Photo: Infiniti
Rumored since the beginning of the year to be something the carmaker is pondering, an exit of the Infiniti brand from the European market was confirmed this week.
The departure from Europe is only partial, as it will affect the carmaker’s operations in the Western part of the continent. Infiniti will continue its operations as usual in Eastern Europe.
Although it admittedly sells cars for a niche segment, Infiniti’s sales in Europe are disastrous, and have been so ever since 2003. For a brief period, in 2016 and 2017, the numbers of car sold by the brand in Europe managed to surpass 12,000 units, only to decline to about half that in 2018.
By comparison, the American market steadily sells over 130,000 cars yearly, according to specialized website Car Sales Base.
As for the employees affected by the decision to wind down operations in Western Europe, Infiniti says it “is working to find alternative opportunities, […] consulting with employee representatives where necessary and identifying opportunities for transition and training support where appropriate.”
Coincidently, the company’s Western European production is sourced from Sunderland, the UK, leaving some to speculate Brexit had a hand in the decision, especially in light of Nissan already announcing it is moving production of the X-Trail to Japan.
Production of the Q30 and QX30 in the UK is now scheduled to end by the middle of the year.
The decision announced today by the carmaker is part of a larger set of measures meant to make the Nissan-spinoff a more appealing brand.
In line with the trends in the industry, all diesel engines will be phased out, and the entire range of cars is to be electrified from 2021.
Product-wise, the company will focus on selling SUVs especially in North America, but will also launch five new cars on the Chinese market in the years ahead.
Although it admittedly sells cars for a niche segment, Infiniti’s sales in Europe are disastrous, and have been so ever since 2003. For a brief period, in 2016 and 2017, the numbers of car sold by the brand in Europe managed to surpass 12,000 units, only to decline to about half that in 2018.
By comparison, the American market steadily sells over 130,000 cars yearly, according to specialized website Car Sales Base.
As for the employees affected by the decision to wind down operations in Western Europe, Infiniti says it “is working to find alternative opportunities, […] consulting with employee representatives where necessary and identifying opportunities for transition and training support where appropriate.”
Coincidently, the company’s Western European production is sourced from Sunderland, the UK, leaving some to speculate Brexit had a hand in the decision, especially in light of Nissan already announcing it is moving production of the X-Trail to Japan.
Production of the Q30 and QX30 in the UK is now scheduled to end by the middle of the year.
The decision announced today by the carmaker is part of a larger set of measures meant to make the Nissan-spinoff a more appealing brand.
In line with the trends in the industry, all diesel engines will be phased out, and the entire range of cars is to be electrified from 2021.
Product-wise, the company will focus on selling SUVs especially in North America, but will also launch five new cars on the Chinese market in the years ahead.
Google News