Nissan Motor Co.'s Infiniti luxury brand ended a two-month sales skid in China with deliveries rising 12 percent year on year to 3,706 vehicles in June.

 

Infiniti did not disclose China sales results for individual models.

 

In the first half of the year, Infiniti's China sales totaled 18,603 vehicles, roughly the same as a year earlier. 

 

During the 6-month period, deliveries of two locally produced models -- the QX50 crossover and the stretched Q50 sedan -- totaled 11,887 vehicles, representing nearly two-thirds of Infiniti's China volume.

 

Sales should pick up as Infiniti introduces the new QX30 crossover late this year, Infiniti President Roland Krueger said. 

 

"We are looking at huge potential, still, for Infiniti," he said. "We need to tap into that."

 

The brand is strengthening its marketing team in China to prepare for future growth, Krueger said at a media event in Yokohama, Japan, last week.

 

The two-month sales slump followed the departure of Daniel Kirchert, who helped more than double sales of the marque in China before he joined a Tencent Holdings Ltd.-backed electric car startup this year.

 

Infiniti has also suffered from a lack of new products while German premium brands introduced a string of competitive offerings, according to John Zeng, a Shanghai-based LMC Automotive analyst, who cited the BMW X1 and X3, and also the Mercedes-Benz GLA and GLC.

 

"The German brands have a lot of rabbits in their hats," said Zeng. "Second-tier luxury brands like Infiniti face a lot of pressure under such a market environment."