Infinity. Heading forward
Infiniti is a deluxe unit of Nissan, the 8th automotive company in the world and 2nd in Japan by production. Infinity brand was especially established for the US market. Today’s Infiniti is an acknowledged premium-class brand on either side of the US borderline and sold in the EU, South Korea, China, Taiwan, and the Middle East. Infiniti has always used innovations, and made its cars better.
Different car brands have a different origin. Some brands are forever grateful to their founding fathers, some took the market in virtue of the brand new models, and some appeared in virtue of the competent calculation of the company’s marketers. This is how the Japanese Nissan more than 35 years ago had its own separate brand called Infiniti – a new premium-class car brand, which represents the perfect balance of power, dynamics, and elegance. Toyota has a similar luxury brand – Lexus. And Honda has Acura. Actually, this eternally competing trio appeared almost simultaneously and in the same place – the United States of America.
How did Infiniti manage to conquer the US, and then the whole world?
It all started with the establishing a the top-secret group Horizon Task Force in 1985, which had only one goal – to start producing high-quality premium cars for the US market. But not under the Nissan brand, which at that time was associated in the US with a simple and cheap car, but under a completely new brand! This way Infiniti appeared, and so did its symbo, l an oval with a triangle inside, meaning an infinite road. Officially, the Infiniti brand exists since 1989.
Why are Japanese so obsessed with the conditional premium? Because Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, which had already sold their cars in the US quite actively, acquired a reputation of low-budget companies during the fuel crisis. It was a temporary transitional stage. Finally, Americans started to buy full-size American cars. To avoid the slightest association with low-cost solutions, all three Japanese brands entered the big class with the new names.
This way Infiniti appeared, and so did its symbol, an oval with a triangle inside, meaning an infinite road. Q is used for a sedan, coupe, or convertible, and QX - for a crossover or SUV. Numbers mean the position within the model range.
The Japanese really decided to start from scratch. A new name, a new logo, symbolizing the constant movement forward, the desire for innovation, and new achievements. A new system of a model designation made it possible to easily determine the car size and the engine volume. The further the letter is in the alphabet, the bigger the car, prefix X stands for 4WD and the numbers stand for the engine volume. This nomenclature was in use until 2014. Later prefixes were replaced with Q - for sedans, coupe, and convertible, and by QX for crossovers and SUVs. Numbers now mean the position within the model range instead of engine volume.
The concept of Total Ownership Experience is the program of privileged customer service Infiniti. In the first decade of its presence on the market, the Infiniti brand was the leader in the automotive industry in terms of customer satisfaction. It has earned numerous awards, including the top three customer service ratings (according to the JD Power and Associates' Customer Service Index, CSI). It has been also considered one of the top three in major independent sales and service quality assessments.
Infiniti constantly expends of the model range. And even though most Infiniti cars share a platform with Nissan models, they look original and are quite popular. But the most important are constant technological innovations and constant improvement.
First-ever
The first car produced under the Infiniti brand was Infiniti Q45 – the world’s first serial car with a hydraulic active suspension. INFINITI J30 sedan is a completely new luxury concept from Infiniti – bright design, higher comfort, and dynamic performance. INFINITI FX, the first Infiniti crossover, combines luxury, dynamics, and the entire performance of an SUV. It’s the world’s first mass-production car equipped with an LDWS (lane departure warning system).
Infiniti introduced the world’s first rear-end collision prevention system, created the unique DAS direct-drive adaptive steering system. Infiniti’s bi-turbinated V6 engine made it into the top 10 Wards engines. And Infiniti’s new VC-Turbo serial engine is the world’s first engine capable of transforming as needed to optimize power and efficiency. It has received an award for its environmental compliance and is recognized as a fuel-effective model.
Infiniti Q45 is the world’s first serial car with a hydraulic active suspension. INFINITI FX is the world’s first mass-production car equipped with an LDWS (lane departure warning system).
One of the latest cars is the INFINITI QX60, equipped with a 3.5-L V6 engine with VVEL technology, which adjusts directly on the move, squeezing each drop of fuel dry. The CVT variator provides optimum conditions for good acceleration, fuel economy, and impressive driving performance. The QX60 accelerates to a hundred in 8.4 seconds, has a top speed of 190 km/h, and combined fuel consumption of only 10.5-L per 100km. The INFINITI QX60 is flawless for a driver and perfect for a family.
Nowadays, Infiniti has firmly dominated as a premium car outside the US and is sold in the same market as Nissan. Today Infiniti is already sold in Europe, South Korea, China, Taiwan, and the Middle East.
