Infiniti

Infiniti
legal form	Division / brand
founding	1989
Seat	Hong Kong
Branch	Automobile manufacturer
Website	www.infiniti.com

Infiniti is the luxury brand of Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co., Ltd . Infiniti officially launched on November 8, 1989 in the United States and Canada . Subsequently, sales have expanded to Mexico , the Middle East , South Korea , Taiwan , Russia , China and Europe .

Market launch in Europe

Infiniti concept

Since autumn 2008, it has been gradually introduced in 21 European markets. The European Infiniti headquarters are located in Rolle, Switzerland .

Initially, four models were offered in Europe. The Infiniti FX50 made the start. It represents a direct competition to the comparable models of the Mercedes-Benz M-Class , the BMW X5 , Lexus RX , Audi Q7 , the Porsche Cayenne and the Range Rover Sport. With the second generation of the Infiniti G, equipped with a 3, Infiniti is also finding its way into the premium sedan market with a 7-liter V6 engine that will compete with the 3 series from BMW, the Audi A4, the Mercedes C-Class and the Lexus IS. The Infiniti G Coupe shares a lot of equipment with its counterpart, the sedan, but the styling is aimed at a different class of buyers who would normally consider the BMW 3 Series Coupe, the Mercedes CLK-Class, the Audi A5. The Infiniti EX, which features a raised interior, a raised driver position and all-wheel drive, is the third model in Europe. The EX37 is the world's first production vehicle with the Around View Monitor (AVM) system, which gives the driver a bird's-eye view of the vehicle when parking. It is also equipped with "self-healing" anti-scratch paint (ASAP). The EX is marketed in the same segment as the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and the Mercedes GLK.

The M sedan wasn't introduced until later and the QX isn't even offered, but there are plans to introduce an all-new V6 diesel engine by 2010, designed specifically for Europe.

All Infiniti coupes, sedans and crossovers that were offered at the brand launch in Europe are based on the Nissan FM structure. The engine's center of gravity is behind the front wheels. This results in an optimized weight distribution between the front and rear axles (e.g. on the FX50 54:46), which improves braking, acceleration and driving characteristics. The only exception is the full-size QX56 SUV on a Nissan F-Alpha body, for which - apart from Russia - there are no plans for an introduction in Europe.

Since October 3rd, 2009 Infiniti has also been sold on the German market. The first branch was opened in Hamburg , the second in Dresden and the third in Berlin . The fourth was opened in mid-November 2010 on the Höherweg automobile mile in Düsseldorf. A total of six models were initially available. In addition to the sedan G37 and the corresponding coupé as well as the convertible with steel roof, there are the SUVs EX and FX and the sedan M of the upper middle class.

In mid-2012, Infiniti's first Austrian showroom opened in Brunn am Gebirge near Vienna .

Unlike the Lexus and Cadillac brands, which are also coming from the US market , Infiniti has been offering the M, EX and FX models with a newly developed V6 diesel engine since the end of 2010. Diesel engines - mainly with four cylinders - dominate the corresponding classes in Europe, while they are practically unsaleable in the USA.

The brand's first special model is the Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel , which is powered by a 309 kW (420 hp) engine. The price of the model produced in small series is not known.

In March 2020, Infiniti ended sales in Western Europe.

Sales figures

country	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Germany	19th	55	401	1,051	912	656	1,015	1,057	2,197	1,230	762
Great Britain	-	45	232	382	530	386	746	1,195	?	?	?

Models

Infiniti EX37 (2010)

Infiniti G37 Coupe (2011)

Infiniti Q70 (2014)

Infiniti Q30 (2015)

Infiniti Q60 (2016)

Infiniti QX50 (2018)

Model names

The numbers in the model name originally indicated the engine's displacement in deciliters (for example G20 ⇒ 2.0 liters). The only exception was the first SUV “QX4”, whose engine had a displacement of 3.3 or 3.5 liters.

When designating the Infiniti model names, a letter is given for coupes and sedans (two letters for SUV) and a number that provides information about the displacement. For example, the FX50 is an SUV with a 5.0 liter engine. An x after the specification of the displacement for Infiniti sedans indicates a model with all-wheel drive (e.g. Infiniti G37x), an h here stands for a hybrid, d for a diesel.

In December 2012, Infiniti announced that it would change the nomenclature for its models. From the 2014 model year, the model names of the coupes and sedans begin with a Q, while a QX is used for crossovers and SUVs. A two-digit number following the prefix is ​​intended to reflect the corresponding rank in the Infiniti portfolio. The first model to follow the new nomenclature is the Infiniti Q50.

Concept vehicles

• Infiniti Etherea (2011)
• Infiniti Kuraza
• Infiniti Triant
• Infiniti Prototype 9
• Infiniti Prototype 10

Timeline

Infiniti models timeline ( Nissan brand since 1989)
Type	Body versions	1980s	1990s										2000s										2010s										2020s
		9	0	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	0	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	0	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	0
Compact class	Hatchback																											Q30
Middle class	Notchback			G20 (P10)								G20 (P11)				G35 (V35)				G25 / G35 / G37 / G Sedan / Q40 (V36)
																										Q50 (V37)
	Coupe															G35 (CV35)				G37 / Q60 (CV36)									Q60
	Cabriolet																					G37 / Q60 (CV36)
upper middle class	Coupé Cabriolet		M30 (F31)
	Notchback					J30 (JPY32)			I30 (A32)				I30 / I35 (A33)
																M35 / M45 (Y34)		M35 / M45 (Y50)					M35h / M37 / M56 / M30d / Q70 (Y51)
Upper class	Notchback		Q45 (G50)							Q45 (FY33)					Q45 (F50)
SUV	Hatchback																										ESQ
	Hatchback																												QX30
	Hatchback																				EX25 / EX35 / EX37 / EX30d / QX50 (J50)										QX50 (P71A)
	Hatchback																								JX / JX35 / QX60 (L50)
	Hatchback								QX4 (JR50)							FX35 / FX45 (S50)						FX35 / FX37 / FX50 / FX30d / QX70 (S51)
	Hatchback																QX56 (JA60)							QX56 / QX80 (Y62)

Web links

Commons : Infiniti  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

• Official German website
• International website
• Spiegel article about the start of Europe
• Infiniti Q30

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} www.auto-motor-und-sport.de ( Memento of the original from March 9, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
2. ↑ www.autobild.de
3. ↑ www.driving.timesonline.co.uk
4. ↑ www.topspeed.com
5. ↑ Infiniti FX50 ( Memento of the original from December 9, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , on: auto-motor-und-sport.de  
6. ↑ www.motorvision.de  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Infiniti builds small series of FX Sebastian Vettel October 18, 2011  
7. ↑ Infiniti withdraws from Western Europe. kfz-betrieb.vogel.de, March 12, 2019, accessed on March 22, 2019.
8. ^ Federal Motor Transport Authority - brands, manufacturers. Retrieved August 8, 2019 . 
9. ↑ www.motorvision.de ( Memento of the original from October 15, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Infiniti Introduces New Model Names, December 18, 2012