Infiniti unveiled the QX Monograph Concept on Thursday. In short, it's a large SUV with a giant grille. While it's only a concept meant to signal the direction of the brand's styling, we can't help but notice its similarity in size and proportion to the QX80 flagship SUV. Since that truck is due for a redesign, this may be a hint of what's to come.
If the concept is to be followed, that means a hell of a lot more grille. Not that the QX80 was lacking in that to begin with. But the Monograph concept makes the grille bolder and bigger, with canted vertical lines that visually elongate the schnoz. It's integrated well into the front of the SUV's design, though the side profile ditches the angularity in favor of clean, straight lines. The front lighting is also new, with narrow top DRLs serving as the visual highlight while full lighting duties fall to the lamps mounted underneath. It's a similar setup to a 2014-era Jeep Cherokee or a Nissan Juke, but executed thoughtfully and integrated well.
The rear is the most forgettable, as—like seemingly every SUV redesigned in the last two years—it swaps separate taillamps for a full-width LED light bar. It's handsome enough, but in traffic you'd struggle to discern it from similar Lincoln, Lexus, Land Rover, or even Nissan SUVs. Speaking of which, the current QX80 rides on the same architecture as the Nissan Armada (global-market Nissan Patrol), and we'd expect any future full-size Infiniti SUV to do the same.
Since the QX80, Patrol, and Armada are all due for a redesign, we expect Infiniti to launch a production version of this concept relatively soon. While some concept details—like, perhaps, the six-layer spectacular paint—may not be destined for full-scale production, Infiniti does tend to incorporate the design language of its concepts.
Arguably the most fickle member of the Road & Track staff, Reviews Editor Mack Hogan is likely the only person to ever cross shop an ND Miata with an Isuzu Vehicross. He founded the automotive reviews section of CNBC during his sophomore year of college and has been writing about cars ever since.
