logo
Infiniti QX80 review: All-new model might be the company's most impressive SUV yet

Infiniti QX80 review: All-new model might be the company's most impressive SUV yet

The Nationala day ago

When I first moved to the UAE, I resisted the lure of the road's giants. My first car was an Abarth 565 Competizione – comically small and endlessly amusing to wedge between hulking SUVs at the mall: a Land Cruiser here, a Patrol there, an Infiniti QX80 once in a while.
But a few years in, I get it. The climate can be harsh, the roads wide, and quaint European city cars can often feel like the wrong tool for the job. As I climb into the new Infiniti QX80, I find myself thinking I could probably fit two Abarths in the back of this beast.
It's rare for a behemoth to move with grace. But that's exactly what Infiniti has pulled off with the all-new 2025 QX80 – a car that used to feel more like a full-service lift than a luxury SUV: big, functional, inoffensive and by the end, a bit dated.
That's all changed. The new QX80 pulls off a clever visual trick: it's still massive, but looks like a regular SUV.
The soft, bulbous curves of the old model are gone – as are the sad droopy headlights. In their place: sharp lines, flush surfaces, a dramatically oversized grille, and LED lighting bright enough to guide ships into port. It's as if the QX80 went to an overpriced Swiss clinic and came back with cheekbones and confidence.
Inside, the transformation is even more dramatic. The design team clearly spent time in a Range Rover and thought, 'Why not us?' There's open-pore ash wood, quilted semi-aniline leather, and ambient lighting with 64 colour options. Twin 14.3-inch screens handle infotainment and instrumentation, with a third touchscreen dedicated to climate control. It feels immersive without being overwhelming – it's just a very nice place to spend time.
But value isn't measured in screen size – it's about how a car makes you feel. And this one makes you feel cared for. The seats are palatial, with bolstering that improves posture and cooling tech that uses biometric data to track your body temperature and adjust airflow accordingly. It's watching you, but in a nurturing way.
Even the audio system feels grown up. A 24-speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere set-up turns the cabin into a sound studio. The set-up was perfect for enjoying everything from audiobooks to Post Malone on commutes from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. And get this, there's even a new feature called Individual Audio that isolates phone calls to the driver's seat headrest speakers while other passengers can continue listening to music. I tried it and it actually works.
Under the bonnet, Infiniti has swapped its old-school V8 for a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6. V8 purists may mourn, but the new engine delivers 450 horsepower and 699Nm of torque – more than enough to make this 2.7 tonne leviathan feel surprisingly light on its feet.
It still tows up to 3.8 tonnes – so your boat, horse, or desert caravan is in good hands. But what really matters is the throttle response: there's urgency now, not the moan of a straining engine.
The nine-speed automatic gearbox leans towards comfort, not sport. It's built for boulevards, border crossings, and weekends in Oman.
On the tech front, the QX80 debuts Infiniti's most advanced driver-assist system yet: ProPilot Assist 2.1, allowing hands-free driving on select roads. It's not quite autonomous, but it's close enough for motorway cruising.
The QX80 now comes in four trims: Pure, Luxe, Sensory and the fully loaded Autograph. Only Sensory and Autograph appear available in the UAE. I drove the latter. With the Autograph priced at Dh510,000, it's not cheap, but it feels justified.
Yes, it's gunning for the high-spec Land Cruisers and Lexus LX. But more importantly, it makes the rest of Infiniti's line-up look like it's due for a similar glow-up. If they get the treatment the QX80 has, we're in for something special.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Official Mobility live technology partner Keyloop
Official Mobility live technology partner Keyloop

Zawya

timean hour ago

  • Zawya

Official Mobility live technology partner Keyloop

Keyloop has launched Fusion, a new end-to-end Automotive Retail Platform designed to streamline the entire vehicle sales and aftersales process for Middle East retailers. As the official Technology Partner of Mobility Live Middle East (24–25 June 2025), Keyloop will showcase its new end-to-end Automotive Retail Platform, Fusion, at the event. Dubai, UAE: Keyloop, a leading global automotive technology company, has launched Fusion, a new end-to-end Automotive Retail Platform (ARP) that will help motor retailers across the Middle East manage and optimise the full vehicle sales and aftersales process – from initial enquiry through to ownership and retention. The new platform will be showcased at Mobility Live Middle East (24 - 25 June 2025; Dubai World Trade Centre), where Keyloop is the event's official Technology Partner. Fusion incorporates four distinct 'domains' – Demand, Supply, Ownership and Operate – covering all key functions within a dealership business. Keyloop's Drive Dealer Management System (DMS) is now a critical element in the Operate domain. All of Fusion's domains draw upon information held in the system's Active Data Core, which provides users in all departments with a single comprehensive record of customer interactions and transactions. This is in line with their commitment to a way of working that prioritises outcomes: making efficiency, automation, and an AI-driven future a core part of their strategy. As it is cloud-based and powered by AWS, Fusion tools and functionality can be deployed rapidly and securely for organisations of all sizes, even major dealer groups operating in multiple countries and with distributed networks of sites representing a diverse portfolio of vehicle brands. Fusion uses 'Experience-First' technology that puts the customer at the heart of all activity, helping retailers deliver positive customer outcomes and amplify revenues through the full purchase and ownership cycle. It also streamlines and automates key processes to reduce operational costs, making businesses more agile. Keyloop pulls from over 9,000 OEM integrations to help facilitate a connected user and customer journey. Motor retailers can select those elements of the new Fusion ARP that best suit their requirements or introduce the full platform across their entire business. The areas of focus for Fusion's key domains are as follows: Demand: Helps retailers and OEMs maximise deal profitability through the use of convenient communication and ecommerce tools, omnichannel-enabled sales operation software and intelligent retention initiatives. It reduces cost per acquisition, increases lead-to-sale conversion rates, and improves customer loyalty. Supply: Allows retailers, OEMs and fleet suppliers to achieve maximum profit per unit by proactively managing vehicle supply through intelligent management of inventory and asset risk. Ownership: An aftersales-focused suite of resource and workshop management tools that increase efficiency and customer satisfaction. Enables retailers and OEMs to maximise workshop utilisation and income per visit. Operate: With the Drive advanced dealer management systems (DMS) at its core, Operate helps retailers and OEMs achieve peak operational efficiency, supporting faster, more informed business decisions. Visitors to Mobility Live Middle East will hear Tom Kilroy, Chief Executive Officer and Dean Gardner, Chief Customer Officer deliver a keynote speech focusing on how to create the latest digital retailing ecosystem. While Monzer Tohme, Managing Director Sales MEA, will chair a panel session with industry experts, discussing how connecting data leads to the delivery of better customer experiences. Keyloop will also have its own 48 square-metre stand where delegates will be able to see our connected Fusion technology in action and speak to our team on the day. Commenting on the launch of Fusion, Monzer Tohme said: 'Middle East is a critical growth region for Keyloop, and with Fusion we have a unique opportunity to unlock more value to the dealer network in the region. The four domains in our new connected ARP enable our retailer customers to benefit from the expertise of our team and the extensive reach of our technology. Our focus remains on simplifying the vehicle sales and ownership journey, staying true to our Experience-First principles. Fusion is more than just a technological solution – it's a transformative approach to reshaping our industry and delivering meaningful value to all stakeholders.' Tohme added: 'Today's evolving automotive ecosystem demands a more flexible, scalable, and integrated approach. Fusion is a clear and compelling proposition, guaranteed to drive value for our customers. It underpins a connected, data-driven approach which fosters customer trust, revenue growth and long-term loyalty.' Full details of Fusion can be found here

Auto companies 'in full panic' over rare-earths bottleneck
Auto companies 'in full panic' over rare-earths bottleneck

Khaleej Times

time15 hours ago

  • Khaleej Times

Auto companies 'in full panic' over rare-earths bottleneck

Frank Eckard, CEO of a German magnet maker, has been fielding a flood of calls in recent weeks. Exasperated automakers and parts suppliers have been desperate to find alternative sources of magnets, which are in short supply due to Chinese export curbs. Some told Eckard their factories could be idled by mid-July without backup magnet supplies. "The whole car industry is in full panic," said Eckard, CEO of Magnosphere, based in Troisdorf, Germany. "They are willing to pay any price." Car executives have once again been driven into their war rooms, concerned that China's tight export controls on rare-earth magnets – crucially needed to make cars – could cripple production. US President Donald Trump said Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to let rare earths minerals and magnets flow to the United States. A US trade team is scheduled to meet Chinese counterparts for talks in London later on Monday. The industry worries that the rare-earths situation could cascade into the third massive supply chain shock in five years. A semiconductor shortage wiped away millions of cars from automakers' production plans, from roughly 2021 to 2023. Before that, the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 shut factories for weeks. Those crises prompted the industry to fortify supply chain strategies. Executives have prioritized backup supplies for key components and reexamined the use of just-in-time inventories, which save money but can leave them without stockpiles when a crisis unfurls. Judging from Eckard's inbound calls, though, "nobody has learned from the past," he said. This time, as the rare-earths bottleneck tightens, the industry has few good options, given the extent to which China dominates the market. The fate of automakers' assembly lines has been left to a small team of Chinese bureaucrats as it reviews hundreds of applications for export permits. Several European auto-supplier plants have already shut down, with more outages coming, said the region's auto supplier association, CLEPA. "Sooner or later, this will confront everyone," said CLEPA Secretary-General Benjamin Krieger. Cars today use rare-earths-based motors in dozens of components – side mirrors, stereo speakers, oil pumps, windshield wipers, and sensors for fuel leakage and braking sensors. China controls up to 70 per cent of global rare-earths mining, 85 per cent of refining capacity and about 90 per cent of rare-earths metal alloy and magnet production, consultancy AlixPartners said. The average electric vehicle uses about .5 kg of rare earths elements, and a fossil-fuel car uses just half that, according to the International Energy Agency. China has clamped down before, including in a 2010 dispute with Japan, during which it curbed rare-earths exports. Japan had to find alternative suppliers, and by 2018, China accounted for only 58 per cent of its rare earth imports. "China has had a rare-earth card to play whenever they wanted to," said Mark Smith, CEO of mining company NioCorp, which is developing a rare-earth project in Nebraska scheduled to start production within three years. Across the industry, automakers have been trying to wean off China for rare-earth magnets, or even develop magnets that do not need those elements. But most efforts are years away from the scale needed. "It's really about identifying ... and finding alternative solutions" outside China, Joseph Palmieri, head of supply chain management at supplier Aptiv, said at a conference in Detroit last week. Automakers including General Motors and BMW and major suppliers such as ZF and BorgWarner are working on motors with low-to-zero rare-earth content, but few have managed to scale production enough to cut costs. The EU has launched initiatives including the Critical Raw Materials Act to boost European rare-earth sources. But it has not moved fast enough, said Noah Barkin, a senior advisor at Rhodium Group, a China-focused U.S. think tank. Even players that have developed marketable products struggle to compete with Chinese producers on price. David Bender, co-head of German metal specialist Heraeus' magnet recycling business, said it is only operating at 1% capacity and will have to close next year if sales do not increase. Minneapolis-based Niron has developed rare-earth free magnets and has raised more than $250 million from investors including GM, Stellantis and auto supplier Magna. "We've seen a step change in interest from investors and customers" since China's export controls took effect, CEO Jonathan Rowntree said. It is planning a $1 billion plant scheduled to start production in 2029. England-based Warwick Acoustics has developed rare-earth-free speakers expected to appear in a luxury car later this year. CEO Mike Grant said the company has been in talks with another dozen automakers, although the speakers are not expected to be available in mainstream models for about five years. As auto companies scout longer-term solutions, they are left scrambling to avert imminent factory shutdowns. Automakers must figure out which of their suppliers – and smaller ones a few links up the supply chain – need export permits. Mercedes-Benz, for example, is talking to suppliers about building rare-earth stockpiles. Analysts said the constraints could force automakers to make cars without certain parts and park them until they become available, as GM and others did during the semiconductor crisis. Automakers' reliance on China does not end with rare earth elements. A 2024 European Commission report said China controls more than 50% of global supply of 19 key raw materials, including manganese, graphite and aluminum. Andy Leyland, co-founder of supply chain specialist SC Insights, said any of those elements could be used as leverage by China. "This just is a warning shot," he said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store