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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You might assume the 2022 Infiniti QX80’s interior is filled with outdated technology from when it launched here about 10 years ago, but thatÂ’s not entirely true.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.

Nissan recalls 226k vehicles over airbag inflators

Nissan and Infiniti are the latest automakers to issue recalls involving faulty airbag inflators from Takata. The Japanese automakers have announced campaigns covering about 226,326 units from seven models built in the early 2000s because they contain the bad part in the passenger-side, front airbag. The affected vehicles include the 2002-2004 Nissan Sentra, 2002-2003 Pathfinder and 2002-2003 Maxima, and it also covers the 2002-2003 Infiniti QX4, 2002-2003 I35, 2003 FX45 and 2003 FX35.
Like the other vehicles with the faulty inflators, it's possible for the part to rupture during airbag deployment and spray metal shrapnel at occupants. Nissan and Infiniti have even included vehicles with replacement airbags in this campaign because those parts also could have been defective. Both companies were also part of the earlier regional campaign to fix cars in high-humidity climates where the problem has been found to be the worst.
As is the usual response, Nissan and Infiniti will notify owners of the affected vehicles and will make the repair at no charge. According to the filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, these fixes will commence around August 11. Scroll down to read the report from NHTSA, or read the full defect notice as a PDF, here.

MotorWeek revisits 1990 Infiniti Q45

With the one-two punch of the Lexus LS 400 and Infiniti Q45 in the early '90s, Japanese automakers started taking the fight directly to the established V8-powered German flagships on American roads. Here, we get MotorWeek's take on the latter and probably lesser known of those luxury sedans. While not so impressive today, the Q45's 4.5-liter V8 with 278 horsepower and 292 pound-feet of torque was pretty good by the contemporary standards. The big sedan was also offered with an optional all-wheel steering system that made the model quite a capable handler. The rear end even stepped out a just little during MotorWeek's slalom. Unfortunately, styling is very polarizing with these early sedans. Where the early LS looks planted with its big, chunky lines on the outside, the Infiniti is a bit more delicate. The design just doesn't scream about being a flagship sedan. The interior doesn't help sell the car as the top of luxury, either. While MotorWeek likes some of the amenities inside, there are complains about the reused switches from the Nissan Maxima and the extensive use of plastic, rather than wood. With Infiniti now having its sights on the global premium market and soon entering the compact segment, it's fascinating to see the very roots of the brand.