Ford Authority spotted a 2025 Infiniti QX80 prototype out testing nearly one year ago, giving us an early look at the soon-to-be-updated Lincoln Navigator rival. Coincidentally, the Navigator is in line for a mid-cycle refresh of its own in the 2025 model year, one that will include changes such as the addition of some Nautilus-like styling cues – confirmed by another prototype sighting last November – as well as a coast-to-coast display inside the cabin. Now, we’ve learned yet another interesting tidbit about the 2025 Infiniti QX80 that it will compete against – that large, luxurious SUV will come equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3.5L V6 engine.
The 2025 Infiniti QX80 is set to debut on March 20th, but in the meantime, the brand continues to release tidbits about what we can expect, and that now includes the presence of a newly refined powerplant. The twin-turbo 3.5L V6 designated for the 2025 QX80 is rated to produce 450 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque – healthy increases of 50 horsepower and 103 pound-feet compared to the current model – and it’s mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission that features a 40 percent wider gear ratio range to aid in both performance and efficiency.
According to Infiniti, these changes – coupled with active grille shutters that close automatically when needed – reduce drag and improve overall efficiency compared to the outgoing model and its V8 powerplant, though it stopped short of revealing how much of an improvement it represents in that regard. In addition to these changes, the 2025 Infiniti QX80 will also feature greater torsional rigidity, a “serenely quiet cabin,” and two newly available features – an Electronic Air Suspension and Dynamic Digital Suspension, the latter of which automatically reduces body motion.
Sales Numbers - Full-Size Luxury SUVs - Q4 2023 - USA
| MODEL | Q4 23 / Q4 22 | Q4 23 | Q4 22 | Q4 23 SHARE | Q4 22 SHARE | YTD 23 / YTD 22 | YTD 23 | YTD 22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CADILLAC ESCALADE | +4.66% | 6,648 | 6,352 | 30% | 31% | +8.10% | 26,257 | 24,290 |
| LINCOLN NAVIGATOR | +2.66% | 4,164 | 4,056 | 19% | 20% | +32.89% | 17,549 | 13,206 |
| CADILLAC ESCALADE ESV | -15.61% | 3,558 | 4,216 | 16% | 21% | -3.29% | 15,432 | 15,957 |
| INFINITI QX80 | +35.96% | 3,471 | 2,553 | 16% | 13% | +76.19% | 12,696 | 7,206 |
| JEEP GRAND WAGONEER | +8.81% | 2,483 | 2,282 | 11% | 11% | -9.53% | 10,618 | 11,736 |
| LEXUS LX | +80.60% | 1,685 | 933 | 8% | 5% | +91.08% | 6,959 | 3,642 |
| TOTAL | +7.93% | 22,009 | 20,392 | +17.72% | 89,511 | 76,037 |
It will certainly be interesting to see how these changes – as well as the debut of the forthcoming, refreshed Navigator – impact sales in the full-size luxury SUV space. At the moment, the Cadillac Escalade dominates that particular segment after closing out 2023 with a substantial 30 percent share (not including the long-wheelbase ESV), followed by the Navigator at 19 percent, while the QX80 accounted for 16 percent of sales in that same space.
We’ll have more on everything Ford’s competition is up to soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
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