Finite end to Infiniti range
Nissan MD expects luxury brand to field most models in Oz, but forget about the massive QX56Nissan will be launching Infiniti in Australia with virtually the full product range available in other markets. Some models may arrive after the launch of the brand, which is expected to take place some time in 2013, but the Australian market will get the lot -- with one exception.
"Certainly the intention when we launch Infiniti is to get to a full range," said Dan Thompson, Nissan Australia MD. "It will not be similar to the last time we launched Infiniti -- probably couldn't even call it a brand launch. We launched just the Q45...
"Whether we have [the full range] at launch is yet to be determined," he continued. "When we look at the line-up we have today, [we're] quite confident we'll have nearly every product -- probably not every offering that's available overseas, but nearly everyone.
"The only one that's not available in right-hand drive at the moment is QX56, which is the full-size SUV. Going from prior generation to future generation, we had two different full-size SUVs; one being the Patrol we all know and love, the other being the Armada, which is built in the US and was originally the same platform as the QX.
"So now the current generation -- not for us but globally -- we've merged the two together and, at the moment, there's only left-hand drive... The long and the short of it is there's not a right-hand drive QX56 available today..."
The QX56 and the new P61G Patrol are mounted on the same platform, so the QX56 is unlikely to be missed.
"When we look at what's out there today, [the QX56] is one product that would be considered for not bringing into Australia... because of our commitment to Patrol -- and also our commitment, when we launch Infiniti, to ensure we have a fair bit of separation [from] the Nissan brand."
Thompson agrees that the new Patrol, with its 5.6-litre V8 engine will provide some competition for the Lexus LX 570 -- something that might have been the plan for the QX56 -- but Patrol's true rival in the market will be the 200 Series LandCruiser, he said.
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