Infiniti committed to Australian market

Infiniti is committed to the Australian market, despite struggling to make an impact in the five-odd years since its introduction.

Infiniti Australia Corporate Communications Manager, Tony Mee, told MOTOR: "Infiniti in Australia is here for the long haul. There are no plans to exit, there are no plans to downgrade; it’s all about the future, we’ve got some great technologies coming out, we’ve talked about the new design language that’s coming though. All these new technologies and new initiatives are designed to take Infiniti into the future.”

The premium brand sells well in the US but has struggled to replicate that success in other markets. It arrived in Australia in mid-2012 but sales have been dismal, with just 3048 vehicles being sold in total in almost six years.

Its best result came in 2016 with 807 sales, yet this is less than a tenth the volume of its nearest competitor Lexus, let alone the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

In a recent chat, Infiniti’s Vice President of Global Product and Programs, Francois Bancon, explained some of the brand’s challenges: “Australia is not an easy market, first because it’s highly competitive, the prices are not that high and the expectations are very high. The problem with Australia is very simple, it’s a right-hand drive market, so this requires a dedicated investment.

“I have to say we didn’t prioritise Australia, we have to be honest. Now we do. We are a global brand, we cannot ignore a country even if they are small. We want to grow [in Australia] for many reasons; it’s probably one of the last countries in the world where people love to drive – they love power, they love the ‘primitive’ part of the drive. It’s a significant market, because people love cars.”

Infiniti recently strengthened its local performance credentials with the introduction of the Q50 and Q60 Red Sport models, powered by a 298kW/475Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6. Crucial to growing its volume, however, will be the arrival of the QX50 SUV, powered by Infiniti’s ground-breaking variable-compression engine.