New York / Hong Kong – INFINITI is a brand on the move.
Since establishing its global headquarters in Hong Kong and inaugurating INFINITI Motor Company Limited, INFINITI has taken decisive steps to strengthen its brand presence and globalize its business over the last 18 months.
The relocation to Hong Kong means INFINITI is strategically placed for growth in emerging luxury markets such as China while remaining closely connected to the west.
Under the stewardship of President Johan de Nysschen, an experienced management team has been assembled comprising leading multi-national executives from stand-out automotive and luxury goods brands.
The growth plan is underpinned by a commitment to offer product alternatives for a new generation of young-minded premium customers and to challenge the conventions set by the brands currently dominating the premium segment.
It is a norm-challenging growth strategy, with a provocative range of models like Q50 and an upcoming compact vehicle, which debuted as the Q30 Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2013, both tailored for the needs of an emerging premium customer. The Q30, the first INFINITI vehicle built in Europe, is due to be launched in 2015.
The Q50 Eau Rouge, revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2014, hints at the high-performance prowess of the INFINITI brand.
INFINITI expects to be present in 80 percent of the premium segments by 2018.
To achieve this, INFINITI plans to expand the current product portfolio by 60 percent in the next five years and to double the number of powertrains.
The Q50 sports sedan, recently launched in the United States and Europe, is INFINITI's first model in this product offensive.
It features INFINITI's striking new design language, passionate craftsmanship, and a raft of world-leading technologies, chief among them Direct Adaptive SteeringTM, the first steer-by-wire technology in a production vehicle.
The Q30 Concept, meanwhile, is unmistakably INFINITI. Its shape deliberately challenges categorization – not a coupe, not a hatch and not a crossover, but a fusion of the three body styles. It is designed for young-minded customers seeking an alternative to traditional premium compact vehicles.
Critically, the upcoming production version of Q30 will have the input of Sebastian Vettel, INFINITI's Director of Performance, from inception.
The redesigned Q70, with a long wheelbase version, has combined the athletic character of a performance vehicle with the prestige of an extended sedan.
INFINITI's future model range will be tailored to local needs like the long wheelbase version of the Q50 and QX50 for the Chinese market.
The powertrain options are being extended also with the recent addition of a turbocharged two-liter petrol engine for the Q50. The new petrol variant will be available to Chinese customers during spring 2014, to European customers in the autumn, before being made available in other markets. A 2.2-liter turbo diesel engine is also available for the Q50 in Europe.
The global manufacturing footprint is growing also with China and the United Kingdom joining production sites in Japan and the United States.
Leveraging strategic alliances such as that with Daimler AG will lead to collaboration on advanced research and development of key future technologies and their applications.
The vision for INFINITI is clear – to produce vehicles defined by emotive design, meticulous attention to detail, unsurpassed hospitality and intuitive technology.
About INFINITI:
INFINITI Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with sales operations in approximately 50 countries. The INFINITI brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan and the United States. Production in China and Europe will start soon along with the expansion of the brand's portfolio. As the Title Partner and Vehicle Performance Partner of INFINITI Red Bull Racing, INFINITI has a far-reaching technical collaboration with the Formula One team, and Sebastian Vettel, its four-time World Champion driver, serves as INFINITI's Director of Performance.
More information about INFINITI, its Total Ownership Experience® and its industry leading technologies can be found at www.infiniti.com. For the latest news on INFINITI, visit INFINITINews.com, "like" INFINITI on Facebook or follow the brand on Twitter @INFINITIUSA. For interesting content on INFINITI in Formula One visit: www.infiniti-gp.com, www.youtube.com/INFINITIGP or follow on Twitter @INFINITIGP.
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