Opinion: BMW Vision Neue Klasse X and Infiniti QX80 Show There's a Big Problem With SUVs

This past week has been quite prolific in terms of automotive novelties. I really hope the car company corner office head honchos aren't getting the hiccups after I said that and won't dial down the novelties further along. Let's just recap them quickly before I delve deeper into a discussion about the QX80 and Vision Neue Klasse X.

So, the proceeds kicked off nicely with the Black Edition configuration for a bundle of Volvos - EC40, EX40, and XC40 crossovers, and of course, the new special edition trim is only available on the range-topping grades to make sure they're even more expensive than usually. However, I believe that Volvo is one of the few premium automakers that are really worth their money as they chase safety and sustainability with a Nordic presence.

Moving to Canada, the Land Rover Range Rover SV Arete Edition arrived in Whistler, British Columbia, to take advantage of the final days of winter and the fine resort atmosphere. A little further down South, in the United States, the dream of spring is already here, and Mercedes-AMG announced the US pricing situation for the GT 55 and GT 63 models while at the same time also presenting the entry-level four-cylinder-equipped Mercedes-AMG GT 43 Coupe that may have a chance of reaching North America, too.

In other regions, the 2024 MG3 Hybrid+ supermini debuted in Europe with lots of gear, a seven-year warranty, and a low price. The Old Continent also met the new 2024 Peugeot e-5008, which is a direct Tesla Model Y rival but also comes with ICE options and seating for up to seven if the e-3008 and 3008 siblings are not enough. Moving to Australia, the very special Mercedes-AMG G 63 Grand Edition is available to buy there for the equivalent of $269k!

Back to America yet again, Jeep is preparing to wave goodbye to the short-lived V8 Wrangler with the Rubicon 392 Final Edition. If you want some honorable mentions, there were also appearances from the 2024 Lancia Ypsilon with a new mild-hybrid variant, Isuzu joined the EV pickup truck sector with the prototype D-Max BEV (though Tesla's Cybertruck won't fear it), and the JAC Motor T9 jack of all trades pickup truck set its wheels in Australia.

Wow, that's quite a long list, right? And we haven't even wrapped it – Volkswagen launched more Passat versions and the ID. Buzz GTX with 335 hp, Mercedes-Benz brought the GLC 350e plug-in hybrid SUV to the American market, and the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance F1 Edition costs two arms and two legs with a glorified four-pot under the hood in the Land Down Under.

However, this week featured a trio of major premieres that dwarfed everything else – which is quite sad because I can bet my lunch money that next week's editorial will be short or non-existent because I may not have any novelty to discuss. Hopefully, Nissan will unveil the Kicks so that we can discuss something small, cute, and techy. Anyway, let's get back to the main assets.

So, BMW revealed yet another 'thing' in its quest to stand out in any design crowd, even the wrong ones. It's called Vision Neue Klasse X and is possibly the most radical redesign the Bavarians have tried so far in their modern history. It's a continuation of Neue Klasse previews as the company wants to introduce six all-electric models on the new platform by the end of the decade, including a sedan and this crossover SUV. By the way, some will surely say it's not the most radical but rather the worst effort so far – although many others will also claim they already hit rock bottom with the iX, i7, or XM, and now they're on a rebound.

It's another controversial idea, and as far as I am concerned, the profile is nowhere nearly as revolutionary as the front and rear of the odd interior. However, I feel that crossovers and SUVs have currently reached a point where the market is overwhelmed, and it's really too hard to stand out positively, so automakers are going with 'bad publicity is still publicity.' Also, has anyone noticed that carmakers are now rallying behind two cockpit approaches – two screens set by each other and with as big of a diagonal as possible (QX80, for example) or the new idea of putting a display running the entire width of the base of the windshield like in the Vision Neue Klasse X and also the fresh Lincoln Nautilus.

On the other hand, the 2025 Infiniti QX80 is an exponent of the 'anti-wedge' current we didn't even know it existed until we looked at it in comparison to the 2024 Cadillac Escalade, 2024 Lexus LX 600 or 2024 Lincoln Navigator and noticed they're all slabs of bricks that don't care about aerodynamics or efficiency too much. Indeed, they are ritzy, comfortable, and powerful – so it doesn't matter that in a time when the planet is going down the drain because of climatic changes, they're the epitome of gas-guzzlers, right? Wrong, but that's just my opinion. As always, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. As such, my pick for my favorite car release this week is actually the quirky yet stylish Kia K4 – Forte's successor.