Infiniti Sales Data, Trends & Analysis for the European Automotive Market
Infiniti European sales have remained marginal, even compared to Lexus, who have been trying to crack the European premium market for decades with not much success. This is the territory of the German Big Three Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, who don’t leave a lot of room for players outside the continent. At least Infiniti can say they have outsold Cadillac every year since 2009.
Before its official launch in Europe, Infiniti’s best selling model by grey importers was traditionally the FX large SUV, renamed QX70 in 2013, with its striking design. The EX SUV, renamed QX50 and the Infiniti M sedan, renamed Q70, are much less successful, despite diesel and hybrid powertrain options for the Q70.
The Infiniti G, the brand’s best selling model in the United States, has been unable to compete against the BMW 3-series, Mercedes-Benz C-class and Audi A4 in Europe. The introduction of the new generation, renamed Q50, at the end of 2013 has given the brand a boost as it topped 3.000 units in 2015. This is a good looking, great driving sedan, and also available with a diesel engine (supplied by Mercedes-Benz) and a hybrid powertrain, which make it more successful than the previous generation. But if it will be successful enough in the long term to establish Infiniti as a serious contender in the European premium automobile market? That is a totally different ballgame, on at which many have failed before.
But the brand is dedicated to the continent, and in 2016 it introduced a compact premium hatchback to compete with the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz A-Class and BMW 1-series, called the Q30 which was followed by a luxury compact crossover to compete with the BMW X1, Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, on which platform it is based. Both the Q30 and this QX30 (which are basically the same car, but with different ground clearance) are produced in the UK, in Nissan’s factory where the successful Qashqai is built. Although they’ve taken the brand to unprecedented levels, especially the crossover version is failing horribly. After more than doubling Infiniti sales in 2016, volume stabilized in 2017 and started to collapse in 2018. The next few years will be crucial to see if the brand can break through as it continues to bring fresh products, starting with the Q60 coupe, which is more of an image builder than a volume model, and the redesigned QX50.
A full electric car, based on the Nissan Leaf, had been planned but was postponed as Infiniti wants to dedicate its limited resources to first develop high-volume mainstream models.
Infiniti Europe Sales Figures & Recent Highlights
Infiniti Europe sales figures have been declining in recent years. In 2020, Infiniti sold 10,000 cars in Europe. In 2021, Infiniti sales in Europe fell to 5,000 cars. And in 2022, Infiniti sales in Europe fell further to 2,000 cars. Despite the decline in sales, Infiniti still has a loyal following in Europe. The company’s cars are known for their luxury and performance.
The Q50 and Q70 are popular sedans that were discontinued in Europe in 2022. The discontinuation of these models was a major blow to Infiniti’s sales in Europe. The QX Inspiration Concept is a preview of an upcoming electric SUV that Infiniti plans to launch in Europe. Infiniti has partnered with Mercedes-Benz to develop electric vehicles. This partnership could help Infiniti to compete in the growing electric vehicle market in Europe.
In 2022, Infiniti announced that it would invest €200 million in electric vehicles and battery production in Europe. Infiniti also announced that it would launch two new electric vehicles in Europe in 2023, the QX Inspiration and QX50. Infiniti is also working to expand its dealer network in Europe. The company plans to open 10 new dealerships in Europe by 2025.
Infiniti Annual Sales, Growth and Market Share in Europe
Below we have a table that shows total Infiniti sales volumes for the European automotive market, broken out by year. This data captures all Infiniti vehicle sales for the entire European automotive market.
| Year | Sales | YOY Change | US Marketshare | Marketshare Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 68 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2004 | 277 | 307.35 | 0.00 | 72.75 |
| 2005 | 530 | 91.34 | 0.00 | 47.76 |
| 2006 | 337 | -36.42 | 0.00 | -55.54 |
| 2007 | 190 | -43.62 | 0.00 | -77.78 |
| 2008 | 434 | 128.42 | 0.00 | 59.18 |
| 2009 | 1,306 | 200.92 | 0.01 | 66.05 |
| 2010 | 2,364 | 81.01 | 0.02 | 46.92 |
| 2011 | 3,660 | 54.82 | 0.03 | 35.74 |
| 2012 | 2,979 | -18.61 | 0.03 | -10.70 |
| 2013 | 2,162 | -27.43 | 0.02 | -37.74 |
| 2014 | 3,803 | 75.90 | 0.03 | 39.55 |
| 2015 | 5,279 | 38.81 | 0.04 | 22.92 |
| 2016 | 13,659 | 158.74 | 0.10 | 58.49 |
| 2017 | 12,056 | -11.74 | 0.08 | -18.72 |
| 2018 | 5,874 | -51.28 | 0.04 | -102.61 |
| 2019 | 2,666 | -54.61 | 0.02 | -126.83 |
| 2020 | 322 | -87.92 | 0.00 | -529.63 |
| 2021 | 0 | -100.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Infiniti Europe Annual Sales Units & Growth Chart
Below is a visual representation of Infiniti Europe sales units over time. We have both the Infiniti sales units and the market share in the European market. Click on the items in the legend to see each series by itself.
Infiniti Europe Growth Rate & Market Share Chart
Below is the annual growth rate for the Infiniti brand in Europe, shown against the Infiniti’s marketshare changes in Europe. This gives you a good look into how Infiniti has faired against the other brands in terms of absolute sales and effect on marketshare. Click on the items in the legend to see each series by itself.
The Best-Selling Infiniti Cars & SUVs in Europe
COMING SOON
Sources: Manufacturers, ANDC, JATO Dynamics.
