Nissan CEO Explains What Went Wrong With Infiniti

'We did a wild bet,' said the executive.

Photo by: Infiniti

Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Apr 15, at 1:00pm ET

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Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa said, ‘There were many mistakes” with Infiniti.
The automaker learned Infiniti does not need a dedicated architecture to succeed.
The executive said the brand needs at least 5 models before it can begin to grow.

Infiniti is in the rebuilding stages. The luxury brand has struggled in the last few years, trimming its portfolio down to just two models, with a third on the way. Sales continue to fall, and in a recent interview, Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa explains how it all went wrong.

“There were many mistakes,” he said. One was the decision to develop a dedicated architecture for Infiniti. Another was Nissan’s ambitious goal of achieving 8 million sales a year, a target the automaker never came close to meeting.

“We did a wild bet,” he added, “and then as the volumes were not there.” This made it difficult for the automaker to invest in the brand “because the company was not in good shape.”

According to the executive, Infiniti does not need a dedicated platform. Instead, he said, the brand needs to “differentiate the cars smartly.” It will do this “with the right level of technology, the right visual differentiation, and a better experience overall in the car.”

What Comes Next For Infiniti?

Espinoza said Infiniti needs at least five models to begin growing again. When Nissan laid out its roadmap earlier this week, it announced that Infiniti would add four new models to its portfolio, bringing the total to seven.

Three of the new products are SUVs—a mid-size SUV and two ladder-frame SUVs—and all three will be hybrid. The fourth is a performance sedan based on the Nissan Skyline. It will feature a twin-turbocharged V6 engine with a manual transmission powering the rear wheels.

The new models will rely heavily on Nissan’s lineup and are likely to share more than just powertrains. Last May, when the company announced its Re:Nissan plan, the automaker said it aimed to cut the number of platforms nearly in half to just 7 by 2035.

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Jeff Perez contributed to this report.

Gallery: 2027 Infiniti QX65

Source: Infiniti

Motor1’s Take: Infiniti has been neglected for too long, but this much-needed attention should result in a compelling lineup even if the models share quite a bit with their Nissan counterparts. It appears there is a plan for the brand that keeps it alive and distinct—we will just have to see if it works.