Infiniti celebrates its twenty years many people
It is under the sign of inspiration and innovation, the luxury car division Infiniti Nissan says with enthusiasm its 20 years of existence. Indeed, since it is November 8, 1989 that the 51 First Infiniti franchises have opened our neighbors to the south, followed two years later by the arrival of the first car dealerships in Canada.
At its beginnings, the brand offered only two models, are the Q45 sedan and the M30 cutting. Since then, the family has grown tremendously and now it has no less than five distinct product lines, the Infiniti EX, FX, G, M and Qx totaling 15 models in all.
During the second decade, the brand has been able to grow in flowing past of 75,000 units per year in over thirty countries around the world, including some ground Europeen countries, or is provides the Infiniti models since last year.
For more information, here is the press release issued by Infiniti France
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Infiniti celebrates twenty years of inspiration and innovation
ROLLE (Switzerland), November 9 - "From the beginning, Infiniti wanted to propose a new concept of luxury car or driving experience, personal and rewarding, should matter more than the car itself. "
These words, which summarize a wonder the very notion of Infiniti "Inspired Performance" could have been written last year, a few weeks or even today. Yet it date back there two decades and had been written during the debut of a brand new car-resume of luxury and performance inaugurated the United States November 8, 1989 with an initial network of 51 dealers and range of two models exposed and developed under conditions resolutely unconventional.
There has twenty years is unambiguous that these dealers a new kind would show their concern for authentic luxury - a concept first developed in the automobile distribution - offering their visitors a reception worthy of the name, of offices welcoming, open and aerated and above an equal emphasis on sales and customer service. The cars themselves were also unique, quality and resolutely Japanese Offeror both discrete and unmatched performance luxury.
In twenty years, many things have changed. Always exceptional - - showrooms have grown to showcase a full range of increasingly luxurious and performance cars including a cut, a convertible, sedan and SUV. However, the original inspiration remains. Owning an Infiniti remains a unique driving experience or "feel of performance" predominate, so that the same handful of points of sale of any American debut turned into a network of dealers Infiniti latest, present in 35 countries around the globe.
"A dream that started 20 years ago in the United States to become the model of a global luxury automotive brand," said Toru Saito, Vice-President in charge of Global Infiniti Business Unit. "From the beginning, Infiniti innovative in design, performance, technology, even by taking special care of its customers through a comprehensive experience of possession. This is still the case today. "
The current range, constantly Evolution, will be joined in spring 2010 by the second generation Infiniti M sedan then the summer of 2010, a brand new Infiniti QX SUV. Later appear first hybrid brand, Infiniti M Hybrid sedan 2012 - ANNOUNCED recently - as well as Infiniti "EV", that is to say fully electric.
The story of Infiniti, briefly
Officially, sales of Infiniti debuted November 8, 1989 in the United States. In reality, the Infiniti project began in earnest in 1985 with the creation within the same Nissan a working group called top secret "Horizon Task Force" form in order to create from scratch a new brand combining luxury and performance.
At the time, North-american and european luxury brands being already well established on the U.S. market, investments and risks therefore promised to be students. That is why, taking advantage of this opportunity to create a brand from scratch, the team "Horizon Task Force" has chosen to take a step back and study the segment of luxury cars both in terms of product and under that of the entire cycle of acquisition and possession of this product.
Team "Horizon Task Force" was notably focussed study has a small number of large companies of foreign services to the automotive world, such as Federal Express, Four Seasons Hotels and Nordstrom department store chain. The findings of the Task Force directly influences the mark as a whole, the design of the first Infiniti concessions, closer to a luxury hotel than a car dealer, until the establishment of the identity of brand in its minutest details (such as the creation of business cards and packaging accessories).
This new philosophy based client, later called "Infiniti Total Ownership Experience" ("a unique driving experience"), will also be applied to the service policy of the brand, then policy including free loan of vehicles during the interviews and repairs, a first at the time.
The name of this new luxury brand, selected in July 1987, symbolizes the desire to always look forward to infinity. With its innovative spelling and its emblem has two central lines joining to a point on the horizon, the Infiniti brand - with four "i" - was born.
In the United States, Infiniti has started with two models: a sedan avant-garde, the Infiniti Q45 and sporty cut and luxurious very efficient, the M30. Through these two models, Infiniti offered to the automotive world one based philosophy on originality, performance, quality and passion of driving.
From the outset, the young brand Infiniti brand minds in the field of Customer Relations implementation of the Total Ownership Experience. This "experience" brought him to appear during its first decade of activity in head many surveys of customer satisfaction (the brand is at the top of the Customer Service Index of JD Power and Associates three times and regularly appears in the trio head of many independent surveys on sales and services) and won numerous prizes and awards.
During these early years North-American, range and network of Infiniti dealers continued to grow step by step at the pace expected. The Q45 was joined after a few years, the compact sports sedan Infiniti G20, the luxurious and very racy J30 sedan, the performance sedan I30 and finally the sumptuous QX4 SUV. At the end of its first decade of existence, Infiniti ELAPSED some 75,000 cars per year.
In March 2002 the Infiniti G sedan appeared, followed in November 2002 by the G Coupe and January 2003 by the iconic Infiniti FX crossover. Each novelty recut a most enthusiastic reception from the media, Infiniti regularly being compared to the greatest european names for its design and performance.
Over the years, two new models were added to the North American range, the large luxury SUV in January 2004 Infiniti QX and powerful sedan Infiniti M in May 2005. Late 2007, it is the EX who came to join Infiniti family, followed by the second generations of the G and FX. Then the very beautiful G Cabriolet debuted in summer 2009. A second generation Infiniti M was announced for spring 2010 and will be followed roughly a year later, the first hybrid car brand, the Infiniti M Hybrid.
If, at first, the activity of Infiniti concerns only the North American market, the brand came into 1996 in a period of geographic expansion, first in the Middle East and then in Taiwan 1997 in South Korea in 2005, Russia in 2006 and Ukraine and China in 2007. late 2008, it was the turn of Western Europe to host Infiniti. Today, Infiniti products are marketed in 35 countries covering 93% of global luxury of walking.
The original philosophy Infiniti - never lose sight of the horizon - symbolized by his name and emblem, is still the raison d'etre of the brand.
"The automotive landscape has been modified over the years but our tradition of excellence in matters of luxury, performance and customer service continues," says with pride Jim Wright, Vice President, Infiniti Europe and Middle East . "With many new products in order and always renewed commitment to provide the best service, we are waiting for the next twenty years with optimism and passion. "
