Nissan moves Infiniti's headquarters to Japan and leaves Hong Kong behind to keep growing

A few months ago we learned of Nissan’s decision to withdraw all of its Infiniti models from the European market. A real shame because, after a somewhat sluggish start in our market, Infiniti seemed to be gaining momentum and it was becoming more and more common to see one of the brand’s models on the streets of our cities. Now, the Japanese brand has decided to close Infiniti’s offices in Hong Kong.

It won’t happen immediately; it is expected to take place throughout 2020. Infiniti’s headquarters will move to Yokohama, where the parent company is also based, Nissan. With this move, Infiniti makes it clear that it wants to optimise all of its production and will set aside any global expansion. The idea is to locate the brand’s nerve centre alongside its parent company and work together to take advantage of the high pace of Nissan’s research in electric mobility.

The Hong Kong office opened in 2012, seeking greater immersion in the Chinese market. But things have changed, and Infiniti’s strategy now aims to pull back and focus on electrifying the brand’s models. This move towards Japan does not mean the brand will once again fall under the umbrella of Nissan; rather, it will work to remain independent and grow as a brand of Premium cars, differentiating itself increasingly from Nissan.

That said, to evolve and improve its efficiency, it will share with Nissan all the advances it makes in electric mobility. The return to Yokohama will not only bring shared use of the technology and architecture developed by Nissan, but will also reduce the administrative burden by sharing administrative resources with Nissan.

The goal of Infiniti remains to position itself in the Chinese market, even though it is going to give up its central office in the country, but the United States is one of the markets where it is growing the most, and that is where it will also channel its growth strategy. In the American market it will work to expand its line of SUVs, while for China it is preparing an offensive with five new models over the coming years.

The future of Infiniti passes through electrification and the elimination of diesel engines. Its position within the Premium car market, distinct from the offer of Nissan, is the goal of a brand that wants to keep growing and will seek leadership in its sector. It’s a pity that it will soon disappear from our market and we will be left without those very special novelties.