Infiniti arrives in Europe

Nissan's luxury car brand Infiniti has been launched in Europe, 20 years after its American inception.

Originally launched as Nissan's answer to Toyota's luxury Lexus brand in the USA, Infiniti was felt to be too American for European tastes.

However, Nissan's relationship with French manufacturer Renault spurred Nissan to consider the launch.

And now, at the Geneva Motor Show, the brand has finally made its debut.

"After a 20-year journey, we believe Infiniti is ready for Europe," said Renault-Nissan president, Carlos Ghosn.

It is hoped the brand will appeal to customers who are confident in their own taste and who don't follow the crowd - "a self-selecting minority" as the company likes to call the demographic.

The concept behind Infiniti, explained Mr Ghosn, is modern Japanese luxury - seeking beauty in simplicity.

Infiniti will launch with a four-model, all rear-drive range, with most of the volume coming from the G37 saloon and coupe, plus the EX37 coupe-SUV crossover.

All these three will initially be powered by the same 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine, with diesels and hybrids to follow in 2010.

The fourth model was unveiled at the event - the flagship FX50 - a larger SUV powered by a five-litre, 32v V8 engine developing 390bhp and 500nM of torque.

At launch, there will be 25 centres in 15 cities across Europe, with plans for around 80 by 2015.