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After a lengthy gestation period since it first arrived in the UK in 2008, Japanese premium brand Infiniti claims it is now ready to seriously approach the corporate marketplace.
A closer collaboration with sibling brands Renault and Nissan, increased numbers of demonstrator vehicles and more cohesive communication with decision-makers and RV setters are all coming together alongside more business-relevant product to give Infiniti a shot at a foothold in the UK.
"We're at the point in the UK where things are a bit more formalised. We've had different challenges to overcome and we're getting geared up to doing more fleet business," Infiniti northern Europe director Steve Oliver told BusinessCar. "With the RV setters, while we can't answer all their questions, they can see the progress we are making in these areas and fixing things." He quoted an example of a leasing company that cut the Q50 SMR cost by £1,000 once Infiniti had presented its product information in the format the lease firm wanted.
The firm has also "dramatically" increased the number of demonstrator cars it has on offer.
"The basics of not having the demo fleet we needed has held us back," said Oliver. "At this stage of our development it's not just about having a great-looking car so we can relax: we've focused on building a more robust national sales company in the UK to enable and facilitate the car to sell at the sort of levels we need to."
There will also be an additional fleet person going into the UK team, working with northern Europe fleet sales manager Hannah Bishop.
Infiniti's catalyst has in part been the new 129g/km 2.2-litre diesel engine for the upper medium Q50 model, with the same engine going into the executive saloon Q70 early next year, before the big arrival of what Oliver called the "game-changer" in the form of the UK-built lower medium Q30 before the end of 2015.
A closer tie-up with Renault and Nissan will also help the brand. "With leasing companies there are only a certain number of windows for ride-and-drive events, but when we need to move quickly we can talk to Renault or Nissan," Oliver explained. "For them it adds more interest and breadth without a hint of conflict. There's no rivalry."
He said more formal cooperation will take place, with Infinitis offered as part of joint deals by field sales teams for the partner alliance brands: "They can open doors for us, they have all sorts of discussions covering all parts of the market, and it's great for them to have the option of offering senior management cars that they can't do from their range."
Changes to the way the company operates financially have also allowed dealers to stock a wider range of colour and specification in their demo cars.
"There are things that have been slower than we would have liked, but we're on an upward curve now and have a real sense of purpose," concluded Oliver.
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