2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport 4WD Review

This week I am taking a look at the 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport 4WD.  It builds on last year’s full redesign with a bolder, darker edge and a focus on a sporty presence. Power still comes from the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 with 450 horses and 516 lb.-ft. of torque, paired with a smooth nine-speed automatic, but the new Sport trim brings a personality all its own. Blacked-out exterior accents, a revised front fascia, and unique 22-inch wheels give it a more aggressive stance, while the cabin adds dark chrome trim. My tester has a beautiful graphite semi-aniline leather interior. Compared with the 2025 Autograph I reviewed last year, the Sport feels more tailored for those who prefer attitude over opulence, yet it retains all the refinement, tech, and quiet confidence that define Infiniti’s flagship SUV.

The QX80 comes in four trim levels starting with the Pure, which has a base price of $83,750.  Next up the Luxe, the Sport, which is the one I have this week.  It has a starting price of $102,665 and finally the Autograph, the pinnacle of the lineup, which is $10,000 more than the Sport. So, there is quite a price difference from the bottom to the top-of-the-line. For comparison purposes, the least expensive Escalade starts at $96,995 and the cheapest Navigator is $99,995

Exterior   

Starting with the exterior, the QX80 retained its roots as boxy, but designers did a wonderful job making it look more modern, less top-heavy, and sleeker. 

LED lighting illuminates the front and rear, and a new grill features a lit Infiniti emblem.  22” machined alloy wheels are monstrous and beautiful, and I love the addition of pop-out door handles as you approach the SUV.  The roof is black over the fetching Radiant White paint, and a large spoiler finishes off the rear, and yes, the rear wiper is tucked nicely underneath it. 

I was a little surprised there were no visible dual or quad exhaust tips in the rear because the big V6 has a bit of a rumble to it.

Performance   

Yes, the V8 is gone, and I know you V8 lovers will be bummed, but its time for us all to get on the efficiency train.  Like so many other big pickups and SUVs, the QX80 that debuted last year has a 3.5-liter V6 with twin-turbos and a 9-speed shiftable automatic transmission.  As I said earlier, it has 450-horses and 516 pound-feet of torque.  This 5,600-pound SUV will flat get up and move.  If you are keeping a score card, that is 50-horses more than the old V8, and 103 more pound-feet of torque. You won’t miss that eight-banger in the least.

Interior       

Open any door to reveal a truly outstanding interior.  The front seats in the 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport 4WD are finished in supple Dusk Blue semi-aniline leather that strikes a balance between sport and luxury.

They’re deeply contoured with wide bolsters that hold you securely without feeling tight, and both are heated and ventilated with multiple power adjustments, including power lumbar and memory settings. And yes, they will give you a nice massage. 

The seats also feature Infiniti’s “Zero Gravity” design for long-distance comfort, using layered foam that evenly supports the spine and reduces fatigue. Subtle contrast stitching and perforated inserts add texture and a high-end look that complements the darker interior theme of the Sport trim.

The gauge cluster is a wide, 14.3-inch configurable digital display positioned just ahead of the driver, offering three selectable styles — Classic, Elegant and Enhanced — for everything from traditional speed/tach reads to full-screen navigation. The graphics are crisp, the amber accenting in the Sport trim subtle and driver-focused, and the layout remains intuitive whether you’re scanning the road ahead or checking driver-assist alerts.

Center dash the second 14.3-inch screen serves as the centerpiece of the dash and anchors the SUV’s infotainment system. It’s bright, responsive, and designed to flow seamlessly with the gauge display, giving the cockpit a wide, panoramic feel. The interface is crisp and intuitive, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with quick-access tiles to navigation, climate, and audio. Paired with the available Klipsch Reference Premiere Audio system, which uses 24 speakers and a 24-channel amplifier, the sound quality is concert-hall clear with deep, controlled bass and precise imaging. There are even speakers built into the front headrests, more on that in a minute.  The screen’s deep black backgrounds and copper-toned graphics complement the Sport trim’s dark interior, making both the visuals and the audio experience feel refined and immersive.  It is also very fast and simple to operate, you’ll pick up on immediately.

A little more about the Klipsch sound system: It offers Individual Audio, leveraging the beautiful metal-trimmed speakers mounted to the front seat headrests. When enabled, Individual Audio allows for focusing only certain audio elements – such as navigation directions, music, or phone calls – just to the driver's seat. For example, the driver can make a phone call while passengers continue listening to music, or the driver could listen to a favorite playlist and hear map guidance without disturbing those sleeping in the rear seats.  Brilliant!

I’m a bit smitten with the camera system in this beast. It has one of the most advanced camera systems in the luxury SUV class, designed to make a vehicle this size surprisingly easy to maneuver. The 3D Around View Monitor offers eight selectable camera angles, providing a full 360-degree perspective that can be viewed in real time on the 14.3-inch touchscreen. A wide front camera gives you a 170-degree look ahead when pulling out of tight spaces, while the “Invisible Hood View” digitally removes the front end from the image to show what’s directly beneath the bumper—perfect for parking or off-road driving. The system’s Moving Object Detection warns of pedestrians or obstacles nearby, and an on-screen proximity overlay helps you park the QX80 with surgical precision.

A built-in dash cam adds another layer of peace of mind, recording high-definition footage from both a forward-facing exterior lens and an interior cabin camera. The recordings can be saved to a memory card or accessed through Infiniti’s connected app, allowing you to view, download, or share clips after a drive or if the system detects a parking incident. Together, these systems give the driver an unmatched level of situational awareness, and upscale technology.

28.6-inches of screens not enough across the dash?  NO WORRIES.  There is another 9” touchscreen that is part of the center console that operates the climate control system, and the heated and cooled seats. It is simple to operate and not distracting.  Just below that are PRND buttons.  They look great and make it simple to go from park, to reverse or neutral, and if you hit the drive button twice, you can shift the QX from the steering wheel paddles.  To the right of the tranny buttons is one button to raise and lower the entire vehicle, and another to activate the surround-view cameras.  By the way, this steering wheel is beautiful, has a ton of detail, is flat-bottomed, and feels really great in your hands.  Oh, it’s heated and power tilting and telescoping, of course. 

This is the screen to choose your drive modes also.  Your choices are:  Personal, Standard, Eco (don’t bother), Sport, Tow, and Snow. The big center console between the two front captain chairs is soft to the touch and soft on your elbow.  A door covers a wireless cell phone charger that lets your phone sit straight up but tilted toward you, and another door conceals two cupholders. 

Second row occupants are going to be really happy campers. The second row captain’s chairs are very comfortable.  Get this: In a segment-first, the QX80 has Biometric Cooling technology that works with the Tri-Zone Climate Control System to monitor each passenger’s individual temperature, adjusting automatically for optimal comfort. The two captain chairs are heated and cooled, they are power adjusting, and they recline.  There is another screen back there, on top of the big center console to control the seats, and rear passengers control their own temperature, they have USB-C ports and a 12-volt charging outlet.  People in back will want for nothing.

Second row captain’s chairs slide electronically to make it simple to get to the third row.  Once seated, room is good for two good-sized adults, or three kiddos, there are USBs for them, there are air vents in the ceiling, the 3^rd row seat power reclines, and in a rarity, it is also heated!  Leg and headroom are exceptional.

Utility 

Cargo area is ample at best, there is storage underneath, and the third-row seats fold down with the push of a button from the rear.  The same goes for the second row seats, and when all is said and done, you have 101-cubic feet of cargo area with a flat load floor. 

While you are back there, you can raise and lower the QX for ease of loading, and there is a 110-volt power outlet.  This is a great setup all around and I wouldn’t trade the 3^rd row seat room for more cargo, but that’s just me.  The second and third row seats fold quickly, and you have a very flat load floor all the way to the back of the front seats.

Standard Features and Options 

The Sport comes with everything you can think of, the massaging heated and ventilated front seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, a 14.3-inch infotainment display with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 14.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a panoramic moonroof, power heated tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, hands-free power liftgate, wireless device charging, a head-up display, Google built-in, Wi-Fi hotspot, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive front lighting, remote engine start, and a premium Klipsch Reference Premiere audio system with 24 speakers.

Safety   

On the safety front, you get the Advanced Air Bag System with dual-stage front airbags, front knee, side-impact and roof-mounted curtain airbags for all three rows; Predictive Forward Collision Warning with Automatic Emergency Braking and Pedestrian Detection; Blind Spot Warning with Blind Spot Intervention, Rear Cross Traffic Alert; Lane Departure Prevention and Steering Assist; Intelligent Cruise Control; the 3D Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection, Front Wide View and Invisible Hood View; Smart Rearview Mirror; and the full complement of traction and stability controls.

Towing

If you are a trailer toting family, this one is great for that. It can tow up to 8,500 pounds and comes equipped with a Class IV hitch, seven-pin wiring harness, dedicated Tow mode, Trailer Sway Control, and Trailer Blind Spot Warning, all working together to make hauling large trailers safer and more stable.

Options

Options include the $1,060 Sport Exterior Package which gives you a gloss-black grille, dark chrome accents on the mirror caps, roof rails, and badging, a revised front bumper, black exterior trim, and exclusive 22-inch dark-finish alloy wheels for a more aggressive, performance-oriented look. 

It also has the $1,060 Interior Lighting Package, which is 64 different ambient lighting colors, with elegant “light-pipes” integrated along the dashboard and door trim that set a mood of refined luxury and personal style.

Ride and Drive

This SUV is incredibly quiet inside, and the ride and handling are about as good as anything I’ve ever driven, with much of the thanks going to the electronic air suspension with adaptive dampers that automatically adjusts ride height and firmness, lowering for easier entry or better aerodynamics at highway speeds and raising for additional ground clearance when driving off-road.  The steering is responsive, acceleration is really good, and it is much nimbler than you’d think.  This is a true large, luxury SUV all the way.  Infiniti thought of everything.

MSRP and MPG 

Fuel economy is 17 in town, 19 on the highway, and 17 overall, but I am getting slightly more without even trying, and if you are buying this SUV for fuel economy, just don’t. MSRP is $107,965 on this ultra-loaded SUV.  That’s a lot of money, especially if you haven’t shopped lately in the large, luxury, SUV category. If you go shopping in the large, luxury SUV segment, this Infiniti Sport will likely hold a price advantage over the competition. .

Verdict  

On a side note, this is the SUV I drove to get to my induction into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame this weekend, so I got more than the usual amount of time behind the wheel, on the open highway.  This thing cruises very smoothly at 85, it’s whisper quiet on the highway, and overall, it was just a joy for the 300-mile round trip I took it on.

This is an outstanding SUV and this Sport version is a real head turner.