Infiniti Hopes for Steady Sales in Year with No Product Launches

An Infiniti official hopes the brand can repeat its 2014 U.S. sales volume, despite the Nissan luxury marque having no new product to launch this year.

“If we just hold a nice, level plane that would be ideal,” Michael Bartsch, vice president-Infiniti Americas, tells WardsAuto in an interview.

As Infiniti also had no new models to sell in 2014, Bartsch was relatively pleased with the brand’s 117,330 U.S. sales last year, up just 0.8% over 2013.

“The market overall was up…and I think there was something like 14 different new model launches in the competitive set in 2014, and we had a year of sustaining existing models,” he says. “It’s a solid result.”

Infiniti originally said its new Q30 compact car, which will slot below the Q50 midsize sedan in the brand’s lineup, would arrive in the U.S. in late 2015.

Bartsch now says the timing will be closer to early next year.

“It’ll be launched in Europe in October/November this year, and then we will get the cars here and they will go on sale in the first quarter of 2016.”

The Q30 will be assembled at Nissan’s Sunderland, U.K., plant.

Nissan also next year is set to launch a redesigned version of the Q50’s 2-door variant, the Q60 coupe, a concept version of which was unveiled at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Bartsch says both cars will herald Infiniti’s “next growth phase.”

Despite relatively old products and the strength of its German competitors, he doesn’t believe Infiniti will need to hike incentives this year. The QX50 and QX70 CUVs last saw full redesigns in 2007 and 2008, and the mid-large Q70 sedan, while refreshed last year, dates back to 2010.

“You can never know what’s going to happen with the competition, but the objective is not to increase incentives,” he says, noting Infiniti has good marketing now thanks to a new ad agency and refreshed product such as the Q70 and the QX80 large SUV.

The upcoming 4-cyl. engine for the Q50 sedan also will help keep interest up and rebates low, he says.

The 2.0L turbocharged 4-cyl. went into production last summer at Nissan’s Decherd, TN, engine plant, but the earliest units were earmarked for Q50s in Europe, where few drivers opt for V-6s and the need for a turbo 4-cyl. was more urgent.

The 4-cyl. should become available in the Q50 in July or August, Bartsch says, calling the engine a “fairly important” need for the brand in the U.S., as well.

German luxury brands such as BMW and Mercedes have seen much success with their 4-cyls.

WardsAuto U.S. installation data shows 4-cyls. were in 56.1% of ’14 BMW 3-Series, up from 28.0% in ’13, although some of the growth can be attributed to the 3-Series coupe becoming the 4-Series in ’14.

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