Page 92 - Sharp Winter 2025

Best Vision
of Japanese Luxury
We take a trip in the all-new 2025 INFINITI QX80 to uncover its best-in-class design
By Michael La Fave
G IVEN A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND THEIR THINGS
to transport from one place to another there is only one solution: a full-size SUV. And, if you’re going to go big, go all the way. The all-new 2025 INFINITI QX80 takes exactly this kind of maximalist approach to the problem of transporting a large group in the lap of luxury. The brand’s long-running flagship SUV has been completely redone from the ground up for 2025. As a result, it has ascended the big-SUV ranks to compete with the finest offerings in the full-size, full-feature, deluxe class of seven- or eight-passenger luxo-liners. This powerful, capable, and commodious vehicle brings a level of refinement and technology that can only come from INFINITI, a Japanese brand that’s proud to draw inspiration and direction from its heritage and tradition of hospitality.
“The all-new QX80 is a sizable canvas for us, as designers, to express INFINITI’s artistry,” says Alfonso Albaisa, the charismatic Cuban-American designer based in Japan leading the brand’s design team. “INFINITI’s hospitality starts before you even step inside the
vehicle,” he explained. “As you approach, the lights awaken, first with the badge and the grille, and then extending across a beautiful headlamp signature.”
Step into the interior and you’ll see more of that artistry. You’ll find finely crafted Napa leather, cold-to-the-touch metal, and thick wood trim. Each material is carefully layered one upon the next; the design draws inspiration from the Japanese art of layering as well as private jet interiors. The cabin’s monolithic screens provide immediate access to the myriad features of the QX80, not least of which the Klipsch audio system. It offers a nearly unparalleled level of audiophile-quality sound, detail, and power with 24 speakers and 1,200 watts.
Speaking of power, the QX80 is powered by a twin-turbocharged V6 that draws on decades of INFINITI performance vehicles and racing exploits to deliver 450 horsepower, which is more than enough to move the QX with alacrity. The dynamically adjusting air suspension absolutely smothers road imperfections and brings a new level of both comfort and poise to this class of vehicle. Not only that, but the QX80 can tow an astonishing 8,500 pounds.
It’s impossible to adequately cover off the hundreds of innovative and helpful features of the new QX80 (such as the ingenious Invisible Hood View system), but suffice it to say this is one of the most capable and cosseting vehicles available today. That it carries the promise of Japanese quality, hospitality, dependability, and longevity seals the deal for this safe and stylish family hauler.
AUTO
92 WINTER 2025 SHARPMAGAZINE.COM