For Infiniti SUV concept, luxury is on the outside
Infiniti gives us a first look at its QX80 Monograph concept before it unveiling next Tuesday.
The Infiniti QX80 Monograph is a concept design for a large, luxury SUV.
In the automotive world, luxury usually refers to interior appointments. Think big, leather-covered seats with massage functions, fine wood trim and bright metal switchgear. But with its latest concept, Infiniti chooses to focus on how a luxury exterior looks.
Infiniti promises to unveil its QX80 Monograph concept luxury SUV on Tuesday of next week, just before the New York auto show. Today the company released the first image and a few details about the concept.
From the picture, the QX80 Monograph looks like a big brick of slab-sided SUV. The grille, bearing a large Infiniti logo, looks oversized, taking up most of the front end. The headlights squint through narrow apertures, the size seeming to indicate the use of LED projectors.
Black pillars matching the heavily tinted windows make for a monochrome band around the cabin, interrupted by the body-colored rear pillars.
The broad sides show sculpted smoothness, broken by an L-shaped insert lying along the base of the doors. Below that, an inset running board hints at the practical need to provide a step into the vehicle for passengers. There appears to be some resemblance to the Navigator concept that Lincoln showed off last year.
Infiniti calls its concept the "ultimate expression of futuristic luxury SUV design."
The QX80 Monograph looks built on the existing QX80 SUV, sibling to the Nissan Armada. The QX80 is a large SUV seating seven, with a 400 horsepower V8 engine.
According to early reports, Infiniti will not show its QX80 Monograph concept at the New York auto show, but we will get an in-person look next week.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new images of the Infiniti QX80 Monograph concept.