• 5 months ago
The new QX80 is Infiniti's most important vehicle in years
Transcript
00:00If you've been paying attention to the luxury full-size three-row SUV space for the last
00:11couple years, you've probably noticed that one automaker has been missing from the conversation.
00:16Infiniti.
00:17But with the introduction of this vehicle, the 2025 QX80, that could change.
00:26Infiniti hasn't really been a competitor in the luxury full-size three-row SUV space for
00:32quite some time.
00:33It's had a vehicle in the segment, the QX80, but with how old and outdated that truck-based
00:39vehicle was, it just really wasn't a competitor.
00:43Infiniti claims that its product renaissance is staked on this vehicle.
00:47Welcome aboard the 2025 Infiniti QX80.
00:51This redesigned full-size three-row luxury SUV shows what's in store from the brand with
00:57a new design, new technology, but it's clinging on to classic cues that Infiniti thinks its
01:03longtime customers will appreciate.
01:06Does this look to the future enough to bring the struggling brand back into contention?
01:12That's what we're here to find out.
01:14Here on these twisting mountain roads, it's clear that the QX80 is tuned not so much for
01:18sporty engagement and much more for comfortable enjoyment.
01:22And at that, it definitely succeeds.
01:24The ride quality from the air suspension is appreciably plush.
01:28The cabin is rather hushed.
01:30All I'm hearing is a bit of this twin-turbo V6 engine, and the biometric body scanning
01:35system is keeping me nice and comfortable with the automatic climate control engaged.
01:40Infiniti talks a lot about how agile the new QX80 is, and while that may be true relative
01:46to its predecessor, I can't say it's true in the grand scheme of things.
01:50This is still a three-ton-plus SUV, so it's not going to exactly rip around corners.
01:56That being said, with this air suspension system, it's very composed and comfortable,
02:01avoiding body roll and rounding off impacts in a nice way.
02:05Meanwhile, this driver's seat is plenty supportive, and it's hard to complain about the massage
02:10I'm getting right now, too.
02:12Although it's down on size compared to the outgoing V8, this new twin-turbocharged V6
02:18seems like a much-improved engine.
02:20It makes about 50 more horsepower and 100 more pound-feet of torque compared to the
02:24V8, and I'm noticing very little turbo lag and good responsiveness from the nine-speed
02:29automatic transmission it's connected to.
02:31Design and quality inside the QX80 certainly qualifies it for luxury categorization.
02:43Materials are soft to the touch, there's good attention to detail, hard-touch plastics are
02:48nicely hidden.
02:50This dual-display infotainment setup finally brings Infiniti's tech features into the modern
02:56era.
02:57This is a huge improvement over the automaker's outgoing system, and it's all thanks to
03:01the Google integration, which makes user-friendliness so much easier thanks to its familiar applications
03:06and great voice recognition capabilities.
03:09Infiniti really seem to consider the QX80 as a three-row family vehicle.
03:14The second and third rows each have their own USB-C ports as well as air vents, so no
03:20matter where occupants are sitting, they can stay connected and comfortable.
03:24One of the highlight features of the new QX80 is the available 24-speaker, 1,200-watt Klipsch
03:29audio system.
03:31That includes speakers distributed throughout the cabin, including in the headrest here.
03:35That allows for me to take phone calls such that no one else in the cabin can hear what's
03:38going on, and whoever's on the other line actually isn't going to hear any of the music
03:42that's playing in the cabin, so you can keep the tunes bumping even when you're on a call.
03:47Infiniti's latest ProPILOT Assist, Active Safety, and Driver Assist features are included
03:52on the 2025 QX80, which now includes a feature that allows you to remove your hands from
03:57the steering wheel on certain pre-mapped stretches of road.
04:00Even when you're not on those pre-mapped stretches of road, it still has the useful
04:04tech that you'd expect from a vehicle like this, such as Adaptive Cruise Control and
04:07Lane Keep Assist, the latter of which uses a capacitive sensor in the steering wheel,
04:12so all you have to do to provide confidence to the vehicle that you're holding onto the
04:15wheel is just rest your hand there lightly.
04:18In this era of automotive electrification, it is perhaps fair to say that the new QX80
04:24isn't the most cutting-edge vehicle to hit the scene in 2025.
04:28But Infiniti is aware of that, and they are confident in their approach.
04:32After 20 years of building QX80s, the automaker says that it knows its customer base very
04:37well and that the vehicle's, shall we say, relatively classic feel will appeal to those
04:42long-time customers.
04:45I've been driving the 2025 QX80 all day, and one thing is very clear, this is a huge improvement
04:50over its outgoing predecessor.
04:52But the three-row luxury SUV segment is very competitive right now.
04:56Time will tell how the QX80 stacks up against its rivals, but I'm excited what Infiniti
05:00has done with the car, and I'm excited to see what this indicates as a renaissance for
05:05the Japanese automaker.