1 Jul 2015
Infiniti marked its entrance into the large luxury SUV market with the controversially-styled QX80.
The eight-seat truck, which was based on Nissan’s Y62 Patrol, debuted 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 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 used 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.
