2015 Infiniti QX80 loses some of its awkwardness and gains a new ‘Limited’ trim

By Davis Adams April 17, 2014

The Q70 isn’t the only Infiniti to get a makeover at this year’s New York Auto Show. The brand’s flagship SUV, the QX80 (formerly the QX56) also gains new styling cues from the Q50 sedan, and loses some of its whale-like styling in the process.

We’ve had a love-hate relationship with the QX80 since it was redesigned in 2011, when the oversized SUV lost its butch, angular styling. On one hand, it had grown into a bit of an eyesore, with awkward proportions and a weird translation of the brand’s sweeping design over a giant box. However, its interior made it one of the most luxurious SUVs on the market, and under the hood was a very capable 4×4 system that could haul the entire family over just about any terrain. Plus, the QX just cost less than its competitors, making it a relative bargain for the segment.

For 2015, the QX80 aims to soften some of its shortcomings with updated front and rear fascia, LED headlamps, and several new interior finishes that Infiniti claims, “wouldn’t feel out of place in an executive board room or private jet.”

The 2015 Infiniti QX80 will also come in an optional “Limited” guise, which comes with dark, Truffle brown interior, with brown, black and silver wood and metal trims throughout the cabin. The QX80 is already cavernous, and we think this new trim might just earn it man-cave status in our book, too.

The new QX80 goes on sale in fall 2014.

Interested in more auto show news? Take a look at our coverage from New York.

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Whether you're talking about gadgets or cars, Davis always seems to prefer "next year's models." He's a neophile to the core…

Cars

2015 Dodge Charger sports a new face, but the same HEMI V8 power as before

2015 Dodge Charger

While other carmakers focus on fuel efficiency, connectivity, and lower-case "i"s, Dodge is as committed as ever to the muscle car.
At the 2014 New York Auto Show, Chrysler's mainstream brand unveiled the 2015 Dodge Charger and Challenger, both refreshes of the tire-smoking models that have been with us for a few years.
The newest part of the 2015 Charger is definitely its face, which has traded the angry look of current models for a slimmer grille and headlights. This completely changes the look of the car, which is otherwise unchanged.
Base Chargers are still powered by a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, which produces 292 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, although an optional Rally Appearance Group boosts output to 300 hp and 264 lb-ft.
The V6 is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, and Chargers are once again available with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Charger without a HEMI. The 5.7-liter V8 returns for 2015 with 370 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque, also paired with an eight-speed automatic and rear-wheel drive.
Interior changes include a new steering wheel and a beefy-looking, fully-electronic shifter. The Charger also gets the latest version of Chrysler's Uconnect infotainment system, with an 8.4-inch center-stack touch screen.
The 7-inch TFT gauge cluster that's been proliferating throughout the Chrysler lineup also appears here.
The 2015 Dodge Charger arrives in U.S. showrooms in the fourth quarter of 2014, but less-patient buyers can take advantage of Dodge's "Double Up" deal, which allows customers to lease a 2014 Charger (or Challenger) for one year and trade up to a 2015 model without any increase in payment.

Cars

Honda’s 2015 HR-V subcompact crossover makes photographic debut in New York

Honda announced the launch of its upcoming HR-V subcompact crossover at this week's New York Auto Show. While the vehicle was nowhere to be found on the show floor, the brand released a series of images of the HR-V, which is destined for the market later this winter.
The HR-V is based on the 2015 Honda Fit, and shares many of the same unique features that we've come to love in the Fit. For example, the HR-V will come standard with the Fit's Magic Seat configuration, which allows owners to move the seats in multiple configurations, making the most out of the car's tiny package. That'll be important, since the HR-V is smaller even than the Honda CR-V midsize crossover.
It's likely that the same drivetrains from the Fit will be available in the HR-V, too, meaning we'll see a revvy 1.5-liter four-cylinder, and either a six-speed manual or continuously variable transmission. Look forward to more information on the HR-V, but in the meantime, take a look at our gallery, and let us know what you think of the subcompact crossover's styling in the comments below.
Interested in more news from the auto show? Take a look at our coverage from New York.

Cars

Subaru’s 2015 Outback can see around corners with help from some trick fog lights

2015 Subaru Outback

You know what they say about things that aren't broken ...
Subaru unveiled the original Outback 20 years ago at the New York Auto Show, and it became an unqualified success. This jacked-up Legacy wagon is "Subaru personified", as Subaru of America President and COO Tom Doll put it.
So for the 2015 Outback, unveiled at the 2014 New York Auto Show, Subaru decided to play it safe. The new Outback may not be as groundbreaking as that first model, but it doesn't have to be.
The Outback is really just a Subaru Legacy in hiking boots, so it's natural that the new model adopts the revised styling seen on the 2015 Legacy, itself a cleaner version of the styling from previous-generation models.
While this new Outback has more interior space than before, Subaru says it's no bigger than the current model, which grew significantly compared to previous generations.
Under the skin are carryover versions of Subaru's signature boxer engines. There's a 175-horsepower (two more than last year) 2.5-liter four-cylinder and a 256-horsepower 3.6-liter six, both paired with Subaru's Lineartronic continuously-variable transmission (CVT) and, of course, all-wheel drive.
The engines may be the same, but new active-grille shutters and other tweaks will yield better fuel economy, Subaru says. It expects 2.5i models to return 25 mpg city and 33 mpg highway, compared to 24/30/26 mpg for 2014 models.
Six-cylinder 3.6R models will get an estimated 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway; the current model gets 17/25 mpg city/highway. Official EPA ratings are forthcoming.
Subaru also says it's refined the Outback's all-wheel drive system. The latest version features more torque-vectoring capability, and an "X-Mode" taken from the Forester that heightens the sensitivity of the entire drivetrain.
The interior received a similarly subtle upgrade, with toys including the latest version of Subaru's Starlink infotainment system, and optional 12-speaker harman/kardon audio, a 10-way power driver's seat, and heated rear seats.
The 2015 Outback also gets the EyeSight camera-based pre-collision system, with nifty new "steering responsive fog lights" that turn on one at a time to illuminate the path through corners.
The 2015 Subaru Outback goes on sale this summer. Pricing will be "in line with the current model," according to Subaru.