I Drove The 2026 Infiniti QX80 Autograph: It Might Be Nicer Than The Escalade

Get Autoblog in your Google feed

Key Points

The Infiniti QX80 supports the brand’s renaissance with competitive luxury, practicality, and distinctive design.
Its massaging, fold-flat rear seats provide up to 101 cubic feet of cargo space.
A 450-horsepower twin-turbo V6 delivers strong acceleration, reaching 60 mph in 6.24 seconds.

A Brand Renaissance

Back in 2023, Infiniti talked about a “brand renaissance” that would reinvigorate sales. It started with the QX80, the company’s flagship SUV, which carries into the 2026 and 2027 model years mostly unchanged. Infiniti will likely refresh the QX80 in the next year or two, but even the current car is pretty competitive in the full-size luxury class.

Jared Levenson/Autoblog

The QX80 was the first Infiniti to debut the brand’s latest “Artistry in Motion” design language, which has further evolved with models like the QX65. Infiniti knows how to design a handsome car, and after spending a week in the top QX80 Autograph trim, I learned it still knows how to compete with the class leaders.

Luxurious & Practical

The Infiniti QX80 is heavily based on the Nissan Armada, known in other parts of the world as the Patrol. This platform delivers capable off-road prowess, though it’s less spacious than American options like the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, and Jeep Grand Wagoneer. These vehicles also offer extended wheelbase variants that offer even more cargo volume.

Model	Behind 3rd Row	Behind 2nd Row	Behind 1st Row
Infiniti QX80	22 cubic feet	59 cubic feet	101 cubic feet
Cadillac Escalade	25.5 cubic feet	72.9 cubic feet	120.5 cubic feet
Lincoln Navigator	21.6 cubic feet	60.8 cubic feet	107 cubic feet
Jeep Grand Wagoneer	27.9 cubic feet	70.8 cubic feet	116.7 cubic feet

The QX80 offers up to 101 cubic feet of space with the second- and third-row seats folded, but it can still deliver that practicality even in its most luxurious trim. If you opt for massaging second row seats in the Escalade or Navigator (they aren’t available in the Grand Wagoneer), you lose the ability to fold them flat, severely limiting cargo space. The QX80 is the only vehicle in this segment with rear seats that massage you, but can still fold flat to fit a flat screen TV.

Jared Levenson/Autoblog

Enough Screens

Both the Escalade and Navigator have recently been facelifted with fresh interiors that feature massive screens stretching across the dashboard. Some tech-forward buyers will love the flexibility for apps and widgets in these models, while traditional customers may be overwhelmed by the number of screens.

Jared Levenson/Autoblog

The QX80 gets it just right, pairing two 14.3-inch displays with a lower climate control touchscreen. If you prefer buttons, the Armada still offers them, but the QX80’s separate climate screen is useful for quickly adjusting settings like temperature without the need to leave CarPlay or other main screen tasks.

Heart Of A Sports Car

I still think the Escalade is the standard by which all vehicles in this segment should be judged for ride and handling. It’s still a body-on-frame vehicle, but GM’s excellent Magnetic Ride Control delivers the most comfortable ride in this class. The Escalade is also the last vehicle in the segment to offer a V8 engine, but it’s no longer my favorite amongst the competitive set.

2024 Cadillac Escalade-V: 4.76 seconds
2026 Lincoln Navigator Black Label: 5.65 seconds
2025 Lexus LX 700h Overtrail: 5.72 seconds
2026 Jeep Grand Wagoneer Summit: 6.17 seconds
2026 Infiniti QX80 Autograph: 6.24 seconds
2025 Cadillac Sport Platinum: 6.68 seconds

Infiniti now uses a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6, which is essentially a bigger version of the 3.0-liter version in the Nissan Z sports car. It produces 450 horsepower and 516 lb-ft in the QX80, going out via a nine-speed automatic transmission. I’ve tested the zero to 60 mph times for several vehicles in this segment, and the QX80 is pretty quick. This Autograph trim hit 60 mph in 6.24 seconds, which is quicker than the last V8 Escalade I tested.

Jared Levenson/Autoblog

Infiniti has teased a performance variant of the QX80 with more power, but it has been delayed to ensure it offers a substantial upgrade over the base model. While I’d like to see the QX80 get over 600 hp, it’s pretty great as-is.

About the author

Jared Rosenholtz

Senior Editor

Jared Rosenholtz is a Senior Editor and Head of Video at Autoblog with more than a decade of automotive journalism experience. He was editor at large and head of video at CarBuzz, where he created the Buzz Score rating system and Buzz Awards.