheless it takes fairly the stab to get it performed – a light-weight faucet or swipe gained’t do it. Slightly below this display is the push-button transmission selector surrounded by a piano black floor. Be ready for many fingerprints on this part of the sprint.
Nevertheless, my favourite characteristic right here is the Autograph’s cooling heart console field. It’s sufficiently big for a six-pack of soda and tall sufficient to accommodate bigger bottles of water and whatnot. The “Cool Field” out there within the Lexus GX is way smaller. On the onset of my trip, I instantly put two bottles of Eating regimen Dr Pepper contained in the field they usually had been chilled to perfection inside quarter-hour.
Though I query the utility of a number of the QX80’s expertise, I can’t deny the practicality of the 170-degree entrance huge view digicam characteristic. In an Infiniti-designed demonstration, the digicam was in a position to see a baby’s bicycle hidden behind one other SUV parked simply ahead and to my proper. It was not seen to me within the driver’s seat. The tech is much more spectacular when displayed throughout each screens.
Different cool digicam methods are an invisible hood characteristic that initiatives a picture of what’s underneath the automobile to the 2 inside screens in addition to a 360-degree digicam that may detect transferring objects and comes with eight pre-selected viewing angles. I’m additionally right here for the rear digicam mirror, which offers a wide-angle video feed of the view behind the automobile on to the rear view mirror. It’s notably useful when your rearview would in any other case be crammed with the heads and baggage of passengers.
The QX80 Sensory and Autograph have a built-in dashcam that may routinely file any site visitors occasions. Drivers may also manually hit the file button in case of, say, their good friend making a idiot out of themselves by dancing in entrance of the SUV to reveal the characteristic. Not that my mates would try this. My mates are extra doubtless to make use of the in-car digicam to take a selfie picture or file a podcast with the video recording characteristic. It’s definitely a neat little gizmo and you’ll entry the digicam via the Infiniti app and get an inside cabin look in actual time. Nevertheless, this nonetheless looks like novelty tech.
The least serviceable tech characteristic has bought to be the biometric cooling additionally discovered within the prime two trims. In concept this infrared sensor detects when a second-row passenger is overheated and routinely adjusts the zoned local weather management to max cooling. I imply, it’s useful that the driving force doesn’t should do something however how laborious is it to simply set the HVAC for 65 and hit the Auto button? Not very.
As for superior driver’s aids, all the standard suspects are right here, together with blind-spot monitoring that works when towing a trailer as much as 33 toes in size. ProPilot Help is right here in each hands-on and hands-off guise. The extra superior ProPilot Help 2.1 even has a two-mode lane-change characteristic. The motive force can provoke a lane change by signaling after which let the automobile make the steering and throttle inputs. Nevertheless, I let the automobile determine when to alter lanes based mostly on surrounding site visitors and my set pace. As the driving force, I’ve to simply accept the lane change, however the maneuver is completed cleanly.
The QX80 can tow as much as 8,500 kilos and cargo house has expanded significantly to higher haul youngsters and their required detritus. Behind the third row is now 22 cubic-feet of house (quite a bit amongst full-size SUVs), increasing to 59 cubes with the third row folded flat, then to 101 with each rows folded. The air suspension can decrease the QX80 practically 3 inches for simple loading of cargo in addition to passengers.
In all, I’m very impressed with the 2025 Infiniti QX80. Its design is stellar, the powertrain is on level, and the options and expertise are all an enormous enchancment over the earlier era. I want the trip high quality had been a bit extra sorted, however that is likely to be one thing the corporate can deal with in subsequent yr’s mannequin or via an over-the-air replace.
