The M30 coupe was underpowered for its stock weight of 3,333 lb (1,512 kg). The powertrain was the VG30E 162 hp (121 kW 164 PS) engine and an automatic transmission. It remained in production for three years as an alternative to the Lexus SC. The car's features would have made it competitive in the full-sized "luxury" segment against the Mercedes S-Class, BMW 7 Series, Jaguar XJ and Cadillac Fleetwood.Ī second model was introduced in November 1989, the 2-door M30, a badge engineered Nissan Leopard. The Q45 included a 278 hp (207 kW 282 PS) V8 engine, four wheel steering, and active suspension system offered on the first generation Q45t. Starting with model year 1992, the wheelbase matched the President's wheelbase at 2880 mm (113.4 in). The Q45 was based on the all new second generation JDM Nissan President on a five millimeter shorter wheelbase platform at 2,875 mm (113.2 in). The Infiniti marque was launched with two models, the Q45, and the M30 that were previously sold at Japanese Nissan Motor Store dealership networks. market, so it was more profitable for automakers to export more expensive cars to the U.S. The Japanese government imposed voluntary export restraints for the U.S. The brand was created around the same time as Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda developed their Lexus and Acura premium brands. The marketing strategy was to target the premium vehicle segments in the United States that would not have otherwise fit in with Nissan's more mainstream image, and partially influenced by the Plaza Accord of 1985. The Infiniti brand was introduced in the United States in 1989. In 2020, Infiniti relocated its headquarters from Hong Kong, China to Yokohama, Japan where parent company Nissan is located. In 2020, Infiniti left the European (excluding Caucasus, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine), South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam markets. In mid-2019, the Sunderland plant ceased assembly of Infiniti vehicles in the United Kingdom. At the same time, Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK expanded in Sunderland, England, to produce a new compact car named Q30 in 2015. In 2014, it started producing two models in Xiangyang, China, a plant operated by Nissan's joint venture with Dongfeng Motor. With its QX60 crossover (formerly known as JX35) Infiniti began to produce vehicles outside Japan. Nissan appointed Roland Krüger, former head of BMW's Asian division, as president of Infiniti in September 2014.
In 2012, Infiniti moved its global headquarters from the Nissan corporate building in Yokohama and incorporated in Hong Kong as Infiniti Global Limited, with Carlos Ghosn intending for Infiniti to have a greater focus on the burgeoning luxury market in mainland China as it forecast the country to become the largest luxury car market.
In January 2018, chief executive Hiroto Saikawa announced that the Infiniti brand would be transformed into an electric brand, with all new vehicles either being hybrid or all-electric by 2021. The main markets are North America and China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau). As of 2020, there were 25 markets served by new car dealers. The marketing network for Infiniti-branded vehicles included dealers in over 50 countries in the 2010s. Infiniti officially started selling vehicles on November 8, 1989, in North America. Infiniti ( インフィニティ, Infiniti, IPA: ) is the luxury vehicle division of Japanese automaker Nissan.