In an exclusive interview with Arab News Juergen Schmitz, general manager Infiniti in the Middle East, said the company has added another dealer in Saudi Arabia in order to enhance performance in that market.

He emphasized that Infiniti brand is a “seductive alternative” to the established premium brands such as German companies and Lexus.

He confirms that the company has 26 sales points in the region of which nine are exclusive Infiniti outlets.

By 2016, the company wants all 26 showrooms to be exclusively for Infiniti in order to give customers the “Infiniti experience”.

These are the highlights of the interview which took place in Monaco:

Can you please outline your performance in 2013 and the rate of growth Infiniti has achieved in the region?

Fiscal year 2013 which ended on March 31, was quite successful for us. We ended up with close to 6,000 cars sold, which is 19 percent more than the previous year. What is more important is that we outsold growth of the market. We grew more than the rate of growth of the market, which is an important benchmark and it means we have taken shares away from others. We are quite satisfied with these results.

What are your plans for 2014 in terms of new launches, hopes for further growth?

We want to make use of the growth of the markets in the Middle East and obviously we want further growth. During this current fiscal year which started a few weeks ago, we are planning to increase our market share from five to six percent. We are going to achieve this by launching the all-new Q50 in the region — and it is now available everywhere in all the markets. It is a fantastic car with lots of new technologies and it is the first that has high performance hybrid engine with more than 350 BHP. Another pillar in our strategy is the appointment of another partner in Saudi Arabia which is Al-Ghassan Motors and we have opened the first Infiniti-branded dealership in Jeddah. We will also open two more of these dedicated dealerships in Riyadh and Al-Khobar between now and the end of the fiscal year. We have given out promise to customers in Saudi Arabia that they will get the full service, the full parts’ availability and everything they should expect from a premium brand.

How important is the Saudi market in you overall plan for the region?

It is very important because it is the second largest market for premium brands (after the UAE). We have sold a lot of cars there and we want to serve the customers we have already. It is a very important market for our strategy for this year and also for the medium term.

Do you think there is more potential for growth in the Saudi market?

Our performance for Infiniti in Saudi Arabia is not the best. Our market share is below expectations. But we want that to get better with all the products available and the addition of another dealership which we have added to our historical partner, Al-Hamrani. We have also appointed Al-Ghassan Motors because of their good track record in selling luxury cars. This effort is directed at getting the best potential out of the Saudi market.

What is the total number of your dealerships in the region and did they develop last year?

We currently have 26 sales points in the whole of the Middle East. The quantity of dealerships in the region is OK. Yet, it is more about quality. We want to have more exclusive Infiniti showrooms in order to focus on the brand and give the customers the Infiniti experience. We already have nine of these 26 as exclusive Infiniti dealerships and this year we will add five to six more. We want all the 26 dealerships to be exclusive by 2016. The exclusive dealerships at the moment are in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.

What are your best-selling models in the region?

Our best-selling model is the QX60 of which we sold 1500 cars and the second best was the QX70 followed by the QX80. So about 75 percent of our sales is in the SUV segment. The Q50 is likely to increase our share of the sedan segment too.

How did your association with Formula-1 affect your business in the region in terms of brand awareness and raising your profile? Have you noticed any difference?

A lot. Awareness of Formula-1 in the region has increased and so also was the awareness of the Infiniti brand. Of course it is not only Formula-1 but many other factors too. After the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix we put some customers and prospects in the car with Sebastian Vettel and let him drive them around so they get an idea about what Infiniti cars are all about and what it is like to drive with a formula-1 driver and what you can do with Infiniti cars.

What is the profile of your target prospects for Infiniti cars?

I think we are a seductive alternative to the established premium brands. So in the region we want to be an alternative to the Germans and also to Lexus. So, we are targeting these customers who are currently driving one of these brands. We also add focus on performance and design. Customers in the region tend to be younger than in Europe, for example.

From your own experience, what are the main peculiar characteristics of the regional markets compared to other markets?

Customers in the region are ready to deal on the spot and they are a little less patient than Europeans who take up to three months to decide on a car. The market is getting more mature and the customers are now better informed and they ask questions — which is good for us.