Infiniti to trial new customer retail experience on the Gold Coast

"There is a strong plan for growth for Infiniti and that growth is across the brand, the network and product," Roux said.

"Technology is a very important part of the brand, for example, and a demonstration of that will come when we launch our variable compression ratio engine."

There's no doubt it's been a tough four years for the luxury brand in Australia since its relaunch in 2012, but Roux says the brand is committed to growth in Australia - and the arrival of the new Q30 is the latest sign of that commitment.

"We launched the brand with three dealers only," he said "Now, we have seven sales and service centres."

Critical to that continued growth is this new retail experience on the Gold Coast, which, rather than positioning a dealer on a traditional auto site, will put a retail store among non-automotive luxury brands.

"On the Gold Coast, we will be doing things differently by launching a permanent retail store, as opposed to a bricks and mortar dealer," Roux said. "In that location, buying an Infiniti will be a very premium experience in shopping, near brands like Gucci, Rolex and Prada."

Roux said the whole concept is aimed at making a bold statement about "who and what Infiniti is".

Bernard Michel - Product Manager for Infiniti Cars Australia said the brand's mantra is power and elegance. "Our cars have a unique and captivating look on the road," he said. "There's a signature design, the double-arched front grille, and the human eye-influenced headlight design."

If power and elegance is indeed the Infiniti mantra, this new retail experience should leave customers feeling like they've experienced something different to the typical car-buying process, that's for sure. It's worked for Tesla around the world, so Infiniti might be riding a new wave.

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