Infiniti is still one of those fringe brands that people outside the motoring hemisphere aren’t yet au fait with. I know this because every time I have one on test, friends, family and members of the public ask the inevitable: “What is it?”
Of course, this anonymity isn’t helped by the fact that its models aren’t styled to stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the cars from Nissan’s luxury arm tend to blend into the landscape. At over 5,3 metres long and weighing a portly 2 829 kg, Infiniti’s newest SA product, the QX80, will not fade into the background, and that is a guarantee.
Large and in charge
There are few, if any, cars in the SA market that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the QX80. Not only is it long, but almost 2,3 metres wide (which admittedly does include the side mirrors) and nearly 2,0 metres tall. To say that it occupies a large volume of space would be an understatement of note.
The trade-off for these gargantuan proportions is a surfeit of interior space. Up to eight adults can be accommodated in absolute luxury. All surfaces inside are covered in leather or wood. Not only are passengers cosseted in a lounge-like atmosphere, but there is also a pair of screens integrated into the front seat headrests to keep all those behind entertained.
From a standard-fitment perspective, the QX80 lacks nothing; you name it and the biggest Infiniti has it, and the best part is that it is all standard. The isn’t a single optional extra.
A land boat
Keeping the QX80 moving is a naturally aspirated 5,6-litre V8 that produces 298 kW and 560 N.m of torque. As expected, power is delivered to all four-wheels via a permanent four-wheel-drive system that is fed from a seven-speed automatic transmission. A full suite of hardware and control systems are allied to the drivetrain to allow proper off-road exploration; more on that in a bit.
Helping to keep the land yacht afloat are 22-inch alloys (yes, those are standard) on massive rubber measuring 275 mm wide. I shudder to think what those cost…
On the road, the QX80 doesn’t quite deliver the ride quality one would expect of a car with that much travel suspension. The ride is decent but wasn’t quite as wafty as I was hoping.
On the upside, when we ventured off the tar and tackled some of the dirt mountain passes around the George/Mosselbaai area, the ride quality didn’t change once. The only discernible difference was that the noise levels went up when driving on dirt.
Off the road
After traversing the highways and byways of the Garden Route, we ventured into the dunes of Duineroete Nature Conservancy in the Vleesbaai area. This is undoubtedly one of the most scenic off-road courses you can do anywhere in SA.
While the soft sand of the dune may have been made a little easier to handle thanks to intermittent rain, the QX80 hardly noticed that we had left the tar. With the off-road drive selector set to sand and the traction control off, we simply trundled along in complete luxury while enjoying the scenery.
Will they or won’t they?
Every time I see an extremely expensive genuine off-roader, I wonder if it has ever ventured off the beaten path, even just once. These vehicles are so capable, but in many/most cases, owners buy them simply for the reason that they happen to be the best with no real intent of challenging much more than a high kerb or a grass embankment at a sports event.
As the QX80 is so capable off-road, almost as good as it is on-road, I sincerely hope that owners take the time to really utilise its full breadth of capabilities. If you’re going to spend R1,238 million, then you may as well get your money’s worth. The best part is that the Infiniti QX80 is comfortable and luxurious getting you to an off-road course.
