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Automakers tap design to remain refreshing
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CHINA, a young auto market with young buyers driving new car sales, is prompting carmakers to be passionate and even radical about design for their models so that they are seen being forever refreshing.
To that end, Japanese carmaker Nissan is one of the few that has its work cut out. Its namesake brand is picking up a more expressive design language to change its disposition of being calm and collected. On the other hand, its luxury brand Infiniti, known for edgy styling, is still searching for a richer brand connotation.
At the Auto China 2016 show in Beijing, Nissan presented three sporty-looking cars to strengthen its Young Nissan strategy: the new Tiida hatchback and Lannia compact sedan both featuring the brand’s dynamic V-Motion family face and streamlined body, as well as the Cima full-size sedan built with the brand’s latest emotional geometry sculpting concept. They represent a far cry from the day when Nissan was synonymous with the Teana executive sedan in China for prudent businessmen.
Shiro Nakamura, chief creative officer of Nissan Motor Co, said design is a more cost-effective way to transform a brand compared with engineering that entails massive investments in research and development. But designers are not saviors. Their work is largely confined to carmakers’ existing technical platforms, which for example decide cars’ proportion.
Infiniti came out in 1989 as a young premium brand with no historical burden, but an urge to make design its key differential point as a latecomer. Its QX Sport Inspiration concept car, which made its global debut at the auto show, is the elevation of the brand’s longtime aesthetics of conflicting messages — being powerful and yet elegant, which is deep in the Japanese character.
Following its marketing offensive on TV reality shows since late 2013, the brand’s expressive and emotional nature has become well known to attract equally out-going buyers in China at a double-digit growth rate.
But charismatic design alone has not yet become a clear social identity for Infiniti in the country. In the latest consumer survey of China’s top-nine selling premium brands by Hurun Research Institute, a long-term observer of Chinese luxurious lifestyle, Infiniti is the only one with a relatively vague customer profile in terms of professions or characters for potential buyers to relate to.
“What it means to drive an Infiniti is a question we need to work on more,” said Nakamura.
Infiniti will launch a product offensive in China this year to unveil the new active crossover QX30, the 2016 premium sedan Q50L and the new full-size sport utility vehicle QX80. By comparison, expectations toward the brand are relatively modest.
“We want to be seen as an alternative and challenger for customers who want to pursue their individuality and style. We believe there is a large part of potential customers who are willing to do so,” said Roland Krueger, president of Infiniti.
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