2025 Infiniti QX80 Autograph Interior Review: A Step Up, but Truly Competitive?
The full-size QX80 SUV in top-tier Autograph trim has great cabin materials, but the rest doesn’t really go above and beyond.
In addition to the wholly upgraded 2025 Infiniti QX80’s exterior design, new engine, and new transmission, the full-size SUV also receives a thoroughly revamped interior. As the flagship model, the QX80 is naturally where Infiniti unveiled its newest cabin design, which we suspect will be distilled in some form or another for other Infiniti models in the future.
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It was certainly a necessary step. The outgoing QX80’s interior, which we praised for its upscale materials, was showing its age with analog gauges (no digital cluster?!), a small sunroof, and a chunky shift knob. The third-row seats were small and cramped.
Today’s QX80 has been updated through and through. For this review, Infiniti loaned us a test car in top-tier Autograph trim, which adds a host of luxury appointments and comfort customizations. Is the maximalist QX80 interior finally worthy of the competitive luxury space, especially against other luxury stalwarts from Cadillac and Lincoln?
Infotainment
Dual Digital Displays
Keeping with the latest trend proliferating across the industry, the QX80 sports dual 14.3-inch digital displays for the driver information cluster and infotainment. The high-resolution displays themselves are big and easy to read, though we wish they were angled slightly more upright for those who prefer a higher seating position. They also swipe smoothly, so you can pull up different menu options quickly.
Furthermore, the QX80 makes use of built-in Google apps such as Google Maps for added convenience.
Climate Touchscreen
Groan away, but it is what it is. All climate functions are controlled via a tertiary 9.0-inch touchscreen stuck beneath the central air vents. From there, you can change fan speed and direction, adjust the heated or cooling seats, raise or lower the temperature, and access the rear-zone climate. Some competitors try this same layout, to varying effectiveness, including the Jeep Grand Wagoneer and Lincoln Navigator. In all of those SUVs, as in the Infiniti, the screen is somewhat buried on the dashboard and requires glances far from the road to operate.
The button to activate the heated steering wheel is also here, which is confusing because it’s rather far away for the driver to reach. It’d make more sense if it were positioned on the steering wheel itself.
One thing we noticed during the course of our loan: The climate screen seemingly cannot respond to two touch inputs at once, only one at a time. This means if both the driver and front passenger want to adjust the climate, one has to wait for the other to finish.
This is also the screen to control the car’s drive modes. We prefer drive modes to be switchable via physical buttons—again, so that you needn’t look down, away from the road, while driving, to change them—but, again, this is somewhat common. The Navigator similarly locates its drive modes deep in an on-screen menu.
Tech
Android Auto/Apple CarPlay
If you don’t want to use the car’s systems, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are available and a breeze to set up.
Head-Up Display
A lot of the most useful information—speed, navigation, audio, and driver assistance settings—is projected onto the car’s windshield via a full-color head-up display, which Infiniti says is the first time this has been offered on a QX80. It’s definitely handy, and we missed it when we had to give the car back.
Invisible Hood View
There’s no getting around how massive the QX80 is. Trying to place it on the traffic-choked streets of Manhattan and in and out of tight, subterranean parking garages is an exercise in spatial awareness. The proximity sensors are a definite help, but Invisible Hood View is an appreciated new feature that gives you an extra set of “eyes.”
Basically, it grants you a camera view of what’s under the front of the car so you can see if you’re about to run over something or if your front bumper will indeed clear that corner. A separate and tangential conversation can be had about why we need all these extra camera systems because of how massive cars have just become today, but that’s for later.
In-Car Camera
Another Infiniti-first is the in-car camera, which is a cabin-facing camera that’s mounted right next to the rearview mirror. You can use it to peep at what’s going on in the second and third rows, as well as peer inside the car with your Infiniti phone app while it’s parked to make sure everything is where it should be. We can see how this could be convenient, especially for parents keen on keeping an eye on babies and toddlers in car seats, but those who are more privacy-minded might not love the idea of an IP camera in their personal vehicle.
ProPilot Assist 2.1
The QX80 Autograph comes equipped with ProPilot Assist 2.1, which is Nissan/Infiniti’s advanced adaptive cruise control system, now with added hands-free driving capabilities where applicable. As an adaptive cruise system, it works well, keeping the car centered in its lane without any ping-ponging. Braking for slowed traffic happened a touch abruptly (at least during this loan; associate editor Justin Banner reported a much smoother experience in the Armada), but that was the most glaring drawback.
There are also easy visuals to tell when hands-free driving is engaged.
A fuller review of ProPilot Assist 2.1 is coming, but overall, we were confident in its ability, and it certainly did reduce a ton of driver fatigue.
Comfort
Front-Row Seats
This QX80 had some of the most comfortable seats we’ve sat in this year. Supportive and cushioning, they’re a very nice place to sit and while away a few hours on the road. Not only are the front seats heated, cooled, and massage-capable, but the second-row captain’s chairs are, as well.
Front-Row Center Console
The front center console houses a charging pad, two cupholders, an under-console cubby, and the optional cool box. For such a large center console, we would have rather seen an extra charging pad instead of the cooling box, but don’t deny its usefulness when rocking up to a hang with cold drinks in tow.
Second-Row Seats
Supreme comfort continues with the second-row captain’s chairs, whose occupants will enjoy great visibility and light from the massive windows. These passengers get their own climate and seat heat/ventilation controls, which can be adjusted via the front center console or a dedicated screen fixed on the second-row console.
Second-Row Center Console
From that screen, you can control the second-row climate, seat ventilation, seat adjustments, seat massage, and the screen’s own settings. Although we appreciate the flexibility this provides, we also notice three of those five items already have controls elsewhere, leaving only the massage functions and screen settings exclusive to the screen. This introduces a ton of redundancy.
The cupholders and storage container in this console are large and roomy, though, so there’s a good use of space there.
Massage Seats
As mentioned above, both first- and second-row passengers get access to massaging seats—a luxury. It’s not often you get to play passenger princess in the second row and enjoy a relaxing massage. Yet those used to seeing a more extensive settings menu on other luxury cars might find the QX80’s mere three settings (lumbar, relaxing, and refreshing) to be rather limited.
Cabin Materials
We really enjoyed the quilted burgundy leather paired with the dark, open-pore wood and pinstriping metal inlays festooning the inside of the QX80. This is all part of the top-tier Autograph trim and makes for a very jazzy feel. It’s not all for show, either; the leather is very buttery to the touch, especially around the steering wheel.
However, we did notice a few finishing flaws. First, the leather around the steering wheel was wrinkled (an issue, interestingly, we also noticed in the newest, nicest Lincoln Navigator—albeit not on the wheel). Second, the delicate metal pinstripe inlays in the wood appeared to be inserted at varying depths, which lines up with what other MotorTrend editors noted on a different test vehicle.
These are paired with the cabin’s extensive use of piano black trim, which smudges, scuffs, and scratches easily.
Third-Row Seat
Among three-row SUVs, the third row is frequently treated as an afterthought and offers very limited space for those passengers. Refreshingly, the QX80 has not two but three third-row seats that all offer good cushioning and decent spaciousness. Perhaps this assessment is downgraded somewhat if three adults were to sit shoulder to shoulder, but three children or two adults fit well, which is better than some competitors offer.
Additionally, the two outboard way-back seats each have two cupholders and are heated, so these passengers really don’t feel low priority in the QX80.
Power folding and raising are standard for second and third rows, so if you want to access those rearmost seats or expand the trunk capacity, you have to hit a button a wait a bit. While this is convenient, we would have also liked to see manual release levers for redundancy and speed.
Trunk
Cargo room behind the third row has been expanded by 28 percent, according to Infiniti, but it’s still a rather small trunk for how large the vehicle is in practice. (This is an issue endemic to regular-wheelbase full-size three-row SUVs, particularly the non-ESV Cadillac Escalade and others—though Infiniti doesn’t offer a longer QX80 to compete with those longer American rigs.) Clearly, priority went to giving passengers as much living space as possible, which isn’t a bad thing.
The load floor is flat, which makes sliding cargo in and out a breeze, but it’s still pretty high up, even when the air suspension (an optional extra) was in its lowest position. If you’re on the shorter side and trying to heave a heavy suitcase into the trunk, this might make things more difficult.
Thankfully, the third- and second-row seats do lie flat for optimized storage, but the second-row center console then becomes an obstacle because it isn’t flush with the rest of the seats. So that’s something you’ll have to mind if you load a large and bulky object into the SUV.
Everything Else
Cupholders
All eight of the QX80’s cupholders are large and perfectly fit my preferred beverage vehicle of choice: a 20-ounce Yeti tumbler. Not all cupholders can do this, so it was great to see the Infiniti score a 100 percent success rate here.
Sound System
The Klipsch premium sound system—standard on the Autograph trim— includes titanium tweeters, four roof-mounted speakers, an 8.0-inch subwoofer, and a 24-channel amplifier. In total, there are 24 speakers. It provides a rich cocoon of sound that builds on the QX80’s already quiet road manners.
Ergonomics
The SUV’s general ergonomics are good. Every single seat is comfortable, and we appreciate the running boards for easier ingress and egress, because we cannot overestimate how massive this vehicle is. Case in point: We found we had to reach quite a bit for the volume knob and infotainment screen while seated in our driving position.
Also, the shifter has been replaced by buttons, presumably for a cleaner layout. It takes a little getting used to, and we found it doesn’t respond as quickly as a traditional shift lever. You also have to be fairly firm with your button pushes or else it won’t recognize the input. Otherwise, it’s pretty easy to use.
In Conclusion
There’s no doubt the QX80 offers an upscale experience with quality cabin materials at every touch point. Finally, the model feels befit for its class. And we reiterate how much we like the Autograph’s color scheme. But noticeable fit-and-finish oversights and small livability issues detract from what would be a wholly luxurious experience.
Furthermore, alongside the freshly revealed 2025 Nissan Armada, the Infiniti just doesn’t distinguish itself quite enough to justify the price leap.
That being said, the top-tier Autograph trim does undercut similarly graded Cadillac Escalades and Lincoln Navigators by a few thousand dollars.
We won’t downplay how fiercely competitive the luxury full-size market is, so we’ll say the QX80 is for someone who really loves these particular cabin materials, Infinitis, and saving the extra cash for another day.
I got into cars the way most people do: my dad. Since I was little, it was always something we’d talk about and I think he was stoked to have his kid share his interest. He’d buy me the books, magazines, calendars, and diecast models—everything he could do to encourage a young enthusiast. Eventually, I went to school and got to the point where people start asking you what you want to do with your life. Seeing as cars are what I love and writing is what I enjoy doing, combining the two was the logical next step. This dream job is the only one I’ve ever wanted. Since then, I’ve worked at Road & Track, Jalopnik, Business Insider, The Drive, and now MotorTrend, and made appearances on Jay Leno’s Garage, Good Morning America, The Smoking Tire Podcast, Fusion’s Car vs. America, the Ask a Clean Person podcast, and MotorTrend’s Shift Talkers. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, cooking, and watching the Fast & Furious movies on repeat. Tokyo Drift is the best one.
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