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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.

Infiniti shows off the new Q50 engine lineup in Chicago

Infiniti has a raft of engine options it's rolling out on the Q50 sedan. We found out about most of them a couple of months ago, but they're now confirmed in all their turbocharged glory. And they'll all be showcased this week at the Chicago Auto Show. The base engine is a 2.0-liter turbo four based on a Mercedes design and built at the new joint-venture engine plant in Tennessee. The engine produces 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque and will be available in the Q50 2.0t in either rear- or all-wheel drive. If those specs strike you as familiar, they're the same that you'd find in the Mercedes CLA250 and GLA250, both of which similarly make their 4Matic traction optional, but come standard in front- (not rear-) drive form. Above the four-pot sits a new 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that replaces the naturally aspirated 3.7-liter unit and will be available in two states of tune. The 3.0t model offers 300 hp and 295 lb-ft, but the performance model – dubbed Q50 Red Sport 400 – cranks it up to 400 hp and 350 lb-ft. Both versions come mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission and either rear- or all-wheel drive. The fourth powertrain options carries over in the form of the Q50 Hybrid, which still pairs a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 to a 50-kW electric motor for a combined output of 360 hp. So if you like your sports sedan to come with some manner of assist, the Q50 offers plenty of choices. But if you're in the atmospheric camp, we're afraid you'll have to look elsewhere. Related Video: Infiniti Presents Three New Q50 Sports Sedan Engines for the First Time at the 2016 Chicago Auto Show - Q50 Red Sport 400 offers new 400-horsepower VR-series 3.0-liter V6 twin turbo engine - Advanced 300-horsepower VR V6 twin-turbo version shown for the first time in Chicago - Pair of new V6 twin turbo engines joined by new 2.0-liter turbo inline-4 rated at 208 horsepower CHICAGO (Feb. 11, 2016) – Infiniti today revealed the full lineup of new advanced engines for its Infiniti Q50 sports sedan at the 2016 Chicago Auto, including two 3.0-liter V6 twin turbo engines and a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbo engine. The trifecta of new powerplants will be available beginning this spring. Joining the three new engine-equipped Q50 models – designated the Q50 2.0t, Q50 3.0t and Q50 Red Sport 400 – on display at the country's oldest and best-attended auto show are the redesigned 2016 QX60 crossover and the all-new QX30 premium active crossover.

The Nissan Ariya was nearly the new Murano

NEW YORK — In addition to providing thoughts on a future Xterra while at the New York International Auto Show, Nissan Americas Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer Ponz Pandikuthira also talked with us a bit about EVs, and more specifically model lines and nameplates. We've seen a few strategies ranging from almost completely new and parallel model lines (such as Hyundai's Ioniqs and Kia's EV#s), to reusing old names on still similarly parallel models (such as Chevy's Equinox, Blazer and Silverado EVs), and of course blends of the two. So far, Nissan has gone with the separate model route with Leaf and Ariya, but that may not be as much the case in the future. Pandikuthira noted that now, consumers don't have as much interest in their EVs being some completely unique, statement piece. As such, both Nissan and Infiniti will be adding EVs to existing nameplates more so than totally new model lines. He didn't say whether they would simply be electric variants of existing internal combustion models, or something like Chevy's model, though. But he did note that the Nissan Ariya was, at one point, considered as a possible Murano successor. It certainly would make sense to us. The Ariya is a distinct-looking crossover, and one with a very upscale interior, both key tenets of the Murano from that model's introduction in the early 2000s. Plus, the Murano is in pretty dire need of a replacement, as the current generation dates back nearly a decade ago to the 2015 model year. The reason Pandikuthira gave for the Ariya decision was that the crossover represented enough of a change in Nissan's EV technology and capabilities that the brand wanted to highlight that with a unique nameplate. Nissan won't be ruling out the possibility of new EV-only models, though. Just like with Ariya, Pandikuthira told us that if a planned car is unique enough, the company will still be open to a new line. But expect more, say, electric Rogues and Altimas than totally new names. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.