Infiniti QX Monograph Concept Previews Imminent QX80 Redesign
Closing in on its 11th model year, the Infiniti QX80 is well overdue for a refresh. A new infotainment screen for 2022 was an important update, but the rest of the vehicle feels as outdated as its age — nearly double the typical life cycle for a modern vehicle — would have us expect.
Rumors of an imminent redesign are reaching fever pitch with the unveiling of the QX Monograph at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Infiniti is calling the QX Monograph a concept, but — aside from the red-tinted glass — it looks so production-ready that we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s already been crash- and emissions-tested; even the side mirrors have a mass-production look.
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Bamboo, Sunsets …
Big, upright and bold, the QX Monograph’s sheet metal flows with Infiniti’s signature organic curves. If the vertical bars in the grille look like a series of nested, inverted Vs, then you haven’t spent enough time in bamboo forests. Infiniti says they “channel the organic shapes found within a bamboo forest, as the stems gently bow and intersect in the breeze.”
One bit we expect will stay behind in the transition to production is the paint due to its six-layer application. Infiniti calls the hue Akane, which is Japanese for a deep red. Here, the finish has more of a rosy-bronze look the company says has “the appearance of a warm glowing red sunset as it transitions into a dark night sky.” The color is said to vary in appearance based on viewing angle and lighting, and it contrasts nicely with the blacked-out pillars and roof.
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… and Dancing
Both front and rear lighting elements span the width of the vehicle. Composed of numerous narrow, vertical elements, they animate in sequence to perform welcome and farewell dances in the style of many of today’s electric vehicles.
While hybridization is likely for the next big QX, we expect that and possible light shows to be about the only similarity shared with the current crop of EVs. Based on the QX Monograph, the next-generation QX80 will be as big and bold as ever — and now we expect it to debut soon.
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