R-34
10-28-2003, 08:27 PM
Renault SA affiliate Nissan Motor Co Ltd is considering introducing its US-only Infiniti luxury brand to Japan and Europe as part of its forthcoming three-year plan, the Financial Times reported, citing Nissan chief executive officer Carlos Ghosn.
Ghosn said the expansion of the luxury marque outside the US could be included in the successor to the "Nissan 180" turnround plan due to finish in April 2005.
The new three-year plan will be unveiled in April.
Nissan Considers Launching Infiniti Brand in Japan and Europe
AFX News Limited - October 23, 2003
Post-Nissan 180 may very well incorporate Infiniti going outside the US," Ghosn said.
The Nissan CEO said the next business plan would continue to "give visibility" to the dividend, after the company set out its plans to triple pay-outs by the end of the current plan.
"It is not going to be a philosophical plan," he said. "You are going to have critical objectives, they are going to be measurable and you are going to be able to see exactly what is going on. It will be no surprise that products will be at the heart of it."
The FT said the expansion of Infiniti outside the US would have been unthinkable a few years ago, when it was struggling in the shadow of Toyota's Lexus. But sales in the past two years have grown dramatically and 40 pct more vehicles were sold under the brand in the six months to September than the same period last year.
"The first years of Infiniti were not very successful," Ghosn said, but he added that this year and the next "are going to be great years" for the brand.
Copyright 2003 AFX News Limited.
Ghosn said the expansion of the luxury marque outside the US could be included in the successor to the "Nissan 180" turnround plan due to finish in April 2005.
The new three-year plan will be unveiled in April.
Nissan Considers Launching Infiniti Brand in Japan and Europe
AFX News Limited - October 23, 2003
Post-Nissan 180 may very well incorporate Infiniti going outside the US," Ghosn said.
The Nissan CEO said the next business plan would continue to "give visibility" to the dividend, after the company set out its plans to triple pay-outs by the end of the current plan.
"It is not going to be a philosophical plan," he said. "You are going to have critical objectives, they are going to be measurable and you are going to be able to see exactly what is going on. It will be no surprise that products will be at the heart of it."
The FT said the expansion of Infiniti outside the US would have been unthinkable a few years ago, when it was struggling in the shadow of Toyota's Lexus. But sales in the past two years have grown dramatically and 40 pct more vehicles were sold under the brand in the six months to September than the same period last year.
"The first years of Infiniti were not very successful," Ghosn said, but he added that this year and the next "are going to be great years" for the brand.
Copyright 2003 AFX News Limited.