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Mercedes and Infiniti confirm joint production in Mexico [w/video]

It's official, folks: After initial reports last week indicated that Mercedes-Benz was preparing to begin assembly at the Nissan plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, the two parent companies have announced just that. Only instead of using the existing Nissan plant at the site (in operation since 1992), Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance have announced a joint venture to build a new one alongside it.
The latest stage in the growing French-German-Japanese collaboration is part of a new collaboration that will see Infiniti and Mercedes jointly develop and build a line of compact premium vehicles, with the first Infiniti models set to roll off the assembly line in 2017 and the first Benzes to follow a year later. Neither party announced exactly which models that would encompass, but Mercedes already has a robust line of small vehicles (including the A-Class, B-Class, CLA and GLA), and Infiniti has long been toying with the idea of slotting in something smaller below the Q50.
The billion-euro project, split evenly between the two industrial giants, is set to create 5,700 new jobs in Mexico. In addition to the Aguascalientes project, Infiniti and Mercedes are also undertaking joint production of four-cylinder engines (initially for the C-Class and Q50) in Decherd, Tennessee, from which they will be exported around the world. By the time the new factory in Mexico reaches full capacity in 2021, it will have the capability to produce 300,000 vehicles annually. That's on top of the 850,000 vehicles the existing facility is capable of handling.

March Madness upsets good for auto advertisers

There are no Cinderella teams left in the NCAA men's basketball tournament - the fairytales ended with Georgia State's loss to Xavier over the weekend. And even though the Sweet 16 is composed of elite teams - at the time of writing the lowest-ranked squad is 11th-seeded UCLA, which has most championships of any school in the country - there are still underdogs and surprises, and they are good for NCAA business and advertisers. Last year the March Madness Live app, which allows users to watch games on the go, was downloaded 4.5 million times, a jump of more than 40 percent over 2013. Buick sponsors the iOS version of the app, but more than a million of those downloads were for the Android version, sponsored by Infiniti since 2011. Part of Buick's engagement is a "Boss Button" on the livestream sites that can quickly mask the page with something your boss won't question you over. It also sponsors a trick-shot competition for fans, has a display in Bracket Town during the Final Four, and its cars lead the team buses through the city. Infiniti said last year's tourney increased online searches for the brand by 25 percent in March, and things are going even better this year: it's round-by-round bracket game drew 477,859 total entries in 2014, this year's game has signed up 534,350 already and the tournament has another two weeks to go. The luxury brand is all over the event, promoting the QX60 through to the Final Four, then moving its efforts to the Q50. It sponsors the Coaches vs. Cancer charity and will have an Infiniti Lounge near the Final Four venue in downtown Indianapolis. So for the two automakers keeping their own scores... come on, Wichita State! Six brackets, six chances to win a trip to #FinalFour 2016. Official rules at http://t.co/4b9GyGJ4wP. #RoundByRound https://t.co/ZCsFatVlja - Infiniti USA (@InfinitiUSA) March 19, 2015 News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. Marketing/Advertising Buick Infiniti app sports ncaa march madness

Infiniti Q60 dies at year's end

In 2021, Automotive News' Future Product Pipeline coverage for the Infiniti brand contained a single entry for 2023: "Infiniti Q60 ends in 2023." Turns out the report of the Q60's death was true; the brand confirmed to Car and Driver that the coupe ends production at the end of this year. We wish we were surprised at the news or the rationale. An automaker spokesperson told the magazine, "We are focusing on the most popular luxury automotive segments such as crossovers and SUVs, as well as the upcoming EV we recently announced that will be built here in the U.S." The official justification didn't address the fact that dealers sold 2,728 units of the Q60 in the U.S. last year, 64 units fewer than achieved in 2020, and 2,315 units fewer than dealers moved in 2019 — the year Q60 sales fell off a cliff after selling more than 9,000 units in 2018. Consider this another step in the "three-phase company transformation" that Chairman Peyman Kargar is in the second stage of working through. The first phase of recovery ended this March, the luxury automaker getting back to profit globally. The current second stage that will revamp, electrify, and expand the lineup is predicted to last for the next four years. The spearhead will be the new QX80 SUV, planned for late next year or early 2024 with ambitions to challenge the Cadillac Escalade, Lexus LX, and Range Rover. That luxury club barred Infiniti from entry awhile ago, so Kargar's talking about profound turnaround. As for the Q60, the shame is that a car with sweet looks and even sweeter power never got the interior or driving dynamics to match. Perhaps the return of a much better Nissan Z can provide fodder for a proper Infiniti coupe once the luxury division has restored its momentum. The spokesperson told Car and Driver that Q60 inventory should last until well into 2023, so anyone looking for a 400-horsepower bargain with a six-speed manual should mark their calendar for early next spring.   Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.