The New Infiniti QX80 Learned Nothing From The Jeep Grand Wagoneer

The 2025 Infiniti QX80 is a hulking, imposing thing. It’s a chiseled brick of luxury SUV with a big job to do. It was built to replace a model that’s been in production for a full fourteen years, and to lead the Infiniti range.

At a glance, the QX80 is pretty much what everyone was expecting after the debut of the QX Monograph concept last year. It’s an ultra-modern take on an Infiniti SUV that still sticks to the slab-sided fundamentals the brand has traded on over the years. Indeed, it’s almost worth asking why Infiniti didn’t just announce the final model then, given how closely the production model hews to the concept. Even the edgy headlights made it over to the real thing.

Fundamentally, though, this is the long-awaited fresh start for Infiniti’s top-tier SUV. Let’s look at what the new model gives you for your money.

Fresh and New

This time around, V8 power is out. Instead, the QX80 rocks a twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 good for 450 horsepower and a hefty 516 pound-feet of torque. That’s an increase of 50 horsepower and 103 pound-feet over the last generation. It’s paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. Infiniti says the auto has a 40% wider spread of gear ratios to provide quick acceleration and efficient cruising at highway speeds. Funny how we used to think four speeds were enough, right?

Notably, despite its relation to the Nissan Patrol line, not every QX80 will have four-wheel drive. Pure and Luxe trims can be had with rear-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive, while Sensory and Autograph trims get all-paw grip as standard.

Really, though, the QX80 isn’t about engines and drivetrains. It’s about comfort. You get a swooshy dashboard with glowing lines and lots of leather on everything. In the top Autograph trim level, the seats have a “stitched finish effect that is partially completed by hand” if that sort of thing excites you. There’s a nice dot-quilting pattern on the seats, too, along with lashings of ash wood trim in the cabin. It’s nothing you haven’t heard of before, but it’s nicely done.

Captain’s chairs are standard on the second row across the range. You can have a bench if you prefer in most trims. There’s also a “walk-in” feature that sees the seats move for easier access to the third row. Both second and third rows get more legroom over the previous model, too, Cargo space behind the second and third rows is up 18 and 30 percent over the previous model, if you’re conscious about luggage.

Two 14.3-inch screens are key to the user interface of the vehicle. One is used as a dash cluster, while the other serves as the main infotainment display. They have the usual complement of wireless Android Auto and CarPlay functionality. The system also has Google features built in. This means you can download apps and ask the Google Assistant totally normal questions, like “Hey Google, navigate to my nearest INFINITI retailer.”

Supporting this with a soft ride, the Qx80 gets electronic air suspension or something called Dynamic Digital Suspension, depending on what you choose for your vehicle. The air suspension option has a party trick, though, as it lowers the car up to 2.8 inches when parked to allow for easier entry and egress. It can also raise the vehicle up 2.4 inches for better clearance offroad.

Long-overdue tech is now available on the QX80 as well. The new model will get a color heads-up display for the first time. Meanwhile, the new electric power steering finally enables the QX80 to implement lane-keeping assist and Infiniti’s ProPilot Assist 2.1 driving aid. Unlike some rival systems, ProPilot does allow the driver to remove their hands from the wheel under certain conditions, but attention must remain on the road. In any case, it’s a sharp contrast to the outgoing QX80, which relied on hydraulic power steering and didn’t have these now-common features. At best, it made do by using only the brakes to help prevent lane departure instead.

There’s also one feature I’d like to draw specific attention to. The QX-80 has something called “Biometric Cooling” which Infiniti says is a “segment-first technology.” It uses an infrared sensor in the headliner to detect the body temperature of passengers. It then adjusts the temperature of the second-row HVAC accordingly if they’re too hot. The idea is if you’re chilling in the car, but you pick up a friend who’s just been on a big run, the system will cool them down quicker without changing the HVAC up front. While this specific implementation is unique, it’s worth noting that Jeep implemented this Predator-like heat sense decades ago.

Real Talk

So what does all this set you back? The Pure RWD model starts as low as $84,445 including the destination charge, but before other fees. Stepping up to 4WD costs a further $3,100. At the top of the tree, you’ll pay at least $112,590 for an Autograph model before options. Those figures are a sizable hike over the old model. The Pure is over $8,000 more expensive than the former base model. With the more luxurious trims now firmly in the six-figure range, it’s brand new territory for the QX80.

On the one hand, it’s understandable that prices would go up. Inflation is a thing, and the new QX80 is offering a lot that the last model didn’t. At the same time, it’s hard not to look at the luxury SUV segment and draw some concerning comparisons.

Let’s take the Jeep Grand Wagoneer as an instructive example. It saw Jeep making a big (grand?) play into the six-figure pond with lashings of luxury and expensive appointments. The problem was that a mass of buyers willing to pay that much simply didn’t exist. Just a few short months ago The Autopian reported on Grand Wagoneers sitting on lots with discounts stretching up to $38,000. That’s not a typo.

In the post-pandemic market, prices have been cooling off after their initial march to the Moon. Infiniti is betting that it’s new luxury star can command much higher prices, but it’s entering a market that is less keen to pay them. The trick will be whether or not the QX80 can really light up the customer base. That’s a challenge which some of its big rivals have failed.

Image credits: Infiniti