The new QX50.
HONG KONG: Infiniti, the luxury arm of Nissan, has announced plans to build five new models in mainland China, reaffirming the importance the company places on the Chinese market as a big hope for future growth.
And as China is also probably the hottest market as far as electric cars are concerned, the luxury brand has also promised all its new vehicles from 2021 onwards will be electric and e-POWER driven.
Although the Chinese vehicle market, and the Chinese economy in general, hasn't been growing as quickly as predicted over the last year or two, the potential for foreign automakers to grow their businesses there is still pretty phenomenal.
The Q Inspiration concept.
The Chinese government has recently announced plans to relax some of the rules regarding foreign companies manufacturing and selling in the country, so the race is on once again for vehicle manufacturers to take advantage.
If there are two things the Chinese consumers seem to love it's luxury and electrified vehicles, so Infiniti's plans appear to either be perfect timing or a calculated plan to make the most of the opportunity.
A locally produced all-new QX50 midsize luxury crossover will be the first of five new vehicles the brand intends to start manufacturing and selling in China over the next five years. And as for the electrification plans, the Infiniti Q Inspiration concept car is the showcase of the company's future as far as electrification, technology and design are concerned.
Infiniti's Chairman and Global President, Roland Krueger, says of the plans: "Over the next five years Infiniti is planning to localize five new vehicles in China, tripling our sales here in our fastest growth market, globally. As part of our roadmap to electrify our portfolio, we anticipate that by 2025, more than 50 percent of new Infiniti vehicles sold globally and in China will be electrified."
The all-new Infiniti QX50 will make its Asia debut at the upcoming Beijing Motor Show, and those built in China will be produced exclusively for the Chinese market.
The QX50 will also be joined at the show by the Q Inspiration concept, which will also be seen in Asia for the first time and represents the first manifestation of Infiniti's new form language for an era of electrified powertrains.
