Why is Infiniti called Dongfeng Infiniti?
3 Answers
The reason Infiniti is called Dongfeng Infiniti: Dongfeng Infiniti is a joint venture between Dongfeng Motor Corporation Limited and Japanese Infiniti. Since Infiniti's parent company Nissan has a joint venture with Dongfeng in China, it naturally follows that Infiniti also forms a joint venture with Dongfeng. Infiniti was born in North America in 1989, with its headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, and is classified as a Japanese car brand. With its unique and avant-garde design, excellent product performance, and customer experience-oriented service, it quickly became one of the important brands in the global luxury car market. The oval logo of Infiniti represents an infinitely extending road, with the elliptical curve symbolizing infinite expansion and also signifying "the world"; the two straight lines represent the path to the pinnacle, symbolizing endless development.
Do you know why Infiniti is called Dongfeng Infiniti in China? This is mainly because it formed a joint venture with Dongfeng Motor Corporation. As a brand under Japan's Nissan, Infiniti needed a local partner to produce and sell cars in China, since foreign automakers cannot manufacture vehicles independently under China's automotive policies. In the early years, Nissan chose to collaborate with Dongfeng, a major state-owned enterprise, to jointly establish factories and manage investments. This approach enables vehicle localization, reduces costs, and better adapts to Chinese road conditions and consumer demands. I recall that around 2014 when Dongfeng Infiniti was officially established, they launched models like the Q50L—a lengthened version with a great driving feel, well-suited for family use. This strategy isn't unique to Infiniti; BMW partnered with Brilliance, and Mercedes-Benz teamed up with BAIC, all following a similar playbook to ensure brand influence in the local market.
I went to a 4S store to check out cars recently, and the sales guy explained the origin of Dongfeng Infiniti to me. He said that Infiniti, Nissan's premium brand, needed a Chinese partner to sell cars here, and Dongfeng Motor became that big partner. This collaboration is quite normal—after the joint venture, car prices dropped, production became more efficient, and they even developed some special models locally, like hybrid versions tailored for urban traffic congestion. I think this policy is quite practical, as it helps imported brands become more accessible and speeds up services by eliminating the need to ship cars from abroad. Besides, similar arrangements exist with other automakers, like Audi and FAW, so naming it Infiniti this way isn't an exception—it's just how the market works.
