Next miracle

　　What is Infiniti’s goal for the next five years?

　　According to Dr. Kirchert, there are two. One, make Infiniti the most “intuitive” luxury vehicle brand. Two, become the 4th largest luxury vehicle producer in China.

　　If you have been paying attention to Infiniti, you would discover that in the past few months, the word “intuitive” has become Dr. Kirchert’s pet phrase, uttered almost wherever he goes. But what does “intuitive” mean exactly? Infiniti tells you: you need to feel it.

　　In 2014, Infiniti will launch a string of brand experience activities, including driving experience, social responsibility practice and a travel plan which is still in the pipeline. The 2014 Infiniti China Brand Festival that will take place on January 11 is one important component, through which Infiniti plans to display its new brand positioning and value system.

　　After defining its brand image, Infiniti needs to bring its sales volume beyond the 100,000 mark at 2018, meanwhile breaking out of the ranks of the second-tier luxury vehicle brands and seizing the 4th place in China’s luxury vehicle market. Infiniti has been preparing its products for its strike. It will bring Q50 to China this April and launch a compact crossover model with a price below 250,000 yuan.

　　“The biggest difference between Infiniti and the top 3 German automakers is, they were already successful before entering the China market, whereas Infiniti is still developing and needs to pass the China test before it can succeed.” Localized production is something Infiniti cannot get round in China. This year, two domestic models will undoubtedly become the biggest highlights among the company’s products. Even with the Q50’s head start, Infiniti is more partial to the Q50L which will be produced locally. After localized production begins, the number of the imported Q50s will drop.

　　The public is keenly interested in Infiniti’s sales model after localization. Dr. Kirchert emphasized that they would take advantage of their joint venture with Dongfeng Nissan, but they would remain entirely independent in brand management. He did not think it was the right time for making the details public yet. But as localized production was just around the corner, the mystery will be unraveled soon.

　　At BMW, Dr. Kirchert brought an already successful company to even more heights, while at Infiniti, he will turn a high potential stock into a blue chip from scratch. Both are remarkable feats. However, the latter is more challenging and would thus bring a stronger sense of accomplishment. “This is a great opportunity. We have a good brand, but not many people know it yet. We can work on it and create a miracle. Although there are challenges involved, we will get to do some very interesting things.” This is what Dr. Kirchert said when asked to look back on the past 8 months at Infiniti. Where will Infiniti, the company which turned itself around in China in 2013, rose to fame with the air of “Where are we going, Dad?”, and has been accelerating its pace with Dr. Kirchert at the helm, create its next miracle? What kind of a dream will Dr. Kirchert make for this young brand who faces both opportunities and challenges? We will wait and see.