Infiniti for Malaysia by Q4 2011

Posted on April 07, 2011 05:42 PM

FX37 SUV (left) and G37 (right) are two of the Infiniti models recently introduced in Indonesia

Those who were at Bukit Bintang in KL last Sunday to watch the ABT Audi R8 LMS and Red Bull Racing F1 car smoking their tyres up and down the street may have noticed an Infiniti logo on the rear wing of the F1 car. And those who know about cars will know that Infiniti is the luxury brand of Nissan the same way Lexus is the luxury brand of Toyota. In fact, both brands were introduced at almost the same time in the late 1990s and spent their early years being offered mainly in North America.

Having made an impact in North America and becoming an established brand, Nissan has started to introduce its luxury brand in other countries, starting with western Europe, over the past few years. In this region, Infiniti has been introduced in Indonesia and Singapore this year. The association with the Red Bull F1 racing team (for the 2011 and 2012 seasons) is part of the strategy to promote the brand on a global scale.

Red Bull Racing's F1 cars will have the Infiniti brand on their rear wings and their drivers
will probably be seen going around in Infiniti models at the various venues.

Infiniti will also be official sold in Malaysia by the fourth quarter of 2011 through Inspired Motor Sdn Bhd, a joint-venture company between Edaran Tan Chong Motor (ETCM) and Auto Dunia (which will be the franchise holder for the Infiniti brand). To start off the business, an Infiniti Centre will be opened in Kuala Lumpur.

“The impending arrival of Infiniti in Malaysia comes at a time when the luxury automotive market in Malaysia is experiencing tremendous growth. Last year, the segment grew by 40%. Suffice to say, we are thrilled to be in the position to offer luxury car buyers in Malaysia a distinctive brand that epitomizes luxury performance,” said Dato’ Dr Ang Bon Beng, ETCM’s Executive Director.

"As part of our worldwide expansion, we are very excited to launch Infiniti in Malaysia and welcome newly established joint-venture Inspired Motor Sdn Bhd to our luxury brand," said Toru Saito, Infiniti’s Corporate Vice-President. "Within the year, the promise of luxury vehicles with a unique combination of inspired performance, attentive hospitality and unparalleled quality will become a reality for Malaysian customers, who we know are receptive to exclusive brands.” He added that by 2013, Infiniti will enter 25 more new markets worldwide.

Infiniti has a wide range of models - sedans, coupes, SUVs and crossovers – and every model has emotive design and advanced technology as well as the promise of exhilarating performance. At this time, Inspired Motor is not saying which models will be imported but it is likely that the company will emphasize performance and offer sporty products.