Like the Lexus and Acura brands from Toyota and Honda respectively, Nissan created Infiniti at the end of the 1980s with the sole purpose of targeting the premium vehicle segment in the United States and Canada.
However, as the years passed and the brand matured, Infiniti followed in the footsteps of Lexus and became available in many markets around the world. Since 2007, Infiniti’s luxury models have also been offered in China.
Now, the Japanese brand wants to move on to the next level by building vehicles in China to better compete with rivaling brands Audi, BMW and Mercedes, all of which produce cars locally as imports are subject to 25 percent tariffs.
Nissan said that the move would help Infiniti achieve its goal of selling half a million vehicles by 2016.
“The expansion of the Infiniti business is a key pillar of the Nissan Power 88 mid-term plan,” said Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President of Infiniti.
“This is an important milestone for Infiniti’s growth strategy, and for the brand to reach its aggressive sales target of 500,000 units by 2016, local production in the world’s largest automobile market is not an option but a necessity to our success,” he added.
The Japanese automaker said that it will build two unspecified Infiniti models at facilities operated by Nissan’s joint venture company in China, Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd.
“The extremely productive partnership with DFL and its parent company, Dongfeng Motor Corporation (DFM), will enable Infiniti to quickly realize its production objectives in China,” Nissan said in a statement.
Earlier this month, for the first time ever, Infiniti invited Chinese automotive media to the United States as part of a two-week-long event that also hosted media from the United States, Canada and the Middle East, to test-drive the new JX seven-seater crossover.
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