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2022 Infiniti QX80 Interior Review | Refreshed, but still behind

You might assume the 2022 Infiniti QX80’s interior is filled with outdated technology from when it launched here about 10 years ago, but thatÂ’s not entirely true. You see, despite the rest of the car carrying over from the previous model year, the 2022 model year QX80 enjoys a refreshed interior. While this interior is updated, thereÂ’s no need to get overly excited. Nissan put the Armada through a mid-cycle refresh last year, and the QX80 essentially cribs all of its new bits directly from the Nissan. WeÂ’ve already tested the Armada, so we had an idea about what to expect when the refreshed QX80 landed at our doorstep. Thankfully, for InfinitiÂ’s sake, the ArmadaÂ’s new interior is nice enough that it's largely acceptable in the more luxurious QX80. It features a new, high-res touchscreen, flashy plastics, a simple layout and vital tech like a wireless phone charger, USB-C port and wireless Apple CarPlay — unfortunately, Android Auto remains a wired-only affair. The new look of this tall and vast center stack doesnÂ’t jive perfectly with the QX80Â’s flowy, rounded interior design, but thatÂ’s what you get when part of the interior is updated and the rest is left to carryover. Straight, strong lines dominate the center stack, complemented by rectangular vents. Meanwhile, rounded wood trim flows out of this brutalist center stack in a jarring manner that makes the interior look like two different designers worked on it separately, then had their work combined.  Functionally, the new parts of the interior are just fine. The new single touchscreen and its supporting user interface is a welcome update over the old dual-screen infotainment system that's still found in other Infinitis (it had only just received that system for 2020). Its large, width-oriented and mounted higher for easy viewing, plus the presence of supporting physical knobs and buttons make vital controls easy to use and adjust. The odd storage compartment in the dash houses the wireless phone charger, and the 12V outlet is hidden in there alongside it. We enjoyed the presence of a wireless phone charger, but it didnÂ’t charge our phones quickly, and the phoneÂ’s movement on the mat would sometimes cause it to stop charging altogether. Surprisingly, the QX80 is fitted with a camera rearview mirror, which was a nice surprise to see.

2020 Infiniti QX80 refreshes its cabin, adds tech and safety features

After performing a nip-tuck on the Infiniti QX80's sheetmetal for the 2018 model year, designers have massaged the QX80's interior for 2020. The driver's cluster keeps the analog gauges but loses the previous, low-res digital information screen. A new seven-inch TFT display is tucked between the dials. The infotainment spread on the center console finally gets the real estate it deserves, an eight-inch touchscreen up top with a seven-inch touchscreen below. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, as is Wi-Fi hotspot capability. Above all that, the rear view mirror went to school to become the Smart Rear View Mirror, meaning it can operate as the usual reflective surface or as a monitor for the rear-mounted camera feed. It's an option on the entry Luxe trim, standard on the top Limited trim. New standard safety features on both variants include backup collision intervention, blind-spot warning, lane departure warning, and rear door alert. On the aesthetic side, a new Charcoal Burl wood interior trim with gradation joins two new premium exterior colors, Coulis Red and Mineral Black. For more intense ornamentation, Infiniti offers the Edition 30 package for 2020 with a black mesh grille and dark chrome trim on the front fascia, black mirror caps, more dark chrome on the tailgate finisher, stainless steel kickplates, and 22-inch dark wheels with black center caps. It's possible engineers will turn to the engine for the next update cycle. For now, the QX80 continues with the 5.6-liter V8 putting out 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, shifting through a seven-speed automatic. It's a thirsty lump, the first version of the VK56VD engine hitting the market in the Infiniti Q45 of 2002, but QX80 fuel economy is in the ballpark with other full-sized, V8 competition.  As has happened for the past few years, prices go up for both trims. The Luxe starts at $66,750, a $1,250 bump over 2019. The destination charge also rose by $100 to $1,395; adding that brings the total to a $68,145. Opting for 4WD on the Luxe remains a $3,100 option. MSRP on the Limited goes up by $1,250 as well, totaling $92,845 after destination. Related Video:    

NHTSA opens investigation into Nissan's handling of airbag recall

In March of 2014, Nissan recalled eight models among its Nissan and Infiniti brands, totaling more than one million vehicles, over faulty occupant classification system software controlling the passenger airbag. The company discovered a variety of factors that would interfere with the system's ability to detect an adult passenger in the shotgun seat, resulting in an illuminated warning on on the dashboard and the passenger airbag not deploying in an accident. Yet 124 complaints submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration since the recall allege that the dealer-installed fix hasn't actually fixed the problem; some consumers say the problem persists after multiple trips to the dealer. The Detroit News reports that NHTSA is opening an investigation into the matter to determine whether a new recall is needed. The occupant sensor has been a bugbear for Nissan over the past couple of years; a much smaller recall for the issue in 2013 covered five of the eight vehicles that were recalled in 2014, and that earlier recall also continued to generate complaints after the issue had supposedly been fixed. At the same time, the company learned that in two instances there was another twist, where the dashboard warning wasn't illuminated but the passenger airbag still didn't go off in an accident. Nissan isn't alone, though, with airbag recalls on a steep upswing across the industry even before the Takata debacle.