Nissan May Reintroduce Infiniti

[scathing]

From CarsGuide

Infiniti has been confirmed for a European assault in 2008 and could join the showroom scene in Australia soon afterwards.

"We are looking at it. It's under study to see if we bring Infiniti to Australia and when we do that. We need to see whether it makes sense in this country to have the Infinity brand," Nissan Australia's new marketing and public relations general manager, Ross Booth, says.

Nissan global boss Carlos Ghosn plans to use a built-up Infiniti brand to produce extra sales and boost the company's image.

I find that "boost the company's image" comment quite ironic, since he shafted Infiniti by making the next GT-R a Nissan in the USA. Infiniti figured they were a "slam dunk" (to borrow from their vernacular) to get the range-topping GT-R under their brand. But Ghosn said the marketing for the next GT-R was going to be global, and the US guys couldn't put together a business case for having their country the only place where it wasn't a Nissan.

But if you have a look at the current Infiniti range, it is quite nice. The VH powered Murano is a sweet looking SUV, and I'm quite fond of the V35 Skyline they sell over there as a G35.

Edited May 18, 2006 by scathing

[someonestolecc]

Lame globo-convergence-conglomo-corp-americana.

Can't we just have JDM import scene like in NZ? Globalised free market at it's best.

[7shades]

Hmmm... open the floodgates to imports and no-one will buy our second-rate domestic product... 10000 VB drinking hairy-knuckled assembly line workers out of a job and little johnny doesn't get re-elected. Boo hoo.

[arbess]

Im no economic guru, but i believe that if Australia opens a Global market to other coutries then you might expect a serious crash in job numbers. Isnt that why NZ doesnt have any manufacturing car plants anymore? Globalised market sent work overseas and no jobs in NZ? Im not 100% sure on the NZ thing though I know I wouldnt want to lose my job to a cheap skate overseas worker who gets paid squat.

No offence is there was any.

[MK2]

NZ was good to a point, you can get good cars from overseas that would have normally been considered a prestige vehicle, but it did basically send 3-4 factories and half a dozen parts manufacturers into the drink.

Domestic manufactuers shit bricks when they hear the words 'grey-import' because it means looking down the barrel of high quality*, competitively priced european and jap cars.

*well in some cases, some are right dogs too but you get that in the 2nd hand car business.

[7shades]

So, as a government, what do you do? protecting our domestic industries keeps australians employed. But on the other hand, insulating said same industries from global influence keeps the product they produce 10 years behind europe and japan, to the detriment of the australian consumer. most of the falcodore-buying gastropods seem to be able to deal with this, but thats only cos they don't know any better...

*sigh*

[arbess]

Tariffs... sad sad Tariffs

Which impead (sp) the generation of business overseas for Aussies.

[scathing]

on the other hand, insulating said same industries from global influence keeps the product they produce 10 years behind europe and japan,

most of the falcodore-buying gastropods seem to be able to deal with this, but thats only cos they don't know any better...

Another benefit of isolationism is ignorance.

But, in all fairness, they do know better because the cars are here in Australia. But, since they cost less than their imported equivalents, the lower quality and tech is a fair trade off for an apparently lower price.

[GTS25-t]

I remember when they removed the tarrifs here in NZ back in the day. Ford had a big closing down sale

[MK2]

Another benefit of isolationism is ignorance.

But, in all fairness, they do know better because the cars are here in Australia. But, since they cost less than their imported equivalents, the lower quality and tech is a fair trade off for an apparently lower price.

Definatly in the new car markets the imported vehicles from europe and japan find it hard to compete in terms of price, locally they seem to still come up against buyer preference for Fords and Holdens rather than cars Mitsubishi makes and it seems like its only a matter of time before they end up in the drink, even though the locally made Mitsubishi's are pretty much as 'domestic' as any of the Fords and Holdens.

While the large car market is definately going to hell in a handbasket, all it seems to need for smaller and mid size cars is to find a product from overseas and rebadge it with a Ford or Holden bit of bling and it sells. The only other real inroad into car sales seems to come from the Korean markets that for awhile made a killing selling new cars cheaper than second hand ones, until people figured out they where probably better suited as a boat anchor than an automobile... almost universally horrible things.

Second hand market, personally I'm loathe to buy a new-shiny thing off a lot for the simple reason I hate paying that much tax on something which apart from a few models doesnt tend to have the build quality that impresses me at all. Here the playing field is so much more weighted in favour of the grey-import and locally imported cars its just not funny. Even if you dont want a performance car a bit of hunting around the grey market scene will net you something with all the bells, whistles and customer comforts than anything locally new will cost about three times the price at the very least and probably twice the price of something second hand thats locally thrown together.

Back when I first started looking at imported cars there was horror story after horror story thrown about how hard it was to get parts, but to be honest when I landed mine here the damn thing never broke down in the first place! Lastly for a consumer wanting to buy a car with low kilometres, honest history and well built you'd have to be mad not to consider a grey market car over something local in the second hand market.

I'll buy something aussie built in a second if they make it good and go like the clappers, but they dont so I dont waste my money.

They want my money, make something worth it.