Infiniti Has A New Logo, Showrooms, And Lots Of Disgruntled Dealers

Infiniti, which is the luxury division of Nissan, which is a Japanese automaker perhaps best known in the States for the Sentra, Altima, or Rogue, unveiled a new logo on Thursday, their fourth in over three decades of existence. You’ll be forgiven for not detecting major differences, because in the center is still the “infinite road,” surrounded by the horizon. Infiniti also said that they want their showrooms to look like Apple stores now, or something, though dealers that Automotive News spoke with seemed pretty irritated with the whole exercise, instead demanding better product first.

Here are Infiniti’s four logos through history, via Infiniti. The latest is on the right.

Photo: Infiniti

If anything, the newest seems to be a reincarnation of the first (and still best), though it’s probably illegal for anyone to say that, given how much money, meetings, and manpower that likely went into it. It will materially affect absolutely nothing in any case, though the updated dealer showrooms have a slightly better chance. Infiniti describes the new showroom design as minimalist, though not Western minimalist, which might be a contradiction of terms. From Infiniti’s press release:

The overarching design embodies the Japanese concept of “Ma,” a philosophy that considers the space between things. Unlike the Western construct of minimalism, Ma embraces empty space in an additive capacity — to ensure balance between all elements.

The exterior façade features a distinctive deep eave along the roofline that purposefully creates shadow and controls direct sunlight into the showroom. Inside, the showroom has been reimagined to enhance the feeling of spaciousness and support a seamless journey for the customer.

“We tasked our talented design team with creating a refreshed retail environment that reflects a new era for INFINITI,” said Sam Xin, global divisional general manager, INFINITI Brand. “The result is a bright, welcoming space where customers can experience thoughtful hospitality when engaging and interacting with our brand”

If pictures are more your speed:

Photo: Infiniti

That is certainly a good-looking dealership, you have to say, even if the cars inside of it remain Infinitis. These are also all sensible updates in the world of Tesla, Lucid, Volvo, and other brands that seek to dispense with the idea of dealerships altogether in favor of “studios,” or some such, which are rooms where they tempt you into buying a car, not dissimilar to the old rooms.

Regardless, the core problem remains that these are Infinitis that the dealers are trying to sell, and there hasn’t been an Infiniti worth thinking about since the second Bush administration. Auto News talked to Auto News’s core constituency, which are dealers, who are disgruntled:

“Without a solid product plan for the next five years to provide the proper return on investment, I wouldn’t even consider investing,” said one dealer who requested not to be identified.

The lack of fresh product has put Infiniti into a multiyear slump. Last year, the brand reported 46,619 U.S. sales, its lowest since 1992, according to Automotive News Research & Data Center.

Another retailer also said he’s unlikely to pull the trigger on a store upgrade until he sees a “product cadence that is true and believable — not just promises.”

And yet it gets darker:

Anticipating the pushback, Infiniti is pitching the redesign to its dealers as optional.

“It’s not a requirement or an expectation,” [Infiniti Americas Group Vice President Craig Keeys] emphasized. “We’ll move forward organically based on market need.”

Keeys said about 10 percent of the brand’s 204 U.S. retailers had expressed early interest in updating to the new design. In the U.S., the new design debuts in Los Angeles and Georgetown, Texas, this month.

“I have not tasked my team with any numerical objectives” around a networkwide rollout, Keeys said. “I want to allow the retailers the flexibility to make that decision.”

And so just 10 percent of Infiniti dealers have merely expressed interest in adopting this new showroom design, not even committed to doing it, probably because they know that it won’t change much in terms of sales, because it is quite literally window dressing.

As with everything Infiniti, it’s best not to think about it for too long, lest you have to remember that there are 204 stores in the U.S. trying to sell Infinitis. God bless them.