Infiniti is a Japanese car manufacturer , a high-end subsidiary of Nissan and therefore of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance
History
Infiniti’s commercialization officially began on November 8, 1989 in the United States , and its international business has since expanded to include Mexico , Canada , the Middle East , Taiwan , South Korea , Russia , China, where production starts in 2014, in France (2008), Spain (2008), the United Kingdom , Ukraine , Chile , Singapore , South Africa , Australia , Hong Kong(2013) and Brazil (2014). The reputation of the brand is based on quality concepts of finish and service, as well as reliability 1 . More than a million cars have been sold in the United States since its creation in 1989. In 2010, the Japanese brand entered into a partnership with Mercedes 1 . Infiniti’s global network includes more than 200 resellers in 17 countries 2, including around 80 in Europe 1 .
Nevertheless, the distribution of Infiniti in Europe is not a priority, and therefore remains confidential: while Carlos Ghosn announced, during the launch on the old continent, want to achieve “25,000 sales” after five years on this territory, the sales ceiling for 2015 to less than 5,000 copies, including a little over 700 in France 1 . Until the announcement of the Q30 , the models are more suited to the United States customers where the brand achieves two-thirds of its sales on a global total of more than 180,000 vehicles 1 . This model of small premium compact sedan wants to compete with Mercedes Class A(base on which it is built) or Audi A3 , and thus mark a sales improvement in the European market 1 , 3 .
Finally, in March 2019, the manufacturer announced its withdrawal from Europe in early 2020 to focus on the North American markets, Russia and China 4 . Risks related to Brexit in England, ecological taxation in European countries and sales of Infiniti representing just 1,000 vehicles per month on the old continent have accelerated the withdrawal of the luxury brand.
The models
New denomination in 2014
In 2014, all models are renamed. Cars sold under the Infiniti brand have a name consisting of a Q followed by a two-digit number for sedans or coupes and a QX followed by a two-digit number for crossover models . The numbers correspond to the model segment .
Old models
Infiniti G :
G20 (1991-1996): same Nissan Primera I sedan.
G20 (1999-2002): same Nissan Primera II sedan.
G35 (2002-2007): idem Nissan Skyline sedan.
G35 / 37 (2007-2014): Idem Nissan Skyline .
Infiniti G Coupe :
G35 Coupe (2002-2007): same Nissan Skyline Coupe.
G37 Coupe (2007-2014)
G37 Cabriolet (2009-2014)
Infiniti I :
I30 (1996-1999): idem Nissan Cefiro II / Maxima IV.
I30 / 35 (1999-2004): Nissan Cefiro III / Maxima V.
Infiniti J :
J30 (1992-1997): same Nissan Leopard III.
Infiniti M Coupé & Cabriolet :
M30 Coupe (1989-1992): Same as Nissan Leopard Coupé.
M30 Cabriolet (1989-1992): same Nissan Leopard Convertible.
Infiniti M :
M45 (2003-2005): ditto Nissan Gloria XI.
M35 / 45 (2005-2010): same Nissan Fuga I.
M37 / 56 / 35h / 30d (2010-2014): same Nissan Fuga .
Infiniti Q45 :
Q45 I (1989-1996): same as the short version of the Nissan President III.
Q45 II (1996-2001): Same as Nissan Cima III.
Q45 III (2001-2006): idem Nissan Cima IV / President III.
Infiniti EX
EX35 / 37 / 30d (2008-2014).
Infiniti FX :
FX35 / 45 (2003-2008): SUV based on the FM chassis already used on the 350Z and G35; rolls in Europe through parallel imports.
FX35 / 37/50 / 30d .
Infiniti QX :
QX4 (1996-2003): same Nissan Pathfinder II.
QX56 (2003-2010): Same as Nissan Armada.
QX56 (2010-2014): Luxurious version of the Nissan Patrol / Safari.
NB: The number following the letter designating the model corresponds to the displacement of the engine. So the G20 has a 2-liter, the I30 gets a 3-liter, the G37 a 3.7-liter, and so on.