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Infiniti will move back to Japan from Hong Kong in 2020

BEIJING – Nissan's premium brand Infiniti is relocating its headquarters back to Japan from Hong Kong, its home since 2012, to create "more operational efficiencies" with its parent company, according to a document seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The move planned for mid-2020, and expected to be publicly announced later on Wednesday, will help the Japanese automaker cut costs amid a slump in its global earnings in the year ended March 31. "The relocation will further integrate (Infiniti) with global design, research and development and manufacturing functions based in Japan," Nissan said in the statement, adding that Infiniti would continue to "operate independently". The move also was "crucial" for Nissan to follow through on its strategy to electrify the Infiniti lineup, the document said, with plans for every premium model launched from 2021 to be either all-electric or "e-Power" hybrid. A Nissan official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that while there was a "fair amount of platform and other base technology sharing" between Infiniti and the main volume brand Nissan, "there could be more". Nissan's global operating profit plunged 45% in the last fiscal year and would likely drop another 28% to "rock bottom" in the current one, according to company filings earlier this month. Infiniti's move back to Japan will reverse a decision made under ousted leader Carlos Ghosn to dilute the premium brand's Japanese origins in order to foster a more global image. Its Hong Kong headquarters has about 180 employees who were told about the move back to Yokohama earlier on Wednesday, according to the Nissan official. The Hong Kong headquarters and the global image it was intended to promote were seen as critical for Infiniti to make inroads in China, where being Japanese can sometimes be a handicap because of historical animosities. In 2012, Infiniti and other Japanese brands took a battering in the wake of diplomatic spats over disputed islets known as Diaoyu in China and Senkaku in Japan. Since then, Japan's bilateral relationship with China has steadily improved and Japanese automakers including Nissan and Toyota are seeing their businesses expand, even as China's overall auto market has slumped over the past year. (Reporting by Norihiko Shirouzu; Editing by Stephen Coates)

At long last, Infiniti plans a production EV

After years of false starts, it appears that Nissan's Infiniti division will finally launch a production electric car in 2019 and debut it as a concept in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Details at this point are scant, but Infiniti Executive Design Director Alfonsa Albaisa told Autocar the EV would be an all-new electric-only vehicle based on a new platform. Citing the company's grand prix-inspired Prototype 9 racecar concept that was shown a few weeks ago at Pebble Beach, Albaisa said consumers would see "parts of the car in a different context" on the concept EV. The Prototype 9's all-electric powertrain was developed by parent company Nissan's Advanced Powertrain Department. The last we saw of any electric offering from Infiniti was way back in 2012 with the LE Concept sedan, which was supposed to show up in dealerships two years later. Those plans were initially postponed in 2013 and then again in 2015 amid doubts over EV sales projections and larger concerns over boosting overall Infiniti sales. The LE had a 24 kWh lithium-ion battery pack paired with a 100 kilowatt electric motor delivering 134 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. Related Video: Featured Gallery Infiniti Prototype 9 at Pebble Beach View 26 Photos Related Gallery Infiniti LE Concept: New York 2012 Green Infiniti Concept Cars Electric Pebble Beach

Infiniti sees a bright future for the luxury sedan

One of the four new models that Infiniti will release in the coming years is an electric sedan previewed by the Vision Qe concept. Investing in a body style that many of the brand's peers and rivals are pivoting away from might sound odd, but executives at Infiniti still see a demand for sedans. "For the U.S. market, the sedan segment is still a very relevant segment. We have a ton of history, and heritage, and hugely passionate fans. So with that kind of passion, we're always getting asks for that kind of piece," Bob Welby, Infiniti's senior director of operations, told Motor1. The publication cited older, Nissan Z-derived sedans like the G35 and the G37 as models that could inspire Infiniti as it brings its first electric sedan to the market. These cars were aimed squarely at European sport sedans like the BMW 3 Series, and they put a much bigger focus on performance than on comfort while remaining pegged on the luxury side of the spectrum. They enjoy a relatively loyal following in 2023. Later known as the Q40, the G37 retired at the end of the 2015 model year and passed the torch to the Q50, which remains in production today but has nearly reached the end of its life cycle. When it retires, it will leave the Nissan-owned brand without a sedan in its range for the first time since its inception: The bigger Q70 retired at the end of the 2019 model year and the full-size Q45 was axed after 2006. In contrast, the current Infiniti lineup includes four SUVs. This focus on high-riding models won't change, even if the sedan sticks around. "SUVs have become another emerging strength of ours over the past decade," Welby said. "That's absolutely going to be part of our story." The next-generation QX80 is notably around the corner. Infiniti previewed it with a close-to-production concept called QX Monograph.   Green Infiniti Electric Sedan