In production since January 2004 as the plusher twin of the Nissan Armada, the Infiniti QX56 became the QX80 in 2013 for the 2014 model year. From the very beginning, the Infiniti brand sold the body-on-frame sport utility vehicle with a 5.6L naturally-aspirated V8 from the VK engine family.
Recently spied in the United States with nothing more than a thin wrap camouflaging its bodyshell, the all-new QX80 drops the long-running V8 in favor of a twin-turboV6. Its displacement isn't known at the moment of reporting. In a similar fashion to Toyota's 3.4-liter i-FORCE V6 and Ford's 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6, the Nissan-developed six is believed to range between 3.0 and 4.0 liters.
Dealer sources have previously suggested 424 mechanical horsepower in the 2025 Nissan Armada, which is internally referred to as the Y63. Essentially the North American sibling of the all-new Patrol, the Armada is also expected to drop the seven-speed automatic transmission of the 2024 model for a nine-speed unit with Mercedes roots.
Produced under license by Nissan subsidiary JATCO, the JR913E is a slightly modified 9G-Tronic. Intended for rear-biased vehicles, the torque-converter auto is rated at 700 Nm (516 pound-feet) of torque. Current applications include the Frontier mid-size pickup, the Titan fullsizer, as well as the 370Z-replacing Nissan Z sports car.
With the 3.5-liter EcoBoost developing 510 pound-feet (691 Nm) of torque in the F-150 Raptor and the 3.4-liter i-FORCE V6 rated at 479 pound-feet (650 Nm) sans hybrid assistance, it's easy to imagine that Nissan's all-new V6 belts out anything between 480 and 510 pound-feet at full song. This, in turn, means that JATCO's JR913E for the 2025 Nissan Armada and Infiniti QX80 will hardly differ from the JR913E of the full-size Titan and lesser Frontier.
Photo: Baldauf
From the standpoint of exterior design, the production-spec prototype captured by the carparazzi wouldn't look out of place next to Infiniti's QX Monograph concept. Revealed in August 2023 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the striking concept sports a bamboo forest-like front radiator grille, piano key-inspired lighting, upright rear pillars for a more airy feel, pop-out door handles, full-width lighting out back, and gill-style vents on the front fenders, right where the clamshell-style hood meets the front fenders.
Unfortunately, the interior of the QX Monograph remains a mystery for the time being. Infiniti confirmed a segment-first audio system in January 2024, namely a 24-speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere Audio System that includes titanium tweeters, an 8.0-inch subwoofer, and a 24-channel amplifier for heaven knows how many watts. Be it bebop jazz or music that came out in the 21st century, the sound quality should be outstanding.
The rumor mill suggests a ginormous display stretching across the dashboard. Based on this prototype's uppermost dashboard area, it seems that Infiniti will equip the QX80 with a massive display comprising a digital instrument cluster, the infotainment screen, and a front passenger screen.
The pillar-to-pillar display isn't a new concept in the automotive industry. General Motors also does it, and the nameplate that comes to mind is the Cadillac Escalade IQ. Based on the BT1 electric vehicle platform of the Silverado EV and Hummer EV, the luxury electric utility vehicle boasts a staggering 55 inches for the front occupants and 12.6-inch personal screens for the second-row occupants.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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