Posted on Monday 14 January 2008
Of the three major luxury Japanese brands, Lexus, Infiniti and Acura, only Lexus could be considered as a true rival to the more established German premium makes because of the other two’s limited lineup. However, Infiniti is working hard to become a major player in the premium segment as well, and is planning to launch several all-new models in coming years to expand its range.
One of the new models under consideration is a flagship saloon to replace the old Q sedan, which ended production in 2006, according to Automotive News. However, the man at the top, CEO Carlos Ghosn, is “not convinced” Infiniti needs such a car and is waiting for management to prove developing an expensive, low-volume model has a sound business case behind it.
All hope is not lost. Infiniti North America exec Mark Igo claims Ghosn is “beginning to feel pretty good about it,” and that it has the backing of the dealers. In fact, Infiniti retailers from around the world met in Japan to discuss potential powertrain and transmission options for the car. The only problem was that dealers from different markets all wanted specific options and none could agree on a common platform.