The Japanese company said it will create Infiniti Centres in each of the three major east coast capitals of the country in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. The initial lineup will include the FX sport crossover, G37 hardtop convertible and coupe, and the M luxury sedan.
"As part of Infiniti's worldwide expansion, Australia is a mandatory next step for the luxury brand," said Dan Thompson CEO, Infiniti Cars Australia. "In a little more than a year, the promise of luxury vehicles with a unique combination of inspired performance, attentive hospitality and unparalleled quality will become a reality for the Australian market.”
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Don't let the Nissan 350Z snout and the Infiniti G35 Coupe (JDM Nissan Skyline V35) rear end design fool you; the glitzy painted roadster model you're gawking at is in fact a JDM Mitsubishi Eclipse Spider - possibly a third generation model. But before you try to digest all that info let us quickly add that Paint Star's Tokyo Auto Salon project car also hides a Subaru-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine under its 350Z-shaped hood. See the rest of the photos in our image gallery after the break.
The G37 Convertible is offered with standard leather seats, and is available with a Bose Open Air Sound System, front seat Personal Speakers, climate-controlled front seats and an adaptive climate control system that adjusts fan speed in accordance to top position and vehicle speed.
In the U.S, the G37 Convertible will compete against the likes of the BMW 335i Convertible that comes with a 300HP (US.-Spec) turbocharged inline six and is priced from $50,700 (alternatively, there's the much less powerful 328i C with 230HP that costs $44,550) and the also new, $43,940 Lexus IS 350C that's powered by a 306HP 3.5-liter V6.
The new M sedan will be offered with Nissan's new 3.7-liter V6 gasoline engine as well as a V8 variant but most importantly, Infiniti is said to be readying a V6 diesel-powered and a hybrid-gasoline version of the car.
Next up will be the QX large-SUV replacement, expected to be introduced in 2011. It will be followed in 2012 by the new G sedan plus the firm's first Mercedes-Benz S-Class competitor since the demise of the Q45 back in 2006.
The report goes on to say that Infiniti is also having thoughts of developing a battery-powered subcompact model -something in the likes of the BMW 1 Series and VW Golf, but this plan has not yet received the green light.
Unfortunately, there's no word on any sportier version or more interestingly, a possible production version of the Essence GT Coupe that premiered in Geneva earlier this month.
Other than that, Sport Package is now available on the all-wheel drive models and a Navigation Package now joins Premium Package as standard on the Sport 6MT models, while Infiniti has also added a Limited Edition trim level to the Convertible range, with more content and unique Monaco Red leather-appointed interior.
Prices - not including destination and handling fees -for the coupe start from $36,200 (an increase of $150 over the 2010MY) and for the convertible from $44,500.
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