Infiniti hopes blend of East, West will appeal to mainland

In consideration of the growing importance of the Chinese market, designers of Infiniti are determined to bring the best of the brand - a distinct aesthetic taste that blends the West and East - to Chinese consumers.

"I think the blood of Infiniti - a Japanese luxury brand that first earned success and fame in North America - is half Western and half Asian," said Infiniti's executive design director Alfonso Albaisa, during an interview with Chinese media at the Geneva motor show, which closed recently.

"This is our largest selling point, and the source from which the inspiration for Infiniti design comes," he added.

Albaisa said it is hard to find a balanced design.

"Even if we try to look for such a solution, it is difficult to find a way out, given the acute market competition," he said.

The company decided to pursue a fresh flexible approach to attracting Chinese consumers with a "poetic and abstract" design, Albaisa said.

Albaisa said such a design language can be found in the Q50, the first model under Infiniti's new naming system, which is already on sale in some places in the world other than China.

In the US, several thousand Q50 have been sold. In Europe, dealers have received more than 5,000 requests for a test drive, Albaisa said.

"Our design is relatively successful, as seen from consumer feedback," he said.

With regard to the exterior styling, consumers remarked that the design is diversified while retaining close attention to details like the headlights, Albaisa said. Consumers found the interior to be both luxurious and functional.

"Q50 starts to bring a more dynamic language to Infiniti with its flowing yet dense muscularity that inspires a desire to drive. We are looking forward to seeing what feedback the Chinese market will bring us," he said.

Albaisa said the company will begin importing the model to China next month. Production on a localized long-wheelbase version will also begin at Dongfeng-Nissan's plant in Xiangyang, Hubei province by the end of this year.