Users Now Demand More of Their Luxury Vehicles

Q: How have demands changed in the premium vehicle segment over the past few years and how does INFINITI work to meet customer expectations?

A: As time goes by, the products and services offered by the market evolve, as do customers’ needs and demands. Clients want more than a product that indicates economic power and prestige; they want vehicles with these characteristics but that also provide practicality and comfort for everyday use.

In the past few years, INFINITI has worked to provide not just a technologically-advanced, good-looking vehicle but an integral solution for our customers. For example, we include maintenance services for three years in the vehicle’s price, so clients do not have to worry about this service. We also have the premium INFINITI Black service, which provides road assistance during any emergency.

Q: What role does in-vehicle technology, passenger comfort and safety play within INFINITI’s SUV offering in Mexico?

A: We are focused on turning INFINITI vehicles into solutions that simplify our customer’s lives because we do not want our clients to worry about maintenance. We are renewing our portfolio to relaunch the brand in Mexico, following the incorporation of the QX55 and QX60 into our product line.

We will also reassure clients that safety is still our top priority. Our integral security suite alerts the driver if someone is crossing behind them while driving backward and corrects the steering wheel when the vehicle is moving sideways and the driver is not reacting, among many other features. This is the beginning of autonomous driving and INFINITI is working to provide it as part of our approach to technology, comfort and safety.

Q: How has INFINITI’s dealership network grown in recent years and how is digitization disrupting vehicle sales?

A: We have 13 service centers in Mexico that are strategically located in its main cities: Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, Chihuahua and others. This strategy puts us closer to our customers, covering close to 70 percent of INFINITI’s vehicle fleet in Mexico. We do not seek to sell a large number of vehicles as volume is not a priority. We are the luxury brand of Nissan and as such, our objective is to grow in the quality of our services during every part of the process.

As a luxury brand, we will not set aside face-to-face interactions with customers. This is an essential part of our premium service. However, we are also strengthening our digital services by incorporating a virtual showroom through which clients can have easy access to our dealerships and our vehicles in incredible detail. We are also digitizing our financial calculator, making appointments for test drives, vehicle personalization and more.

Q: What is the status of the company's production plant located in Mexico?

A: We manufacture our QX55 and QX50 SUVs at COMPAS production plant in Aguascalientes, which exports to over 20 countries worldwide. Electromobility will eventually transform the way we work in Mexico.

Q: Electromobility trends are gaining more popularity in both customers and automakers, how is INFINITI adapting to them?

A: By the end of this decade, most of INFINITI’s production will be EVs. We will continue to provide maintenance for ICE vehicles because some clients prefer traditional gasoline engines, so we do not want to close our doors to them and become 100 percent electric. However, by 2030, INFINITI will mostly focus on electric-powered vehicles.

The company’s first EV will be released in 2025, which will be produced in the US. Some final details still need to be decided. For example, we have not determined if there will also be a hybrid model that functions as a transitional step between an ICE vehicle and an EV.

Q: What are INFINITI’s global plans for the short term and how does the operation in Mexico adapt to the brand’s strategies?

A: We are executing our Transformation INFINITI plan. The first stage took place between 2020 and March 2022 and proved that the company could be profitable despite recent challenges. We had a couple of rough years but we optimized and managed the situation to become profitable.

We are starting the second stage of that plan, which is expected to take three years. It focuses on investing for the future, especially in EVs.

INFINITI, Nissan’s premium brand, is available in 50 countries, including Mexico. The brand has been in the country for more than 11 years and since 2017, it has produced the QX50 and QX55 SUVs in Aguascalientes.