Infiniti, the luxury division of Nissan, the Japanese automaker perhaps best known in the United States for its Sentra, Altima or Rogue, unveiled a new logo on Thursday, its fourth in more than three years. decades of existence. You would be forgiven for not spotting the major differences, because in the center is still the “endless road”, surrounded by the horizon. Infiniti also says that it wants its showrooms to look like Apple stores now, or something, even though dealers auto news talking to seems quite annoyed with the whole exerciseinstead of demanding better products than before.
Here are four Infiniti logos historically, through Infiniti. The latest is on the right.
If anything, the newest one seems to be a reincarnation of the first (and still the best), although it’s possible anyone says it’s illegal, for how much money, meetings and manpower could have poured into it. It will do absolutely nothing materially in any case, although updated dealer showrooms have a slightly better chance. Infiniti describes the new gallery design as minimalist, although not Western-style minimalism, which may contradict terminology. From Infiniti’s press release:
The overall design embodies the Japanese concept of “Ma”, a philosophy that considers the distance between things. Unlike the minimalist structure of the West, Ma embraces empty space in an additive capacity — to ensure a balance between all elements.
The exterior façade features a distinctive deep eaves along the roofline that aim to create shade and control direct sunlight entering the gallery. Inside, the showroom has been redesigned to increase the sense of spaciousness and support a seamless customer journey.
Sam Xin, general manager of INFINITI Brands global division, said: “We have tasked our talented design team to create a fresh retail environment that reflects a new era for INFINITI. . “The result is a bright, welcoming space where customers can experience thoughtful hospitality when engaging and interacting with our brand.”
If the image is your speed:
You have to say it’s definitely a nice dealership, even if the cars inside are still Infinitis. These are also all reasonable updates in the world of Tesla, Lucid, Volvo and other brands looking to ditch the idea of dealerships altogether in favor of “studios” or something like that. so, are the rooms where they tempt you to buy a car. car, unlike the old rooms.
Regardless, the core issue is that these are Infiniti cars that dealers are trying to sell, and there hasn’t been a single Infiniti worth thinking about since the second Bush administration. car news talk to auto news Core voters, are agents, who are not satisfied:
“Without a solid product plan over the next five years to deliver a consistent return on investment, I wouldn’t even consider investing,” said one agent, who requested anonymity.
The lack of new products has left Infiniti in a slump for years. Last year, the brand reported US sales of 46,619 units, the lowest level since 1992, according to the Automotive News Research & Data Center.
Another retailer also said he won’t trigger a store upgrade until he sees “the product pacing is real and believable – not just promises”.
And it gets darker:
Anticipating a response, Infiniti is introducing the redesign to its dealers as an option.
“It is not a request or an expectation,” [Infiniti Americas Group Vice President Craig Keeys] emphasize. “We will move forward naturally based on the needs of the market.”
Keeys said about 10% of the brand’s 204 US retailers soon expressed interest in updating the new design. In the United States, the new design will debut in Los Angeles and Georgetown, Texas this month.
“I haven’t tasked my team with any digital goals” around network-wide rollout, says Keeys. “I want to give retailers the flexibility to make that decision.”
And so, only 10% of Infiniti dealers have merely expressed interest in adopting this new showroom design, not even committing to it, perhaps because they know it won’t. change a lot in terms of sales, because it’s exactly the same as window decoration.
As for all things Infiniti, it’s best not to think about it too long, lest you have to remember that there are 204 stores in the US trying to sell Infiniti. God bless them.
