Though the departures of Johan de Nysschen and Andy Palmer from Infiniti and Nissan respectively may be setbacks in the premium brand's overall trek toward becoming a proper player in the luxury game, Infiniti Americas VP Michael Bartsch believes the brand will stay the course in the end.
According to Ward's Auto, Bartsch says Infiniti's roadmap, as designed by de Nysschen and endorsed by both Palmer and Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn, is "locked in." Further, the plan, and by extension, Infiniti, is greater than the people behind it, with a "collective stewardship of the mission and the vision" in place.
The plan calls for Infiniti to go up against the likes of BMW, Mercedes and Audi by expanding its offerings over the next few years, meeting them in 85 percent to 86 percent of the segments where the German brands currently do battle:
The reality of it is the German brands have fractured the market more than we've ever seen. The challenge for Infiniti at the moment is not whether we can build cars for the segment. I think our record shows very clearly we can. It's not what we currently have, the challenge is what we don't have. To be an effective player in (the luxury sector), you have to have range. You have to have the bandwidth.
The expansion will begin when the Q30 arrives in showrooms throughout 2015, and will feature redesigns of current vehicles, as well as possibilities for a flagship and a sports car down the line.
The post Bartsch: Infiniti On Track Despite Key Departures appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
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