2015 Infiniti QX80 Preview: 2014 New York Auto Show

The 2015 Infiniti QX80 is one of the most modern anachronisms money can buy, a full-size luxury SUV that rides on a truck-based platform.  This gives it the ability to offer impressive towing, hauling, and passenger capacity, and thanks to Infiniti's chassis engineering team it's also relatively smooth in daily driving.  For 2014, the QX80 has been given a restyling effort as well as additional luxury gear to help keep it competitive against vehicles like the Lincoln Navigator and the all-new 2015 Cadillac Escalade.

New 2015 Infiniti QX80: What’s New

The 2014 Infiniti QX80 is now more closely aligned with the rest of the Infiniti line-up in terms of style, trading in some of last year's awkwardness for cues derived from the recent Infiniti Q50 mid-size sedan.  This includes a revised front fascia and LED headlights, and there's a bigger bumper out back to assist with loading and unloading the vehicle (Infiniti claims it will reduce the chance that you'll scratch up the truck's shiny bits).  There's also a pair of new wheel designs as well as several fresh color schemes.  If you were enamored of the QX80's unique, over-the-top personality, don't worry - it's still there, larger than life and ready to party.  The vehicle is just a little bit smoother in profile and head-on than it used to be. Inside, the Infiniti QX80 is the definition of opulence.  A 'Stratford Burl' trim and steering wheel package joins the rest of the SUV's exceptionally high end finishes, and a number of interior looks have been shuffled.  From a safety perspective, the QX80 adds a new forward collision warning feature and automatic high beam headlights.

New 2015 Infiniti QX80: What Autobytel Thinks

The 2015 Infiniti QX80 continues to get plusher, but it's hard to gauge whether that's enough to overcome the momentum associated with the segment-leading Cadillac Escalade - especially given that 2015 brings an all-new version of the luxury king.  Then again, there's not really anywhere else Infiniti could take this beast, as it is largely defined by its size and heft.  The QX80 is one of the last of the big, brawny full-size premium SUVs on the market, and although it's reasonably affordable when compared to the Escalade, it's also up against more established options like the also-redesigned GMC Yukon Denali.  It remains to be seen as to whether Infiniti can beat the 13,000 QX80 examples moved in 2013 with this renewed effort.