Nissan has confirmed that its Infiniti luxury brand will be launched in Ireland in 2008. The Infiniti brand is Nissan's answer to Lexus, which has been a success for Toyota since it was launched in the US in 1989 and arrived in Europe a year later.
Nissan's Infiniti was also launched in the US in 1989, and is currently sold across North America, Taiwan, the Middle East and Korea. Later this year, Infiniti will be launched in Russia and will arrive in China during 2007.
"In 1999 we made the decision to re-invest heavily in the Infiniti brand," said Nissan President and CEO, Carlos Ghosn.
"That investment has made Infiniti the fastest-growing luxury brand in the US and one that is recognised globally for its blend of design, performance and luxury. We are now ready to bring this unique brand to consumers in Europe."
The arrival of Infiniti in Ireland has been rumoured for some time. Indeed, as reported by The Irish Times back in 2004, Nissan was expected to introduce the brand here by 2005. However, that introductory date was never met, although with confirmation from the company's CEO and a rollout of the premium brand across the globe, the marque's arrival in 2008 is not in doubt.
Nissan Ireland is currently in negotiations with the Nissan corporation and is hopeful of securing the Infiniti import and distribution rights. However, there is still uncertainty as to whether there will be an Irish importer or whether distribution will be handled from a European base. Nissan has already confirmed that it does not intend to appoint a distributor in every country. "The exact structure has not yet been worked out and it is too early to speculate," said a Nissan Ireland spokesman.
"The full line-up of cars, the engine line-up or the number of dealers has not yet been agreed, but what I can say is that Irish motorists will for the first time be able to buy the Infiniti brand and that's fantastic news."
The Infiniti US range includes a premium sports coupé, a number of luxury saloons and a couple of high-end SUVs. While the line-up for Ireland has not been confirmed, it is expected that there will be both SUVs and saloons here from the brand's introduction.