Nissan previews new flagship Infiniti
Nissan previews new flagship Infiniti
By Russell Williamson
Nissan plans to take on Toyota's Crown and the Europeans in the large luxury car stakes when it launches its new flagship Infiniti next year.
Indomobil, the local importer and assembler of Nissan products, plans to introduce the I-30 Infiniti in about March next year and is displaying the car at the Jakarta Auto Expo, which starts today.
The front wheel drive 3000cc V6-powered luxury sedan is expected to be priced about Rp 150 million.
The chief executive officer for PT Wahana Wirawan, Christian Iskandar, said he hoped the price and specification of the vehicle would give it a chance to succeed in this competitive market.
"The competition in this segment is very tough and we have to compete with the European cars where the image is already high," Christian said.
"Maybe we can penetrate because of the price and specification," he said.
The Infiniti will be offered in Indonesia with a very high level of equipment befitting its status as the company's flagship.
Leather trim, power adjustable driver and passenger seats, power windows and mirrors, climate control air conditioning, remote central locking, cruise control, tilt-adjustable steering column and a six-speaker audio system with CD player are all likely to be standard equipment.
On the safety front, the car comes fitted with both driver and passenger air bags, antilock brakes and side impact protection.
The all-alloy engine is a DOHC 24-valve V6 unit which delivers a maximum power of 140kW at 5600rpm driving through a four-speed electronic automatic transmission.
The suspension is tuned for ride comfort more than sporting prowess and features independent MacPherson struts on the front and a multilink setup on the rear.
Rack and pinion speed sensitive power steering is standard as is antilock brakes on four wheel discs.
Also joining the Infiniti on Nissan's stand is a new model version of the sports utility Terrano.
The SLX is added to the SGX and SGX Limited models and offers a number of extra features.
The spare tire is now located inside the vehicle to help improve security, the side mirrors are now foldable and electrically adjustable from inside the car and the rear glass can be opened and is fitted with a rear washer wiper.
The sound system on the SLX has also been improved and incorporates six speakers.
All seats, including the rear, are fitted with safety belts.
The SLX Terrano will be priced at about Rp 75 million.
The third vehicle on display is the recently released Nissan Serena.
This 2000cc minibus is the first in its class to make it onto the Indonesian market and has proved to be a sales winner for the company.
Able to seat seven adults in comfort, the Serena brings together the large passenger capacity of other commercial-based vehicles with the drivability, comfort and safety of a passenger sedan.
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Nissan's medium-sized luxury flagship will go on sale in Indonesia next year.