Source | Yuan Auto

There exists a Japanese luxury car brand that, despite not introducing a new model in the Chinese market for over two years, still makes a point of participating in at least one major domestic auto show annually (such as the Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou Auto Shows) to maintain its visibility. Although its monthly sales have fluctuated between a few dozen and 300 units over the past two years, both the brand and its dealers remain steadfast.

This brand is Dongfeng Infiniti.

If there were an award for the most patient automaker in the industry, Dongfeng Infiniti would undoubtedly be a strong candidate. Even disregarding its prolonged sluggish sales and the extended hiatus in model updates, Infiniti currently lacks any pure electric or plug-in hybrid models on a global scale. It's as if Dongfeng Infiniti is engaged in fierce global competition, yet its home base has failed to provide any support.

Dongfeng Infiniti has managed to hold on for an extended period, but recently, signs of strain have begun to surface.

On July 29, Yuan Auto learned from social media that a batch of heavily discounted Dongfeng Infiniti inventory vehicles has recently entered the secondary dealer market. Most of these models are the second-highest trim version of the Infiniti QX60, with a listed price of 478,800 yuan and a production date in late 2025. After factoring in trade-in subsidies and other incentives, the price can drop below 278,800 yuan. Previously, an Infiniti 4S store in Beijing had also offered similar deals to consumers.

It's clear that while Dongfeng Infiniti can maintain its composure, its dealers are nearing their breaking point.

01 Cooking Without Ingredients

As a luxury brand under Nissan, Infiniti made its official debut in the Chinese mainland market in 2007. In 2012, Nissan China transferred Infiniti's mainland operations to Dongfeng Nissan, and two years later, Dongfeng Infiniti was formally established. In its early days under Dongfeng Nissan's leadership, Infiniti's popularity soared, thanks in part to its sponsorship of the popular variety show 'Where Are We Going, Dad?', laying the groundwork for its subsequent localization and production by Dongfeng Nissan.

Data indicates that since the localization of its first model, the QX50, in 2014, Dongfeng Infiniti has been a key growth driver for Dongfeng Nissan, with average selling prices consistently above 300,000 yuan and annual sales exceeding 40,000 units for several years, contributing billions of yuan in revenue to Dongfeng Nissan each year.

Dongfeng Infiniti's success also inspired Honda to localize Acura under GAC Acura in 2016, and even Toyota's Lexus, which had never been concerned about sales, occasionally circulated rumors of localization. More than a decade has passed, and now Honda Acura has exited the Chinese market for over three years, while Lexus has abandoned its long-standing fully imported status and is set to commence wholly-owned local production in 2027.

Focusing on Dongfeng Infiniti, amid the rapid electrification transformation in the domestic auto market, it has begun to retreat due to the absence of electrified new vehicle support.

Take production capacity as an example. As the sole factory capable of producing Dongfeng Infiniti models, Dongfeng Nissan's Xiangyang plant has shifted its focus to models such as the seventh-generation Nissan Altima and Nissan Pathfinder. Additionally, Dongfeng Group has officially announced plans to transform this factory into a production base for Dongfeng Mengshi.

This implies that after selling off inventory models like the Infiniti QX60, Dongfeng Infiniti may face a product gap. Reports suggest that Dongfeng Infiniti's dealers will transition to selling fully imported models, such as the QX80, a mainstay in the North American market, and the QX65, which just went on sale in North America in 2026.

It's worth noting that both of these new models are pure gasoline-powered SUVs with relatively high positioning. The QX80 is expected to be a million-yuan-class SUV, while the QX65's pricing is estimated to be no less than 350,000 yuan.

Against the backdrop of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi's gasoline vehicles beginning to lose market share in the segment above 350,000 yuan, Dongfeng Infiniti's alternative path appears unreliable. For reference, the Mercedes-Benz GLC and Audi Q5L, both benchmarks in the 350,000-yuan-class gasoline SUV market, saw cumulative sales declines of over 20% in the first half of this year.

02 Why Not Leverage the Infiniti Brand for Dongfeng Nissan's New Models?

From Dongfeng Nissan's perspective, it's understandable that it would want to hold onto Dongfeng Infiniti, its 'prized asset,' even without new models to sell. After all, unlike GAC Acura, which was merely a business unit within GAC Honda, Dongfeng Infiniti is a fully independent subsidiary, and the cost and impact of exiting would be substantial.

Moreover, Dongfeng Nissan has demonstrated a stronger transformation momentum compared to most other joint-venture automakers. Announcing Dongfeng Infiniti's exit from the Chinese market at this juncture would be counterproductive.

In this context, leveraging the Infiniti brand to help Dongfeng Nissan's localized new energy vehicles re-enter the market above 200,000 yuan could be a viable option.

After launching the Nissan N7, its first new energy vehicle with monthly sales exceeding 10,000 units, based on technology from its Chinese joint-venture partner last year, Dongfeng Nissan followed up this year with the higher-positioned Nissan NX8. In terms of product strength, the Nissan NX8 continues the approach of the Nissan N7, heavily incorporating technologies and solutions from its Chinese joint-venture partner and domestic intelligent suppliers, while offering even more abundant configurations.

The Nissan NX8's configuration sheet, which rivals that of Chinese brand competitors in the same price range, has helped its sales climb steadily. According to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers and the China Passenger Car Association, since its launch in April this year, the Nissan NX8's sales have increased month by month, with the latest June sales reaching 5,398 units, making it Dongfeng Nissan's second-best-selling model that month, second only to the 100,000-yuan-class Nissan Sylphy.

However, a challenge arises: the Nissan NX8, which is fully equipped with features such as LiDAR and 'refrigerator, TV, and large sofa,' has a maximum listed price of just 209,900 yuan. This means that if Dongfeng Nissan wants to further penetrate the market above 200,000 yuan, it will require not only rich configurations but also brand strength. This is precisely where joint-venture brands currently find themselves in an awkward position in the electrification era.

Referring to Japanese joint-venture peer GAC Toyota, which also launched the blockbuster bZ4X based on technology from its Chinese joint-venture partner in 2025 and then created a 200,000-yuan-class pure electric sedan, the bZ3, using a similar logic, the market performance of the bZ3 was far inferior to that of the bZ4X, with sales beginning to decline in the second month after its launch.

Behind this may lie the factor that Toyota's brand strength in the new energy vehicle market is insufficient to support products in the 200,000-yuan class. According to a survey by the renowned automotive industry consulting firm J.D. Power, in the first half of 2026, Toyota ranked 27th in the list of net recommendation values for new energy vehicle brands, lower than peers such as Geely Galaxy and XPENG, which primarily sell 150,000-yuan-class new energy vehicles.

In contrast, Dongfeng Nissan fares slightly better than Toyota, ranking 13th on the list, just below Great Wall WEY and slightly above Zeekr. However, selling a new energy vehicle priced above 200,000 yuan would still pose a significant challenge for Dongfeng Nissan.

At this juncture, if the new model could bear the Infiniti badge, the situation would be entirely different.

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