INFINITI today announced that SKBergé, a Chilean-Hispanic company formed by the Sigdo Koppers and Bergé Groups, will launch the INFINITI brand and INFINITI luxury cars into Chile in the first half of 2012.
This announcement supports INFINITI’s intent to expand into additional luxury markets around the world. The brand had 145,675 worldwide sales in 2010, representing a 30.8 percent growth over the prior year.
“We are pleased that SKBergé is going to be our INFINITI partner in Chile, and following our recent announcement of entering Mexico this coming autumn, this is another important step in our global growth plan,” said Toru Saito, corporate vice president for INFINITI. “SKBergé has a great track record in the automotive industry in Latin America, and we already have a strong working relationship with the Bergé group in Spain.”
“It is a privilege for us to be launching such an admired luxury automotive brand into Chile. With a broad range of vehicles, which includes sedan, coupe, and crossover models, INFINITI will complement our lineup of automotive brands and support our business growth strategy,” said SKBergé Chief Executive Francisco Errázuriz. “INFINITI has a passionate team creating automobiles that will give our customers an exciting alternative – cars with emotive design, exhilarating performance and advanced technology. We will ensure that all this is underpinned with extremely high levels of customer and service hospitality.
The entry into Chile follows a number of other significant announcements already this year. At the Geneva Motor Show in March, INFINITI unveiled the ETHEREA, a new type of luxury concept car aimed at younger buyers. INFINITI has also entered a partnership deal and technical collaboration with the Red Bull Racing Formula One team. Last week at the New York International Auto Show, INFINITI announced an all-new three-row luxury crossover, designated the INFINITI JX, will join its line in spring 2012 as a 2013 model.
INFINITI was also awarded the prestigious Euro NCAP Advanced Award for Road Safety Innovation for its Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system, and in the United States, the INFINITI M luxury performance sedan received MotorWeek’s “2011 Drivers’ Choice Award Winner for Best Luxury Sedan” and the “IntelliChoice 2011 Best Overall Value of the Year Award Winner for Luxury Passenger Car.”
About INFINITI
The INFINITI brand was first introduced in 1989 in the United States, and its name was chosen to communicate that, with INFINITI, customers could experience infinitely more performance, design and premium customer service.
INFINITI’s global footprint expanded into Canada in 1990, the Middle East in 1996, Taiwan in 1997, Korea in 2005 and Russia in 2006. Global expansion continued in 2007 with INFINITI Centres opening in the Ukraine and in one of the world’s fastest growing luxury automotive markets, China. In 2008, INFINITI launched in 19 Western and Central European countries. Also recently accounted were market entries in Mexico, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia.
INFINITI, the luxury automotive brand from Japan, reflects its brand promise "Inspired Performance" with a model line-up of sedans, coupés, SUVs and crossovers featuring exhilarating performance, emotive design and cutting edge technology. INFINITI continues to launch across the globe through a dedicated network of INFINITI Retailers that share a commitment to exceptional hospitality throughout the entire period of ownership. For more information, see www.infiniti.com.
About SKBergé
Formed by Sigdo Koppers and Bergé groups, SKBergé Company is one of the most important automotive groups in Latin America operating in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, with a portfolio which includes 13 prominent automotive brands. The company specializes in independent brand development and building strong, long term business relationships with each manufacturer it represents. In 2010, SKBergé sold more than 46,000 vehicles representing over US $1.100 million. www.skberge.com
Contacts:
Mónica Guerrero
Nexos Communications
Mobile: +56 9 8210474
Email: mguerrero@nexos
Kyle W. Bazemore
Senior Manager
INFINITI Product Communications,
Mobile: +1-615-739-8404
Email: kyle.bazemore@infiniti.com
Media site: www.infinitinews.com