Nissan to relocate Infiniti HQ to Hong Kong

NISSAN Motor Co has announced that its Infiniti division will be headquartered in Hong Kong from April next year, relocating from its current base at Atsugi in Japan to a new corporate facility that will see the luxury marque become the first global auto-maker based in the Chinese city-state.

The move comes after Nissan revealed its ‘Power 88’ five-year mid-term business plan in June, under which the Japanese auto giant intends to grow Infiniti from its 2010 sales level of 150,000 vehicles to 10 per cent global market share among luxury brand segments – a level that represents 500,000 vehicles, based on the current market.

The company, which is launching Infiniti in Australia in the second half of next year, is counting on significant demand in China and other fast-growing Asian markets, which in part has driven the decision to relocate Infiniti to Hong Kong as part of a new corporate entity known as Nissan Global Company Limited (NGL).

By the end of Nissan’s 2016 financial year, which ends March 31, 2017, the company plans to have Infiniti represented in more than 70 markets with a product range of at least 10 vehicles.

Nissan Motor Co executive vice-president and global head of Infiniti, Andy Palmer, said: “As Infiniti grows its presence in the global luxury markets of North America, Europe, China and South East Asia, we selected Hong Kong as the optimum location for our new global Infiniti headquarters.

“We see an opportunity to reinforce Asian hospitality within the Infiniti brand, distinct from both Nissan and our facing luxury competitors. We are proud to be the only auto-maker that will call Hong Kong home.”

Under the NGL structure, Nissan will also run its global marketing communications out of Hong Kong.

The company says that Hong Kong’s status as an international media centre makes it a “logical location for members of the global marketing communications team, particularly serving key markets across China, India and the ASEAN region”.

Details of the new office location in Hong Kong are still to be disclosed.

The corporate functions are expected to involve about 100 employees, who will complement the global headquarters operation in Yokohama, Japan.