It may come as a shocker to Infiniti, but there’s an elephant in its (show)room and the cosmetic revisions applied to the 2015MY that was just revealed at the New York Auto Show, can’t hide the ugly truth… Still, if you’re hell-bent on getting into one of the biggest SUVs on the market, the new Limited Edition version sounds like an interesting offer.
“Our new Limited answers the demand from QX80 owners for a vehicle that is more sophisticated but not over-the-top – and one that remains at its core pure Infiniti. It’s a combination that should also attract many new ultra-luxury buyers to the Infiniti brand,” said Infiniti Americas President Michael Bartsch.
Along with all the refinements made to the regular 2015 QX80, the Limited Edition ticks all available options (the only thing you can choose is the exterior shade) and adds subtle styling upgrades.
On the outside, there are dark finished LED headlamps and taillights, special lighting under the brushed finish running boards, dark chrome accents on the fog light surround, side vents, roof rails and crossbars, A-pillar finisher, door handles, license plate surround and side mirror caps, plus massive 22-inch alloy wheels in a bespoke dark finish.
There are six available exterior colors, three of which, the Imperial Black, Mocha Almond and Dakar Bronze, are exclusive to the Limited, with the remaining shades being the Liquid Platinum, Black Obsidian and Majestic White.
The Limited Edition’s cabin sports a unique Truffle Brown interior environment “marked by a palette of brown, black and silver leather and wood appointments and trim”, according to Infiniti.
“The interior is decidedly masculine in appearance, what might be unapologetically described as a ‘mobile man cave,'” commented Bartsch. “There’s an ambience and richness that perfectly complements the precision craftsmanship and attention to detail found in every Infiniti vehicle.”
Other notable styling details include the unique seat quilting with silver accent piping, leather-wrapped speaker grilles on the instrument panel, assist handles center cluster, Ultrasuede leather headliner and unique branded stainless steel lighted doorsills.
The extensive list of standard features ranges from the Theater and Deluxe Technology Packages, to a raft of safety systems like the Intelligent Cruise Control (Full-Speed Range) and Blind Spot Warning (BSW).
Under the hood, there’s a 5.6-liter V8 with 400 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque paired to a standard 7-speed auto and all-wheel drive with Auto, 4H and 4L modes.
Infiniti said it will release prices closer to the car’s market launch in late 2014.
By John Halas
PHOTO GALLERY
