Infiniti’s latest crossover will make an appearance at The Quail next week, as will two QX80 variants.
We’re coming up on Monterey Car Week, and that means a growing list of reveals as automakers gear up to draw as many eyeballs as possible during the event. One of the companies bringing concepts to The Quail — one of several venues hosting enthusiast gatherings next week — is Infiniti, which plans to show off the new QX65 Monograph Concept. This is the coupe-like crossover first mentioned at the 2023 Tokyo Motor Show, so we’ve been waiting to see this one for a hot minute.
If you’ve been following Infiniti’s recent efforts, then you’ll already have a pretty good idea what “QX65” and “Monograph” bring to the table, even without seeing this week’s teaser. While we’re on that subject, though, the company released an image showing its signature LED lighting and grille design, as well as an illuminated badge. Otherwise, the hood design (or what little you can see of it) and the front fascia largely seem to match the existing QX60 SUV.
Why? Because like the QX55 was to the QX50, the upcoming Infiniti QX65 is more or less a coupe version of the QX60. In essence, this model will compete against the likes of the Audi Q8, Genesis GV80 Coupe and Porsche Cayenne Coupe, among others, when it actually reaches the production stage.
The Monograph Concept, then, is a close-to-reality model showing what we can expect from the inevitable production model. At least, that turned out to be the case with the latest full-size QX80 SUV, which would up looking pretty much identical to the QX Monograph Concept that preceded it (that also debuted at The Quail, by the way).
Just like the QX80 before it officially launched, there’s no technical information on what the Infiniti QX65 has going on under the skin. It should track closely, if not 100%, with the QX60 though: a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine making 268 horsepower and 286 lb-ft of torque (remember, the old V6 is no longer available) mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission.
Since we are just looking at the concept here, it will be a minute before we actually see the Infiniti QX65 in dealer showrooms. Likely, the car will launch sometime next calendar year, though a late-year arrival would make it a 2027.
Want something larger? Infiniti has you covered there, too
Infiniti just debuted a new Sport trim for its flagship QX80 SUV, but it isn’t stopping there, apparently. The automaker is bringing along two new QX80 concepts to Monterey Car Week: the Track Spec and Terrain Spec.
As you’d probably glean from those names, one is more performance oriented (think Nissan Armada Nismo), while the other leans toward an off-road vibe (like the Armada Pro-4X). For the moment, Infiniti is calling these QX80s “design exercises”, rather than production intent vehicles. Nevertheless, that usually signals it may actually build them if there’s enough demand, so we’ll have to see what the reaction is next week.
The Infiniti QX65 Monograph Concept and both QX80 design studies will make their official debut on Friday, August 15.
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