Infiniti Opens Up New North West Passage

ROLLE, SWITZERLAND – Sept 29, 2011: Infiniti’s UK foundations have been reinforced with the opening of the country’s fifth Infiniti Centre, in a crucial area for the brand at the heart of England’s North West.

Located in Stockport, the Centre serves Greater Manchester and surrounding counties, with towns such as Altrincham, Alderley Edge, Wilmslow, Buxton, Knutsford and Worsley expected to prove important markets for the performance luxury brand from Japan as it embarks on a growth phase with the target of taking one in 10 luxury car sales by 2016.

“The Centre is in a fantastic location at the heart of a strong Infiniti demographic audience,” said Richard Braithwaite, Centre Manager. “We have already sold our first car – to an ardent Lexus driver.”

Infiniti Centre Stockport is on Bailey Road in Portwood, less than 100 metres from the M60 Stockport interchange with its easy links to all motorways within the North West region (including M6, M56, M61, M62, and M67). The sat nav address is: SK1 2BT.

Purpose-built on the two-acre site, Infiniti Centre Stockport meets and exceeds all requirements of Infiniti’s worldwide standard for Infiniti Centre design and construction. Light, space, natural materials and contemporary design come together to offer a welcoming tranquility at odds with the feeling in mere car showrooms. The Centre reflects both the quality and elegance of the cars and the unsurpassed level of customer care of which every visitor is assured. As with all Infiniti Centres, staff at Stockport have been hand-picked for their passion for customer service.

Richard Braithwaite, a senior manager with Nissan dealerships in the region for the past 15 years and fresh from launching the electric Nissan Leaf to the North West of England, added: “I have followed the progress of Infiniti in Europe, and seen the momentum build. Now, to be part of it, with a fantastic new building and an elite and dedicated team is hugely exciting. We have a lot of work to do but I know the North West and I know Infiniti can do well here.”

Areas covered by Infiniti Centre Stockport are Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, North Wales, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cumbria, further extending Infiniti’s reach across the UK. Infiniti offers the unique customer service pledge of free car pick-up and delivery within a 150 mile radius.

The Centre is operated by Infiniti retail partner Mana Premiere Automobiles Ltd (MPA) which also runs Infiniti Centres Birmingham and Glasgow and has Infiniti Centre Leeds nearing completion. MPA is looking to have around eight Infiniti Centres in the UK by the end of 2013.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of the Saleh Alhamad Al Mana Co in Qatar, MPA is headed up by Operations Director and Chief Operating Officer Lisa Ford. A former Market Area Retail Director for Mercedes-Benz and General Manager with HR Owen, Lisa comes to Infiniti with 10 years’ management experience of luxury automotive brands in the UK.

The Stockport opening corresponds with the UK launch of the latest Infiniti, the cleanest as well as fastest model in the range, the M35h. Using new-generation hybrid technology, the M35h offers the first no-compromise petrol/electric combination as shown by its CO2 emissions of 162g/km and (combined) fuel consumption of 40.4mpg – from a large 155mph four-door saloon that can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 5.5 seconds.

The M37 and M30d, offering performance and luxury with V6 petrol or V6 diesel engines, join the M35h to form what is currently the only three-way engine choice in the executive saloon class in Europe.

In Stockport the new M range sits alongside the G37 line-up of Saloon, Coupé and Convertible with electrically retractable hard-top; the trend-setting coupé crossover EX; and, Infiniti’s flagship as well as its top seller in some markets, the FX crossover which in potent V8 FX50S form is the preferred personal transport of a certain Sebastian Vettel.

According to Infiniti’s growth plan for 2016, laid out by Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn, key European markets such as the UK will feature around 40 Infiniti Centres in six years’ time. This expansion will go hand in hand with an increasing model range – to include a new compact luxury car and an all-electric model – with the aim of taking 10 per cent of luxury car sectors by 2016.