Report: Infiniti to “de-Americanize” lineup by introducing more global and fuel-efficient engine options

Infiniti is tightening their aim on the mass market luxury competition. And to do so, Infiniti’s current president, Johan de Nysschen, has claimed to have a desire to “de-Americanize” their lineup. What does this mean? Well, Infiniti started life as an American brand spawned off of Nissan to cater to America’s demand for luxury sports cars. It was only recently did Infiniti begin expanding their sales into European markets to significant extents.

Though, what de Nysschen was referring to, as an example, was the fact that majority of Infiniti’s entry-level models are offered with Nissan’s ubiquitous 3.7L VQ V6 good for 328hp, which was great to cater to America’s lust for powerful and big motors. The single base engine option is perceived as an inhibitor for European sales since the continent has far more stringent fuel economy and environmental mandates than we do.

That said, thanks to Infiniti’s alliance with Mercedes-Benz, the automaker can offer smaller and more fuel-efficient power plants. Other moves include introducing more hybrid powertrains and models, such as a production version of the Infiniti Emerg-E concept.

Source: WardsAuto via MotorAuthority