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2015 Infiniti QX80 gets a minor refresh, fancy new trim

Infiniti revealed an ever-so-slightly refreshed QX80 alongside its Q70 luxury sedan this morning in New York. The biggest news for the brand's fullsize SUV is the addition of a range-topping trim level, unimaginatively dubbed the QX80 Limited.
The Big 80 sports a couple of styling tweaks in an effort to bring its appearance more in line with the brand's current design language. The "double-arch" grille with mesh inserts we first viewed on the Q50 now adorns the front fascia, and the head and taillights have gone full-LED. Still, it's hard to call this SUV anything but ugly. It's bulbous and almost brutish, which aren't generally words you want to have to use when talking about any kind of luxury vehicle.
There aren't many updates inside or to the drivetrain, either. Like the Q70, Infiniti has added a couple of new tech features, such as its Predictive Forward Collision Warning system and High Beam Assist. Although it's getting a bit long in the tooth, the interior remains nice, with lots of wood and leather all around. The SUV continues to use a 5.6-liter V8, which produces 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque, mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission.

2014 Infiniti Q50S

Ten years ago, nearly to the day, I took delivery of a brand-new 2004 Infiniti G35 6MT. The sporty rear-wheel drive sedan, equipped with its throaty 260-horsepower V6, slick manual gearbox and limited-slip differential replaced my 2001 BMW 330i because the Japanese competitor touted a product that was roomier, better equipped, quicker and lower priced. The G35 trumped the German in nearly every measurable category - at least on paper.
The 2014 Infiniti Q50 is the direct descendant, albeit two generations later, of the car I owned a decade ago. It is dimensionally about the same size, but it has gained more than 300 pounds of mass thanks to numerous safety upgrades and technical innovations. The additional weight is largely dismissed by a larger and more efficient powerplant that delivers an additional 68 horsepower, a welcome arrival, but the manual gearbox that charmed enthusiasts has been pushed out of the picture by a mandatory seven-speed automatic transmission.
As it has in the past, Infiniti touts its all-new Q50 as a luxury sport sedan worthy of the title. Decades ago, impressive performance statistics may have sealed the deal. Yet there is much more to the assignment today, as the model must offer premium appointments, sophistication and engaging driving dynamics if it's going to entice and capture the next-generation of young, premium buyers - much like the G35 did for me ten years ago.

US-built Infiniti Q50 engines to go into Euro-only cars

Back in March, Infiniti announced that it would be adding a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder to its Q50 line for European and Chinese buyers. Now, we know where that engine will be built.
Nissan's Decherd, TN facility will receive the $319-million investment, which will see a separate, dedicated line for the Infiniti engines. According to Automotive News, this is more than a line running alongside the Nissan operations - the Infiniti facility will sport its own unique architecture and interior lighting, in a bid to distinguish the premium line from its mass-market parent company.
The logistics of all this do seem, on the surface, quite screwy. Building a new engine on one continent for a car built on another that will eventually go on sale on a third doesn't seem too bright, although there is a catch here. The new engine will also find its way into the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which will kick off production in Vance, AL later this year.