Infiniti's current design language can be traced back to the Essence concept of 2009, but a new look is planned and we'll see it first on a QX80 Monograph concept to be revealed within the next 12 months, Automotive News (subscription required) reported this week following an interview with Infiniti Chairman Peyman Kargar.
According to the report, the QX80 Monograph concept will spawn a redesigned QX80 sporting the new design language in late 2023 or early the following year. The arrival will mark the start of a major makeover for Infiniti that will see the automaker update the design of its dealerships as well as prepare for the launch of electric vehicles.
Infiniti plans multiple EVs, with the first to arrive in 2025. It will be built at parent company Nissan's plant in Canton, Mississippi, and is expected to replace the aging Q50 sedan.
The redesigned QX80 will be the third iteration of Infiniti's full-size SUV, and it won't go down the EV route just yet. It is expected to use an updated version of Nissan's F-Alpha body-on-frame platform which can be traced back to the original Infiniti QX56 launched almost two decades ago.
Citing a person familiar with Infiniti's product planning, the redesigned QX80 will be made more upscale than the current model to help further differentiate it from the related Nissan Armada and Patrol duo, as well as provide better competition for the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Lexus LX. Nissan's Armada and Patrol are also expected to be redesigned in 2023, and word on the street is that the 5.6-liter V-8 powering the current models will be swapped with a twin-turbocharged V-6 for the redesign. If accurate, we should also see the V-6 in the redesigned QX80. Stay tuned.
