Infiniti plans small car family

While only one model has been confirmed so far, ambitious luxury brand Infiniti is planning a family of small cars.

The first iteration, previewed reasonably accurately by the Etherea concept, is destined to go on-sale in 2014. It is primarily aimed at the European market and will be built there.

However it is also destined for Australia, adding to the Infiniti lineup launched here last week. Thanks to a tech-sharing agreement with Daimler, Infiniti’s new small car family will be based on elements of the Mercedes-Benz MFA small-car architecture as used by the new A and B-class and employ some Benz drivetrains. MFA is a front and all-wheel drive platform, which means Infiniti will follow Benz and BMW away from rear-wheel drive in the premium small car categories. BMW will reveal its first-ever front-driver at the Paris show this month.

Speaking at the local Infiniti media launch last Friday, newly appointed Infiniti global president Johan de Nysschen and his boss, Nissan executive vice president Andy Palmer confirmed expansion plans beyond one model.

“In terms of the full car itself one is decided,” Mr Palmer said. “In terms of planning beyond that certain decisions have been made but not yet communicated. But obviously we are aware there are opportunities for other vehicles in this kind of segment. As you know Mercedes-Benz takes about five off the platform.”

However, Mr Palmer refused to say how variations were under consideration for Infiniti.

“We have a number of placeholders for other vehicles but Johan’s role coming in is to validate that plan and make sure that makes sense. So it would be wrong to tell you we are going to do something then change our minds over the coming days.”

Mr de Nysschen, however, was slightly more forthcoming: “We may consider doing a cross-over derivative, we may consider doing a sedan derivative, these are all expansion opportunities that are under consideration.”

Mr Palmer was at pains to emphasise the production small car would not simply be a rebodied Benz despite the shared technology.

“MFA by itself is Mercedes-Benz’s front-wheel drive architecture in modules, some of which are appropriate to us, some of which are not, some of which are modified.

“We are not simply rebodying a Mercedes-Benz, we are bringing the drive and flavour of Infiniti to the car. You have seen the (Etherea) concept, it’s nothing like a Mercedes-Benz, it’s partly hatch, partly cube, partly SUV. We are trying to look for a very different kind of space.

“But obviously it has the benefit of being a very rigid platform, it has the benefit of independent rear suspension, and has all the attributes of an A-class or a B-class but allows us to bring the Infiniti-ness to the vehicle and allows us to do something significantly different in that space.”

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...