Infiniti Design San Diego joins Global Design Network

Addition marks the fourth global Infiniti Design Studio

SAN DIEGO -- Sept. 21, 2015: Infiniti today announced that Infiniti Design San Diego (IDSD), the fourth dedicated studio in Infiniti’s global design network, is up and running.

“With the addition of Infiniti Design San Diego, we now have Infiniti-dedicated design professionals in three leading premium brand markets – North America, Europe and China – as well as the design home base in Japan”

The San Diego studio completes the company’s global initiative to create dedicated design studios for Infiniti to distill the essence and reinforce the distinctiveness of Infiniti design. Infiniti design, headquartered at the Global Design Center in Atsugi, Japan, also has studios in London and Beijing.

Infiniti Design San Diego shares infrastructure with Nissan Design America (NDA), where the studio is located. While design support resources such as clay and digital modeling are also shared, creative work is done in the space exclusively reserved and appointed for the independent Infiniti team.

“With the addition of Infiniti Design San Diego, we now have Infiniti-dedicated design professionals in three leading premium brand markets – North America, Europe and China – as well as the design home base in Japan,” said Shiro Nakamura, chief creative officer and senior vice president, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “North America, as Infiniti’s original launch market, has always played a critical role in the brand’s success. The new studio strengthens our ability both locally and globally as we prepare for Infiniti’s expanding model lineup in the second half of the decade.”

Led by Infiniti Executive Design Director Alfonso Albaisa, who spent many years at NDA prior to assignments in London and Atsugi, Infiniti Design takes a highly collaborative approach in the creation of production and advanced concept vehicles, with all four global studios contributing to exterior and interior design assignments.

“From north to south, California is a vibrant place – a hub for high tech, biomedical research, the arts and dare I say simply living life in a beautiful and inspired environment,” said Albaisa. “Additionally, Southern California has one foot rooted in car culture history and the other running forward to what dreams will form our future. It is these deep realities that make it an ideal location for Infiniti Design. The location, the wonderful studio itself and the empowerment and inspiration of the management culture have allowed us to hire and retain the best of the best.”

Infiniti has revealed an aggressive new product portfolio expansion based on a series of acclaimed concept cars that had been introduced in the last two years: Q30 Concept, Q60 Concept and QX30 Concept. The Q30 production version was debuted at the Frankfurt Motor show last week, and goes on sale in Europe towards the end of the year with other markets, including North America, following in mid-2016. The all-new Infiniti Q30 marks Infiniti’s first-ever global entry into the compact segment.