Infiniti Puts the Brakes on Its 600-HP SUV, Realizing Muscle Isn’t Everything

Infiniti is taking a step back from its most powerful performance SUV in years, delaying the QX80 Red Sport by more than a year to give it more than just a bigger engine. The luxury brand originally planned to launch the model this December with roughly 600 horsepower, quicker acceleration, and a sharper look.

But as development moved forward, company leaders decided that raw power alone wouldn’t cut it against rivals like Mercedes-AMG and BMW M.

“We know we have one chance at a first impression when it comes to this type of product,” Eric Ledieu, head of Infiniti Americas, told Autonews. “As we have started to work on the project, we’re realizing that power alone is not sufficient. ” Instead of rushing out a straight-line bruiser, Infiniti is now overhauling the chassis, brakes, suspension, and aerodynamics.

The SUV will also get an active exhaust system, a heavily redesigned interior, wider fender flares, and massive 24-inch wheels. 5-liter V6 will see a power bump of “much more” than 20 percent over the standard 450 horsepower, which could push output well past the earlier 600-horsepower target.

Infiniti aims for a 0-60 mph time under five seconds.

The delay makes sense once you drive the current QX80 Sport or its cousin the Armada NISMO. Both have the looks and the grunt, but neither feels eager or composed when the road gets twisty. Adding another 150 horsepower to that recipe might have made for an entertaining highway cruiser, but little else.

By holding off, Infiniti seems intent on building an SUV that’s genuinely rewarding to drive, not just a Japanese Durango SRT Hellcat with a luxury badge. The revised QX80 Red Sport is now expected to arrive alongside the SUV’s mid-cycle refresh in the first half of 2028. Pricing should land roughly $30,000 above the current QX80 Sport’s $103,945 starting price, firmly in six-figure territory.

Infiniti is also weighing an even wilder QX80 Track Spec concept pushing toward 700 horsepower, though that project hasn’t cleared internal review yet.