A redesigned Infiniti QX80 is due for the 2025 model year and a prototype has been spotted for the first time.
Infiniti already provided a taste of the new flagship SUV's styling with the reveal of the QX Monograph concept during 2023 Monterey Car Week last summer.
The prototype confirms the new QX80's design will be very close to that of the concept. Key details include the more chiseled appearance compared to the curvier current generation, and Infiniti’s new corporate grille is also clearly visible.
The headlight design takes on a split theme, with a thin strip of LED daytime running lights (Infiniti calls them digital keys) positioned at the edge of the hood and the main projectors positioned lower in a vertical element that also houses air intakes.
Infiniti QX Monograph concept
The rear is heavily camouflaged, but on the QX Monograph concept this section was marked by taillights that run the width of the body. This is also likely to be the case with the QX80.
The new 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 that can be traced back to the original Infiniti QX56 launched almost two decades ago.
Redesigned versions of Nissan's Armada and Patrol twins are being developed alongside the new QX80. As is the case with the current generation, the new Nissan SUVs will be closely related to the new QX80, including sharing its platform and powertrain. The latter is thought to be a twin-turbocharged V-6 in place of the V-8 fitted to the current generation of the SUVs.
Infiniti QX Monograph concept
There's no shot of the interior, but citing a person familiar with Infiniti's product planning, Automotive News (subscription required) reported two years ago that the new QX80 will be made more upscale than the current generation to help further differentiate it from the related Armada and Patrol duo, as well as to provide better competition for the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Lexus LX.
The dashboard is expected to incorporate digital screens for both the instrument cluster and infotainment hub, a feature that has become commonplace in the industry. Infiniti also announced during this month's 2024 CES that a 24-speaker Klipsch audio system will be available.
Given the 2025 model year timing, a debut by this summer is a strong possibility.
