Infiniti

Nissan established its Infiniti offshoot in 1989, as part of a decade in which Japanese manufacturers decided to take on US and European luxury brands. As with Acura (Honda) and Lexus (Toyota), Infinitis were based on platforms of mainstream models but embellished with more premium materials and more advanced technology. Infiniti’s first car, the Q45, featured four-wheel steering and active suspension, though was a slow seller initially. The M30 coupe came next, with the QX4 of the mid-’90s establishing itself as the first luxury 4WD not to be built by either Jeep or Land Rover. After a period of uncertainly surrounding the brand around the turn of the 21st century, Infiniti revitilised its fortunes with a new model range – starting with the G35 – and by 2003 was America’s fastest-growing luxury car brand. Infiniti expanded beyond the US, and entered the Australian market in 2011. A model-renaming structure was announced in 2012, with the Q badge applied to passenger cars and the QX badge to SUVs.