Infiniti adds QX80 to roster

INFINITI Australia has confirmed it will add the large QX80 four-wheel-drive to its luxury line-up this month, bringing the brand’s range up to eight.

The eight-seat truck, which is based on Nissan’s Y62 Patrol, will debut in the local market at $110,900 plus on-road costs going head to head with the $23,800 dearer Lexus LX570 – itself a more luxurious clone of Toyota’s 200 Series LandCruiser – as well as Range Rover and the Mercedes-Benz GL range.

“A number of buyers have asked us for a model at least one size up from the QX70 crossover,” said Jean-Philippe Roux, the managing director of Infiniti Cars Australia. “Adding the QX80 to our local catalogue in small volumes will meet this local opportunity.” Negotiations to secure the QX80 for Australia have been ongoing since late 2014, and despite interest from customers, no orders are currently being held for the car.

Last month, Nissan Australia revised the prices of its Patrol range downwards to make space for the QX80 previously priced at $114,490 plus on-road costs, the range-topping Patrol Ti-L now costs $86,990 plus on-road costs.

The Lexus is priced at $134,700, while the LandCruiser Sahara is $113,990, Mercedes-Benz’s GL350 BT LE is priced at $114,900, while the nearest Range Rover is the HSE at $170,400.

A new nose, fender vents and sideskirts, unique LED headlights, bespoke tail-lights and tail-gate set the QX80 apart from the Patrol, along with 22-inch alloys and a higher grade of interior equipment.

Available in just one powertrain specification, the QX80 will use the same 5.6-litre naturally aspirated V8 petrol engine and seven-speed automatic transmission as the Y62 Patrol, backed by an on-demand four-wheel-drive system with a limited slip diff, hill descent control and lockable rear diff.

Its power output is unchanged at 289kW and 560Nm. While Infiniti didn’t reveal weight or fuel economy figures, the Patrol uses 14.5 litres per 100 kilometres with the same drivetrain, and weighs 2735kg in top spec.

The QX80 will also uses the air-sprung Hydraulic Body Motion Control system featured on the Ti-L, complementing its independent double-wishbone suspension front and rear. Towing capacity is 2500kg with a braked trailer, and a ‘towbar package’ is included as standard.

Intelligent keyless entry with two memories and a push-button start, a 15-speaker Bose sound system with two subwoofers, Bluetooth phone and streaming capability and a USB port, along with hard drive-based satellite navigation and an Around View monitor, are standard, along with a tinted sunroof and a tri-zone climate control system.

Infiniti has also outfitted the X80 with a full array of electronic safety and chassis aids, including radar cruise control, lane departure warning, intelligent brake assist, forward collision warning, blind spot warning and intervention and post-collision brakingThe front leather seats are powered and heated as is the steering wheel, while the second row has its own entertainment system based around dual 7.0-inch monitors. The third row of seats folds electrically, while the tail-gate is also electric.

Sales figures for the QX80’s donor vehicle have been hampered by the lack of a diesel option, with sales estimated at 170 for 2015 (total sales are shared with the Y61 diesel-powered previous model Patrol, and stand at 270 for the year to date).

In its first year on sale, Nissan sold 2364 petrol and Y61 diesel Patrols, falling by 21.4 per cent in 2014 to 1859 units combined. Of that total last year, 591 examples were the petrol-powered Y62 versions.