To attract more buyers to the brand, Infiniti recently introduced the G25, shwon. Now Infiniti is considering a car below the G.
NASHVILLE -- Platform-sharing talks between Nissan Motor Co. and Daimler AG are zeroing in on a new Infiniti model that could be slotted below the brand's entry-sized G sedan and coupe sold by U.S. dealers.
While the talks are under way, Infiniti's U.S. sales and marketing head Ben Poore says a sub-G vehicle would be a welcome addition.
"Our competitors have products in what you could call the [Mercedes] sub-C class, or [BMW] sub-3 series," Poore says.
"There's a big market there, and that segment is going to grow."
Nissan Executive Vice President Colin Dodge told reporters in Paris two weeks ago that the global Infiniti vehicle would use a Daimler platform and engine.
No other details of the proposed vehicle have been revealed.
Poore thinks a smaller vehicle would represent a new sales opportunity for the brand.
"There's a price point there that's a little lower than where we are today," he says. "It's a customer who in the past might have bought a pre-owned luxury vehicle. It's a nice gateway into our brand."
In an effort to open up the brand to more buyers, Infiniti has just introduced the G25, a G sedan with a smaller, 2.5-liter engine in place of the G37's 3.7-liter V-6.
Poore says Infiniti has been missing out on the lower end of the luxury market until now.