When I first moved to the UAE, I resisted the lure of the road’s giants. My first car was an Abarth 565 Competizione – comically small and endlessly amusing to wedge between hulking SUVs at the mall: a Land Cruiser here, a Patrol there, an Infiniti QX80 once in a while.
But a few years in, I get it. The climate can be harsh, the roads wide, and quaint European city cars can often feel like the wrong tool for the job. As I climb into the new Infiniti QX80, I find myself thinking I could probably fit two Abarths in the back of this beast.
It’s rare for a behemoth to move with grace. But that’s exactly what Infiniti has pulled off with the all-new 2025 QX80 – a car that used to feel more like a full-service lift than a luxury SUV: big, functional, inoffensive and by the end, a bit dated.
That’s all changed. The new QX80 pulls off a clever visual trick: it’s still massive, but looks like a regular SUV.
The soft, bulbous curves of the old model are gone – as are the sad droopy headlights. In their place: sharp lines, flush surfaces, a dramatically oversized grille, and LED lighting bright enough to guide ships into port. It’s as if the QX80 went to an overpriced Swiss clinic and came back with cheekbones and confidence.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Inside, the transformation is even more dramatic. The design team clearly spent time in a Range Rover and thought, “Why not us?” There’s open-pore ash wood, quilted semi-aniline leather, and ambient lighting with 64 colour options. Twin 14.3-inch screens handle infotainment and instrumentation, with a third touchscreen dedicated to climate control. It feels immersive without being overwhelming – it’s just a very nice place to spend time.
But value isn’t measured in screen size – it’s about how a car makes you feel. And this one makes you feel cared for. The seats are palatial, with bolstering that improves posture and cooling tech that uses biometric data to track your body temperature and adjust airflow accordingly. It’s watching you, but in a nurturing way.
Even the audio system feels grown up. A 24-speaker Klipsch Reference Premiere set-up turns the cabin into a sound studio. The set-up was perfect for enjoying everything from audiobooks to Post Malone on commutes from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. And get this, there’s even a new feature called Individual Audio that isolates phone calls to the driver's seat headrest speakers while other passengers can continue listening to music. I tried it and it actually works.
Under the bonnet, Infiniti has swapped its old-school V8 for a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6. V8 purists may mourn, but the new engine delivers 450 horsepower and 699Nm of torque – more than enough to make this 2.7 tonne leviathan feel surprisingly light on its feet.
It still tows up to 3.8 tonnes – so your boat, horse, or desert caravan is in good hands. But what really matters is the throttle response: there’s urgency now, not the moan of a straining engine.
The nine-speed automatic gearbox leans towards comfort, not sport. It’s built for boulevards, border crossings, and weekends in Oman.
On the tech front, the QX80 debuts Infiniti’s most advanced driver-assist system yet: ProPilot Assist 2.1, allowing hands-free driving on select roads. It’s not quite autonomous, but it’s close enough for motorway cruising.
The QX80 now comes in four trims: Pure, Luxe, Sensory and the fully loaded Autograph. Only Sensory and Autograph appear available in the UAE and I drove the latter. With the Autograph priced at Dh510,000, it’s not cheap, but it feels justified.
Yes, it’s gunning for the high-spec Land Cruisers and Lexus LX. But more importantly, it makes the rest of Infiniti’s line-up look like it’s due for a similar glow-up. If they get the treatment the QX80 has, we’re in for something special.
Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
Liverpool’s fixtures until end of 2019
Saturday, November 30, Brighton (h)
Wednesday, December 4, Everton (h)
Saturday, December 7, Bournemouth (a)
Tuesday, December 10, Salzburg (a) CL
Saturday, December 14, Watford (h)
Tuesday, December 17, Aston Villa (a) League Cup
Wednesday, December 18, Club World Cup in Qatar
Saturday, December 21, Club World Cup in Qatar
Thursday, December 26, Leicester (a)
Sunday, December 29, Wolves (h)
Honeymoonish
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS
Qualifier A, Muscat
(All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv)
Fixtures
Friday, February 18: 10am Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain
Saturday, February 19: 10am Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain
Monday, February 21: 10am Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines
Tuesday, February 22: 2pm Semi-finals
Thursday, February 24: 2pm Final
UAE squad:Ahmed Raza(captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Dunki
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Spain drain
CONVICTED
Lionel Messi Found guilty in 2016 of of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying €4.1m in taxes on income earned from image rights. Sentenced to 21 months in jail and fined more than €2m. But prison sentence has since been replaced by another fine of €252,000.
Javier Mascherano Accepted one-year suspended sentence in January 2016 for tax fraud after found guilty of failing to pay €1.5m in taxes for 2011 and 2012. Unlike Messi he avoided trial by admitting to tax evasion.
Angel di Maria Argentina and Paris Saint-Germain star Angel di Maria was fined and given a 16-month prison sentence for tax fraud during his time at Real Madrid. But he is unlikely to go to prison as is normal in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying sentence of less than two years.
SUSPECTED
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid's star striker, accused of evading €14.7m in taxes, appears in court on Monday. Portuguese star faces four charges of fraud through offshore companies.
Jose Mourinho Manchester United manager accused of evading €3.3m in tax in 2011 and 2012, during time in charge at Real Madrid. But Gestifute, which represents him, says he has already settled matter with Spanish tax authorities.
Samuel Eto'o In November 2016, Spanish prosecutors sought jail sentence of 10 years and fines totalling €18m for Cameroonian, accused of failing to pay €3.9m in taxes during time at Barcelona from 2004 to 2009.
Radamel Falcao Colombian striker Falcao suspected of failing to correctly declare €7.4m of income earned from image rights between 2012 and 2013 while at Atletico Madrid. He has since paid €8.2m to Spanish tax authorities, a sum that includes interest on the original amount.
Jorge Mendes Portuguese super-agent put under official investigation last month by Spanish court investigating alleged tax evasion by Falcao, a client of his. He defended himself, telling closed-door hearing he "never" advised players in tax matters.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 0
Wolves 2 (Traore 80', 90 4')
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
