history
Infiniti is Nissan's luxury car division. Established in 1989 to compete on the US premium auto market alongside brands like fellow Japanese Acura and Lexus as well as European-based BMW, Audi and BMW, Infiniti managed to create a global network in a fairly little amount of time. Its history can be traced back two decades ago when the company's first vehicles were sold.
Part of the Oriental commercial tsunami, Infiniti swept across the American land with remarkable speed but with little strength. Freshly born, it did not scream loud enough to be heard. Sales of their first model, the Q45 were fairly poor as a result of what is widely believed to have been slightly bad advertising. In attempt to draw attention to their cars, Infiniti resorted to a series of Zen-inspired commercials that showed the car very briefly or not at all in some cases.
However, Infiniti concentrated resources in a second ad campaign and production of superior quality automobiles that eventually paid off. Based on Nissan's platforms, most Infinitis are redesigned models, except their latest range which includes the sporty G37 and the luxurious SUV FX that mark the brand's attempt of becoming a truly separate entity.
No matter how good or bad Infiniti's ad strategy was, its vehicles were truly attention worthy. The Q45 for example sported a brawny 278 hp V8 engine, four wheel steering and active suspension, all of these features having been a premiere for automobiles in its class. Meticulously executed trims and fine finishes further added to the car's overall appearance.
Even the Infiniti badge hints at the extent the company would go to develop a quality top-selling product: far. Comparisons are lost within infinity thus 'far' becomes incommensurable. The horizontal bars shaped to form a stylized highway meet somewhere close to the horizon which is never a fixed point.
Besides clever product badging and advertising, Infiniti has been striving to stay on top ever since it became a stable brand. If the car-market context of that time is to be taken into consideration, Infiniti did good considering that European markets had surpassed traditional brands like Lincoln and Cadillac.
The beginning of the 1990's saw Infiniti launching a second model, the M30 which sold rather slowly compared to the Q45. Towards the mid 90's however, Infiniti would release the QX4, a modified version of the Nissan Pathfinder, making the company the first to have sold a luxury SUV right after specialized manufacturers like Jeep and Land Rover.
After experiencing poor sales due to insufficiently developed models and wrong demographic targeting, Infiniti was nearing extension. Just like Hyundai, Infiniti did not cease to exist but instead focused on developing a newer range of vehicles that ultimately ensured the brand's survival. The marque entered a new stage in 2003 with the release of the G35, a model predating the launch of the G37, a model farther from anything Infiniti has done in the past.
The brand is presently making its way through European markets. Since its foundation, it has limitlessly grown, currently including 230 dealers in 15 countries. Its global operations have grown exponentially, having stretched form Mexico to Russia and from Ukraine to China and Taiwan. As with the majority of Japanese car makers, Infinti emphasizes the importance of technological improvements. Among the latest innovations, it has delivered the regenerative Anti Scratch Advanced Paint or ASAP as well as the Around View, an optics system that allows the driver to see a complete image of the car's surroundings.
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