by Kirk Bell
In the world of six-figure automobiles, the badge on the nose is often the main purchase consideration. Buyers want to be associated with brands that can represent their style, refinement, and social status. Infiniti doesn’t enjoy that kind of cachet, so when Nissan’s luxury brand wants more than $100k for an SUV, it has to deliver with luxury, technology, and little details.
The 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport makes every effort to offer the details to play with the big boys. The 2026 model year is the second for the redesigned second-generation QX80 and the first for the new Sport model. The Sport sits one rung below the top Autobiography model, and while it adds no sporty features, it comes loaded with luxuries as well as dark interior and exterior appearance tweaks.
Infiniti QX80 Performance
Work Details
The QX80 is a hulking full-size, body-on-frame SUV workhorse that can carry seven passengers and their stuff while towing a trailer. Every QX80 uses a front and rear double-wishbone suspension, and all but the base model get air springs and adaptive dampers.
The Sport in QX80 Sport is a misnomer. It’s just too hard to make a 6,127-pound SUV sporty. However, the direct and weighty but somewhat slow steering’s heft gives it stability in corners where this lumbering beast, which has a standard ground clearance of 7.9 inches, has notable body lean.
The adaptive dampers and 275/50R22 Bridgestone Alenza Sport A/S tires soak up road imperfections well, though it still has some body jiggle over bumps. In Sport mode, the ground clearance drops to 6.7 inches as the ride becomes disruptive on broken pavement, with abrupt up-and-down motions. The steering also gets artificially heavier but no longer as direct.
A Personal mode programs the steering, suspension, and powertrain. I’d stick with the Normal settings for the steering and suspension and set the powertrain to Sport for when I want more pep without the harder ride.
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That pep comes by way of a twin-turbocharged 3.5-V6 that makes 450 hp and 516 pound-feet of torque. Infiniti routes that power through a nine-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels for standard full-time four-wheel drive that lacks low-range gearing for this generation. That’s OK because this really isn’t an off-roader, even though the air springs can raise the ground clearance to 10 inches.
The V6 doesn’t rumble with a rich baritone like a V8, but it has a refined howl that suggests ready power. And that power delivers. It’s strong from a stop and easy to access for passing. In Car and Driver testing, the QX80 posted a quick to 60 mph time of 6.1 seconds. The nine-speed is well matched to the engine, shifting to keep it in its power band when called upon, especially in Sport mode.
The sturdy structure and strong powertrain allow the QX80 to tow up to 8,500 pounds. Predictably, fuel economy is mediocre, with EPA ratings of 15 mpg city, 19 highway, 17 combined with the Sport’s standard four-wheel drive.
That doesn’t make the QX80 a wise pick for the average family. It drinks too much fuel and handles too lethargically to be as pleasant as a large luxury crossover like the Mercedes-Benz GLS or Land Rover Range Rover.
Infiniti QX80 Interior
Luxurious Cabin Details
The QX80 Sport has the upscale cabin to go with its price. Its standard Dusk Blue semi-aniline leather is complemented by dark ash open-pore wood trim. Stitched leather adorns the doors, dash, and center console, and it’s all assembled with precision.
At 211.2 inches long on a 121-inch wheelbase, the QX80 is a monster with lots of room inside for you and your little monsters in comfort.
The front seats have the usual adjustments, plus controls for the lumbar support and side bolsters. Heating and ventilation come standard in the QX80 Sport, as do a massage function and a heated, power-adjustable steering wheel. If you can’t find a comfortable seating position, you’re not trying hard enough.
Second-row passengers have heating and ventilation, reclining seats that slide forward and back, and their own climate controls. The third row will fit a pair of average-size male adults (I fit well at 5’9” with only a slightly knees-up position), or a trio of tweens, and they also get reclining seatbacks.
The second-row captain’s chairs and three-passenger rear bench can be folded from the cargo area or from the center touchscreen, though their touchscreen controls, as well as the controls for the massaging seats, require digging deep into screen menus.
Cargo space is cavernous, with 101 cubic feet behind the first row, 59 cubes behind the second row, and 22 cubes behind the third row. That maxes out at about 20 cubic feet less than the standard-length Cadillac Escalade, but it’s still a very useful space.
Tech details
Screen real estate is generous, with dual 14.3-inch screens for the instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen, as well as a lower touchscreen to handle climate controls, drive modes, 4WD settings, and ride height. The infotainment system runs Google Built-in and comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Amazon Alexa. It’s generally easy to use and quick to react to inputs, but it lacks the front passenger screen that rivals are adding these days.
Surprise and Delight Details
The cabin luxury and screens are expected in a $100,000 vehicle, but Infiniti offers some unique features to draw in buyers. The most notable is a 24-speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere audio system with speakers in the front headrests that let the driver and front passenger hear navigation directions or a phone call while the radio plays for the rest of the passengers.
Also quite unique is biometric cooling, which automatically directs air toward second-row riders when it detects they are getting too hot, cooling them down in half the time of a standard climate control system, according to Infiniti.
The QX80 Sport also gets a standard dashcam that lets occupants take selfies inside and record road incidents outside. The standard surround-view camera system has nine camera views, with two helpful options.
The Front Wide View projects a wide-angle view across both 14.3-inch screens and allows the driver to see around objects to spot potential hazards about to cross the QX80’s path. An Invisible Hood View detects the surface ahead, stores it, and projects a view of it under the front of the vehicle as you move forward. It’s perfect for avoiding obstacles you can’t see over the hood.
2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport Price
The 2026 Infiniti QX80 Sport starts at $103,945, including a $1,995 destination fee, and my tester ran $107,965 with two-tone paint, a lighting package, and additional black exterior trim. That’s a lot to spend on an SUV that won’t garner admiration at the country club, but for the family that tows regularly, the QX80’s Sport’s details can provide a compelling reason to choose it over the big dogs.
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Images: Infiniti
