Infiniti sets up shop in KL
Infiniti, the luxury brand of the Renault-Nissan Alliance has officially arrived in Malaysia through Inspired Motor Sdn Bhd, a joint venture between Auto Dunia Sdn Bhd and Edaran Tan Chong Motor Sdn Bhd. A new 8,000 sq ft IREDI (Infiniti Retail Environment Design Initiative) showroom was opened yesterday at the heart of Kuala Lumpur and introduced with it were four new Infiniti models.
Founded in 1989, Infiniti was largely contained in the United States during its formative years, and it was only recently that the parent company saw fit for its luxury marque expand its horizons. Infiniti’s arrival in Malaysia follows launches in fourteen Western Europe, South American and Asia Pacific markets.
Mr Toru Saito, Infiniti’s Corporate Vice President, spoke of Infiniti’s prospects in the Malaysian market, saying that, that “The arrival of Infiniti in Malaysia comes at a time when the luxury automotive market is experiencing positive growth. With a 40% increase in the luxury car market last year, we are excited to be in a position to offer luxury car buyers in Malaysia a distinctive brand that epitomizes luxury performance. Our plan in Malaysia is to capture five percent of local luxury car market in the next five years by progressively introducing new models in new segments and more Infiniti Centers in key market locations throughout the country.”
Four models make up Infiniti’s opening hand, and they are all aimed at segments of the luxury car market. The crossover segment is particularly well represented by the compact EX and full-sized FX. The mid-sized sedan segment is taken care of by the M sedan, and the G Coupe adds a sporty flavour to the line-up.
Smaller engines will arrive at a later date, but as of now, all four models run on the 3.7-litre V6 engine from Nissan’s award-winning VQ engine family. They all feature an identical state of tune, with 320hp produced at 7,000rpm and 360Nm @ 5,200rpm. All of them are also equipped with 7-speed automatic transmissions as standard. The crossover models are equipped with Intelligent All-Wheel Drive.
Being a luxury brand owned by a Japanese company, inevitable comparisons will be drawn between Infiniti and Toyota’s Lexus, which is officially distributed here by UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd. It is worth noting, however, that Lexus arrived on a strong footing as grey importers inadvertently helped build the brand for years with recon units of the Toyota Harrier / Lexus RX. Infiniti is starting up without the same level of brand recognition amongst the Malaysian public.
As such, Infiniti and Tan Chong officials are keen to distance themselves from comparisons against Lexus and also the German marques, modestly stating that they are only seeking to build their own niche in the market. Target customers for the brand are said to be the young and affluent who wants to distinguish themselves from the crowd.
In the aspect of after sales, the newly opened centre at Royale Chulan is the sole dedicated Infiniti service operation in the country at the moment. For customers away from the Klang Valley, however, ETCM will leverage its vast network of 3S centres to offer any needed support. Now this does not mean servicing your shiny G Coupe in the same bay as a C22 Vanette, but ETCM branches will be able to attend to the customers whilst dedicated Infiniti technicians are sent to the spot to perform diagnosis.
On-the-road without insurance in the Peninsula, Infiniti’s range in Malaysia is priced as such:
– EX 37: RM380,000
– G 37 Coupe: RM415,000
– M 37: RM425,000
– FX 37: RM435,000
The Infiniti Centre is located at the following address, and is open daily from 10:00am to 9:00pm:
Chulan Square,
92 Jalan Raja Chulan,
50200 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: +603 2142 3332
Pictures: Official Infiniti release.
