All-new Infiniti QX80 leads brand’s product renaissance

Infiniti, Nissan’s luxury division, has gone through near-death episodes on at least two occasions in the past. When Carlos Ghosn was sent to head Nissan over 20 years ago, there was talk about Infiniti being discontinued. But Ghosn saw some potential and pumped in money to put it back on track. However, after about 10 years, he was uncertain if he had done the right thing as sales were still low. According to Andy Palmer, then a Vice-President, Ghosn had told him that Infiniti wasn’t necessary and if Palmer wanted to kill it, he could do so.

However, Palmer (who later became CEO of Aston Martin) still saw potential in the brand and didn’t kill it. It still didn’t hit Ghosn’s target of 500,000 units annually (and 10% of the global luxury market) but the numbers towards the end of the 2010s were acceptable enough to keep it alive.

Rumours of Infiniti being shut down continued, though, especially as the product range started getting older. However, when Nissan NEXT, the company’s turnaround plan, was announced in 2020, it seemed that there was still a future for the brand, by then just over 30 years old.

Making Infiniti great again
Top executives have vowed to ‘make Infiniti great again’ and Ashwani Gupta, Nissan’s COO then, said that Infiniti would be a ‘Nissan-plus’, meaning it would be more advanced than the Nissan products in terms of technology (though there would essentially be more platform sharing than before). New models were to be developed under Nissan NEXT, expected to make their appearance after 2023.

Well, Nissan seems to be on track with that plan as it has just unveiled the all-new Infiniti QX80 with totally new design language. This design language was previewed in the QX80 Monograph concept which was displayed at the Pebble Beach event last August. At that time, Infiniti already said that it was the basis of a future SUV model, and the QX80 designation indicated which one.

Evolved design language
As the flagship of the brand’s line-up and first new model in its product renaissance, the QX80 pushes the envelope as far as possible not just in design using the evolved design language known as ‘Artistry in Motion’.

With its minimalist theme, this design language gives the QX80 strong lines and well-defined proportions. An anti-wedge profile, with a long, nearly flat bonnet leading into crisp shoulder lines, helps project a sense of sho – a sleek sense of motion – that masks the vehicle’s size.

Size-wise, the QX80 is almost the same length as its predecessor with the dominant size made wider, while retaining the 3073 mm wheelbase.

Up front, the QX80 has the newest version of the signature Infiniti double-arch grille, inspired by the organic shapes of a bamboo forest. The designers precisely positioned lighting elements to define a strong face for the SUV. Narrow, multi-element LED daytime running lights at either side of the upper grille again recall the bamboo forest motif. They complement the illuminated emblem – which now has a more 3-dimensional appearance.

Flush door handles, which automatically present themselves when the vehicle is unlocked, result in a cleaner, tidier appearance and contribute to improvements in aerodynamic performance. Two harmonious character lines – one from the headlamps through the shoulder line, below the windows; the second, tracing from the front bumper to the creases in the lower doors – add character. Blacked-out door pillars contribute to a sleeker appearance for the upper body.

At the rear of the SUV, the full-width LED lighting element has a segmented design which mirrors the appearance of the grille and DRLs, while its curved profile was inspired by the tranquil reflections of light upon a body of water. Consisting of over 300 LEDs, the lamps have a smoked finish and illuminate in a vibrant shade of red, with a pronounced upper section accompanied by a series of horizontal light bars below.

New twin-turbo engine
The QX80 will be available only with one powertrain – the VR35DDTT 3.5-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine (no more V8). While it has a muscular output of 450 bhp, the maximum torque of 700 Nm is even more impressive and the biggest ever number in a production model from the company.

Complementing the new engine is a 9-speed automatic transmission with a 40% wider gear ratio range, allowing for both responsive acceleration and efficient highway cruising. Customers can order the QX80 with rear-wheel drive or All-mode 4WD, with all versions having multiple modes that customise powertrain response, electric power steering, driver-assistance features and Dynamic Digital Suspension and 4WD to suit different terrain conditions.

More refined ride and handling
The optional Electronic Air Suspension and Dynamic Digital Suspension further refine the ride and handling of the QX80, while offering additional benefits in terms of vehicle usability. The air suspension lowers by 30.5 mm at speed for better aerodynamics. When parked, it can lower by 71 mm from the normal ride height to an Easy Access level for ease of entry/exit or loading cargo. Alternatively, when driving over very rough terrain, an Off-road setting can raise the air suspension 60 mm above the normal ride height.

The Dynamic Digital Suspension constantly measures the vehicle’s motion and calculates the required damping force for the electronically-controlled dampers. By regulating vehicle motions, reducing body roll around curves and minimizing up-and-down motions over bouncy roads, the system delivers smoother and more in-control lane changes, especially useful considering the bulk of the vehicle.

Ride quality is also said to be enhanced. Additional enhancements that benefit ride and handling include a frame with 57% greater lateral stiffness (versus the preceding QX80) and the adoption of an electric power steering rack, which has 300% increased torsional stiffness and facilitates advanced driver assistance features.

Inside the new QX80
Moving inside, the 3-row cabin has been conceived with much inspiration inspired from Japanese culture and the principle of miyabi. Derived from Kyoto artisan culture, it references the use of layered, soft materials and gorgeous, flowing integration of technology and extraordinarily high-quality materials.

Soft-touch materials are used extensively, with particular attention paid to layering them over any hard parts where passengers’ arms or elbows may rest upon them. Additionally, elements like leather appointments, wood trims, suede and metal seamlessly incorporate high-tech items like touchscreens.

The dashboard has two 14.3-inch displays, with the one ahead of the driver having a choice of three views. For the first time, the QX80 also offers a colour head-up display as an option. And delivering on the Infiniti promise to incorporate powerful technology that enables a more connected and convenient drive, the centre display comes with Google built-in. This not only means having up-to-date Google maps but also having other Google apps that are accessible from the dashboard. Google Assistant allows for natural-language interaction, giving the driver answers when preceded with ‘Hey Google’.

An additional 9-inch touchscreen mounted below the infotainment display so as to give better separation of controls for climate control and drive modes. The screen uses haptic feedback to help users ‘feel’ when they have selected the appropriate on-screen element. Because these functions are housed on their own touchscreen, they never intrude into infotainment operations like navigation or music displays, nor are the controls ever hidden under other menus.

An additional segment-first technology is optional Biometric Cooling. This helps keep those in the second row at a comfortable temperature. An infrared sensor integrated into the vehicle’s headliner detects when a passenger is hot and near-instantly adjusts the temperature and airflow to send cool air to the second row – without any interaction required from the driver or front-seat passenger.

Testing shows Biometric Cooling can get passengers to a comfortable temperature in 50% less time, which someone who may have gotten in after a long jog around the park will appreciate.

Advanced camera technology
A highlight of the QX80 is its on-board camera system which has the latest in image processing technology. The technology expands the view for the drive, enhancing awareness of the surroundings. For example, there is Front Wide View which uses camera information to provide a wide, 170-degree coverage to the sides of the vehicle across both 14.3-inch displays. That ultra-wide viewing angle allows for ‘seeing’ past parked cars or around corners in tight garages.

Similarly invaluable is Invisible Bonnet View, which Land Rover pioneered some years back and can also be found in some other models. In the QX80, advanced image processing takes footage from the vehicle’s exterior cameras to project an image of what’s directly in front of the vehicle onto the displays. The result is as if one could see right through the engine bay, helping spot curbs in narrow drive-through lanes, car wash tracks and other hard-to-spot obstacles on the ground. It should be especially useful when driving off-road over rough rocky tracks.

Another enhancement is new-to-QX80 3D Enhanced AroundView Monitor with Moving Object Detection. This now has a 3D spring function and multiple pre-selected angles from which the driver can see the vehicle, providing a more natural viewpoint to see the surroundings when parking or manoeuvring.

Like the latest LEAF EV, the QX80 also has a Smart Rear View Mirror with improved performance from the previous model’s. It gives crisper imagery and shows better imagery in low lighting conditions. For those who have to tow a boat or trailer, the Rear View Monitor has a special zoom view for assistance in hitching up a trailer.

Another innovative use of camera technology is the Journey Diary functionality. It can capture photos or videos from the forward-facing and In-Car Camera to share on social media platforms while travelling.

The In-Car Camera also enables those in the front row to do a quick check on passengers behind. The imagery can be seen on the centre display. Additionally, when the vehicle is parked, the driver can use their Infiniti smartphone app to activate the camera to see whether any items (or kids) were left behind in the cabin – without having to go back out to the vehicle.

Comprehensive brand refresh for INFINITI with revised logo and retail architecture design