Luxury four-wheel drives are flying off dealer lots at the moment, and manufacturers are scrambling to cash in. BMW is reportedly working on a model to sit above the X5, and Audi has announced the Q8 will go from concept to production vehicle next year. Never one to be left out, Infiniti has created the Q80 Monograph concept for the New York Auto Show.
The first thing to know about the Monograph is that it's seriously big. It's more than 5 m (16.4 ft) long, 2 m (6.6 ft) wide and just under 2 m tall, or similar in size to a Chevrolet Tahoe. What's more, the design team has worked to make it look bigger than it actually is, with long character lines running from the grille all the way along the flanks.
The QX80 is only a design study at the moment, but don't expect things to remain that way for long. Infiniti has a long history of turning its show cars into production vehicles, and the Monograph looks production ready in most aspects. Swap those slimline cameras for proper mirrors, scale down the overblown rims and lose the matte paint and this concept is ready for the showroom.
Good thing, too, because it's up there with the prettiest four-wheel drives out there at the moment. Details like the air vents on the front flanks carry over from the Q60 Concept, and the shape of the headlamps is unmistakably Infiniti, but the sheer size of the QX80 gives it a unique look. The grille is big, but it avoids looking like the work of an under-qualified orthodontist, which is more than can be said for the Audi Q8 Concept launched in Detroit.
Infiniti is known for its design work, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the latest concept is a looker, but good looks are never a given in the world of four-wheel drives – just look at the current QX80.
"The QX80 Monograph represents a detailed study into our expertise of exterior design," says Roland Krueger, President of Infiniti. "QX80 Monograph shows our concept of luxury and style on the road, and is an exploration into how we could enhance our future Infiniti offering in the luxury SUV segment."
The Infiniti QX80 Monograph is on show at the New York Auto Show, where New Atlas is on the ground covering all the action. There are plenty of big launches lined up, including the long awaited Dodge Demon, so stay tuned.
Source: Infiniti
