Infiniti in the UK - Introduction

Infiniti is Nissan's upmarket brand and is already sold in Japan, the US and other markets around the world.

Nissan has been looking at bringing it to the UK for some time but two hurdles stand in its way – the lack of a decent diesel engine and any kind of sales network.

Development of the diesel is well under way and on track, but the sales network is proving to be a tougher nut to crack and has pushed back launch from 2008 to, Nissan hopes, some time before the end of the decade.

European product planning boss Pierre Loing says the dealership problem is 'huge', and has looked at a number of options. At one point the company was looking at having a sales network entirely based on the internet, but the idea was scrapped.

Loing now seems most hopeful of establishing a small network of showrooms, distinct from Nissan sales floors, in a handful of locations around the UK.

Once the company's worked out how to sell and service its models, Infiniti will launch in the UK. The Fuga (known as the M35 and M45 in the US) will be the first product to launch. Its ambitions? To crack a tough bunch of German brands – the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class – and Japanese rival the Lexus GS.

Read on through our preview to get our initial impressions.