The Infiniti QX Monograph's bold styling begins at the front with a forward-leaning grille with chevron-style diagonal slats pointing upward to the company's new three-dimensional "infinite road" badge. Mounted high on the SUV's front end, the grille appears between trendy low-mounted headlamp units nestled in corner bumper vents. Running along the front edge of the hood - including the top of the grille - is a set of "piano key" daytime running lights that perform an approach animation that Infiniti says is inspired by a bird in flight.
The piano keys make another appearance on the back, where a full-width LED bar appears under the backlight. If you look closely, you'll see that the chunky light elements are actually made up of small horizontal stripes of light, reminiscent of a synthwave sunset illustration. Like the new QX60, the Monograph has a floating roof with a beveled accent running along the rear quarter window.
The squinty lighting elements and double-arched grille draw clear links to other modern Infinitis, but the QX Monograph is more angular. Body surfaces appear smooth, but there are complex character lines such as the hood's prominent center rib and an angled surface along the beltline that picks up where the hood's clamshell leaves off. There's a functional front fender vent with mesh inspired by the longitudinal grain of bamboo, providing a nature-inspired link to the car's Japanese heritage.
These surface accents become more pronounced when the QX Monograph is viewed in different lighting conditions. Infiniti has painted the large SUV in a warm silver hue called "Akane." The six-layer paint is inspired by the changing colors of a sunset, and the concept does indeed appear pink, light purple and even bluish gray, depending on the light. Red accents on the wheel spokes and "Monograph" badge add to the twilight motif.
The QX Monograph's large proportions and squared-off roofline are the most obvious links to the existing QX80, but the concept is far more modern and cohesive. Of course, it's going to take more than styling to bring the dated QX80 up to par with the modern Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator, so let's hope Infiniti has a high-tech powertrain and impressive cabin comfort in store for its flagship SUV. As for when we'll see a new QX80 in showrooms, Infiniti's monograph concepts tend to arrive about a year before their production variants. So expect to see a new QX80 in time for the 2025 model year.
Source: Infiniti