(May 1, 2011) Infiniti has announced that it will launch the brand into Chile in the first half of 2012. The announcement supports Infiniti’s intent to expand into additional luxury markets around the world.

Infiniti had 145,675 worldwide sales in 2010, representing a 30.8 percent growth over the prior year.

SKBergé, a Chilean-Hispanic company formed by the Sigdo Koppers and Bergé Groups, will launch the Infiniti brand in Chile

“We are pleased that SKBergé is going to be our Infiniti partner in Chile, and following our recent announcement of entering Mexico this coming autumn, this is another important step in our global growth plan,” said Toru Saito, corporate vice president for Infiniti. “SKBergé has a great track record in the automotive industry in Latin America, and we already have a strong working relationship with the Bergé group in Spain.”

The entry into Chile follows a number of other significant announcements already this year. At the Geneva Motor Show in March, Infiniti unveiled the ETHEREA, a new type of luxury concept car aimed at younger buyers.

Infiniti has also entered a partnership deal and technical collaboration with the Red Bull Racing Formula One team. Last week at the New York International Auto Show, Infiniti announced an all-new three-row luxury crossover, designated the Infiniti JX, will join its line in spring 2012 as a 2013 model.

Infiniti was also awarded the Euro NCAP Advanced Award for Road Safety Innovation for its Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system, and in the United States, the Infiniti M luxury performance sedan received MotorWeek’s “2011 Drivers’ Choice Award Winner for Best Luxury Sedan” and the “IntelliChoice 2011 Best Overall Value of the Year Award Winner for Luxury Passenger Car.”