A luxury car conjures up images of a vehicle that is sleek, visually appealing, having high-quality interior finishes, and one that is replete with top of the line features.
The Infiniti brand debuted on the North American market in 1989 as Japanese automaker Nissan’s entry into the luxury car segment. At the time, Nissan wished to reposition its brand to present a viable competitor to BMW and Mercedes, and could not have done so under the mainstream Nissan name.
Today, the Infiniti sub-brand is emblazoned on a range of sleek sedans, sporty coupes, spacious crossovers, and comfortable SUVs.
How It All Started
Ever since the introduction of the first-ever luxury car, the 1958 second-generation Ford Thunderbird, automotive manufacturers have been clamoring for their share of the market in this space.
Many luxury spin-offs these days were established as a means for already mainstream car manufacturers to be considered within the premium market, thereby expanding their offering to include a new demographic of customers.
Parent company Nissan was already a well-established company when in 1989 the Japanese auto manufacturer made the decision to foray into the luxury car segment. The Infiniti brand was presented in the Americas shortly thereafter.
The launch of the Infiniti brand of high-end vehicles ensured equal footing with fellow Japanese challengers Honda (Acura) and Toyota (Lexus) who had simultaneously initiated their respective equivalent offerings.
Government regulation also favored the efforts of Infiniti as it was during this time that the Government of Japan implemented export restrictions on the US. Capitalizing on these regulations made it more beneficial for the company to export more high-priced automobiles to the US.
Infiniti Global Markets
Established as Infiniti Global Limited and headquartered in Hong Kong, the company sells its new luxury cars in 25 markets worldwide. Infiniti dealers are present in over 50 countries as of this writing.
Infiniti makes most of its money in sales from the US market. A close second in popularity is China, where the company expanded to in 2012 in anticipation of mainland China becoming the largest luxury car market.
The brand Infiniti is not sold in Japan, however, comparable vehicles are marketed there under the Nissan brand.
Today, Infiniti is among the 50 most popular brands of cars in the US, placing at number 32 on the list.
Why Buy An Infiniti?
Luxury cars are more than just well-recognized and well-placed logos – they symbolize quality and vehicles which are made to a high standard. The Infiniti brand is synonymous with comfort, style, and performance.
Infiniti cars have relatively low maintenance costs due largely in part to their reliability and easy availability and affordability of parts via parent company Nissan.
Overall, J.D Power and Associates rate Infiniti a 4 out of 5 for reliability while Consumer Reports have previously named the Q70 most reliable among other Luxury/Mid-sized cars.
Models like the flagship Q70 fetch a decent resale value and even pre-owned is still rated among the top ten best luxury cars to purchase.
In terms of design, some models among the Infiniti range stresses “performance over practicality”, which garners mixed reviews from critics.
On the one hand, the QX50 packs a serious punch considering its technology forward VC-turbo engine, designed for quick acceleration and fuel economy, but it is deemed “uncomfortable”.
It is asserted, however, that the brand easily loses sales on models like the QX50 and QX80 to close competitors Lexus and Acura with their crossover and SUV models, as these are designed more for women drivers.
Infiniti is now planning to launch its hybrid and electric range in the short term in order to offer even more technologically advanced luxury vehicles on the market.