As it takes on high-end automakers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Nissan Motor Co. will begin selling Infiniti models in Japan in February for the first time, 24 years after the luxury brand was born in the U.S.
The first model for sale in Japan, named Skyline, will be a hybrid version of Infiniti's flagship Q50 sedan, Nissan Chief Planning Officer Andy Palmer said at a briefing in Tokyo on Monday. Nissan is targeting initial monthly sales of 200 vehicles for the car, priced from ¥4.5 million, he said.
Selling Infiniti in more markets will move Nissan closer to its goal of boosting the brand's annual sales to 500,000 vehicles by March 2017 and narrow the gap with BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Nissan is tapping Japanese consumers' familiarity with the brand Skyline, which is also the name of a range of autos it currently sells with roots tracing back to a carmaker for the late Emperor Hirohito.