Infiniti and Mr. Ghosn, I wish for a...

[Von Kenric Kaneshiro]

There appears to be a market niche open in the $21-23K price range upon
which Infiniti could capitalize.  A successful product entry that brings
performance, looks, value, reliability, image, and safety could further
raise Infiniti's prominence with increased sales volume across a market
segment with broad appeal (youth to middle-aged, gender-split,
single-to-family scalable).

Assumptions:  Vehicle can be delivered to cost constraints and meet
profitability targets:

Product:
G20 4-dr sedan, FWD, SR20DE bored or stroked to 2.2L (if possible), perhaps
with a light-pressure turbo, 175hp, 170 lbs/ft torque @ 2000 rpm.
The G20 is the right size for many people; small enough for the single folks
who want something easy to park--anywhere.  FWD is okay.  Acura sold a ton
(for the segment) of 4-door Integras; they have abandoned this segment.
Infiniti is the Consumer Reports reliability king.  Infiniti cars also crash
test well enough.  The only stigma has been that it has been underpowered,
yet other motors won't fit.  Perhaps a slightly larger displacement to help
top-end (without too much of a compromise to the engine's ability to rev.),
plus a low-pressure turbo to help low-end torque would help.  Better yet if
the air intake and exhaust tuning magic can be done to the G20 (in lieu of a
turbocharger) to keep it normally aspirated (which keeps costs down).

Price:
Why $20-22k?  BMW couldn't do it with the 318i/ti, but the Mini looks to be
a winner with FWD and enough performance.  Acura abandoned the entry-level
luxury sedan segment.  Mercedes is stretching down with its C-coupe.  But it
was Acura who sold tons of the 4-door Integras.  That price band has moved
up, and there appears to be void.  Someone with $20K can buy a VW (too soft
a ride, too pricy for a... VW).  Or they can buy a non-luxury brand vehicle.
There must be at least a $4K gap (or greater) between the G20 and the G35 to
keep distinct models from causing consternation with each other.

Positioning:
Someone with an SE-R may want to graduate to a luxury brand but keep to the
lineage.  You buy the SE-R when you're in college, but after 6-8 years
you're a working professional and want something small but with roots.  A
G20-class car is a nice car to graduate to, with a G35 beyond that.  The
only sporty alternative within Nissan is the forthcoming Z.  We are proud
Nissan Motor owners, and want to stick with it, at least I do.  I'd say,
"You could buy a Mini, and you'll have just that, a vehicle befitting of
Lilliputians.  You're better off getting a normal-sized luxury sedan."  I
would surmise the specs I put forth above create an 8-second car, which
should be ample for most people, and a great start for the tuners.  I'm
biased.:-)

Summary:
I am a huge fan of Carlos Ghosn right now.  The Nissan lineage is in full
repair, and it is thriving again.  I liked what the P10 gave us, a true
entry-level luxury-class vehicle, an upgrade path without having to get
something too big right away.  It's the one remaining stepping stone which
seems to have been abandoned.  Gosh, people abandoned roadsters and Mazda
was credited with reinventing the roadster class.  In the same way I see an
opportunity for Infiniti to reinvent the entry-level luxury class.  Perhaps
a tuned-for-low-end-torque SR20DET or an SR22DE would do; I don't know.  But
I see a gaping hole in the marketplace.  Infiniti, please give us that 4-dr,
FWD, 8-second baseline luxury/sport sedan to start with.