In the Mexican market, Infiniti has sold 726 units between January and September, which positions it as the 40th best-selling brand in the country. Despite registering an increase in sales compared to the same period of the previous year, when it sold 576 units, the brand is at half the sales volume it achieved in the years prior to the pandemic, according to data from Inegi. .
The manager, who previously held the position of CEO and president of Nissan Mexicana, highlights that the shortage of products makes it “complicated” to evaluate the performance of the brand, given that the industry has gone through a period of instability due to the shortage of chips, to which were added the logistical challenges derived from the health contingency.
“Nissan Mexicana, which I know very well, has faced capacity problems and product shortages, and in the case of Infiniti we have also faced challenges in production and other aspects. Therefore, I cannot say that this is a situation of normal sales. I think next year will be more representative of normality,” he adds.
The Japanese company operates a plant in Aguascalientes, in association with the German company Daimler. The first vehicle produced by Infiniti at this plant was the QX50 SUV in 2018, and since 2020 it has also assembled the QX55.
Between January and September, the premium brand produced 19,482 units between both models, which represented a year-on-year increase of 12.6%, according to Inegi data. However, these numbers have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
These models are designed primarily to enter the US market, since approximately 70% of Infiniti’s global sales are concentrated in that market, as expressed by Román. Regarding its presence in the 14 markets in which the brand operates, Mexico is in an intermediate position, occupying between seventh and eighth place.
“The only thing I can affirm is that the Mexican plant is of great importance for Nissan and we intend to continue collaborating in it. It is a world-class and strategic facility for our company,” he added.
A new concept
Globally, the company is preparing a “renaissance” of the brand with a concept called Vision QE and the slogan “Artistry in Motion.” This concept seeks to combine artistic and futuristic elements while entering the realm of electrification.
By 2030, the company aims for more than 50% of its sales to be related to zero-emission vehicles. To start this process, the firm has opted for a sedan, a choice that could be considered unconventional, since most companies have focused their launches on SUVs.
Infiniti’s new image is inspired by Japanese philosophy. They set out to create a distinctive design that evoked a sense of extraordinary, known as “Kabuku.” In pursuit of this vision, they have shaped a body that conveys speed, dynamism and movement, known as “Sho”, and incorporated exquisite details that exude sophistication and purity, called “Sui”.
“As we began to follow inspiration around art in motion, we rediscovered the Japanese expression of Sho, an expression of soaring with grace and power. Our designers began to create shapes that, to me, looked like abstractions of a bird in flight “Powerful, almost motionless, but generating so much speed,” details Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president of global design.
Román added that a launch date has not yet been established for the vehicle that embodies the new spirit of the brand, but he anticipates that it will be followed by four other models that will follow the same innovative line.
“The idea behind this is to present the evolution in design that we are experiencing in the brand. What we are presenting is a concept, but it is very close to reality, because at Infiniti, the design has become more concrete and what you see on the street will be very similar to what you see here,” he concluded.