Infiniti to Enter Western Europe in 2008
According Automobilewoche.de, Nissan will bring its luxury brand Infiniti to western Europe next year with cars going on sale in the fourth quarter of 2008. Jim Wright, head of Infiniti Europe, expects the United Kingdom and Germany to be Infiniti's most important markets. In Europe, Infiniti currently operates in Ukraine and Russia.
Wright remains cautious about the German market, stating that "we have no ambition to imitate the German manufacturers, since we would fail at that." Wright has set an annual sales target of 500 units per dealership to be achieved by 2013 through a channel of 12 to 14 dealerships spread across the country. In order to convey exclusivity, Infiniti dealerships will not be incorporated with Nissan outlets.
The Infiniti G-series will be Infiniti's first model on the European market.
In his interview with Automobilewoche, Jim Wright said that it would go on sale in "selected markets", including the UK, in the fourth quarter of 2008. He did, however, specifically mention that Infiniti will be launched in Germany a bit later, in early 2009. It will be interesting to see how well Infiniti does in Europe!
It probably will not sell. My cousin has a G35 in america and it cost him 14 thousand pounds. If it comes to england it will cost no less then 30 thousand pounds. No one is gonna buy a 3.5 litre car as well and bmw mercedes and audi will eat it for dinner since they are in the same price range. Infiniti will also have to harden the suspension and make a nicer interior as at the moment its just plastic.
There's a great cultural divide in Europe compared to the states. It won't be easy. Seems like Lexus is struggling in Europe too.
lets be realistic here. infiniti and lexus know that they are never going to sell in big numbers here in europe. that doesnt mean they are not good cars. i would buy ither of them over the boring an overated german cars. thankfully the american consumers are not the type to panderto badge snobbery. dynamically these cars are awesome, and lest not forget that lexus dealers wipe the floor with the rest. i know because i own an IS200! for every car that infiniti and lexus sell in europe is one less for the germans, and lets not forget that the german marques realistically wont be happy at that, even though they seel in far larger numbers.
wow i cannot wait for this to happen. i have been waiting for infiniti to come to europe ever since it first came out in 1989. infiniti is int best shape ever and if it doesnt succeed then its only because of the snobbery of the europeans!
go infiniti!!!!!!