The importance of China for automotive brands is well-evident. The growing market is already the largest in the world and on its way to surpassing the US market in terms of luxury car sales.
In this video, Shiro Nakamura, head of design for Nissan globally, talks about the Friend-Me concept created from an original idea in the firm’s China-based design studio which later sought input from the Japanese, US and European design centers. Nakamura states how vital it is to have designers in local markets working on projects that will cater to the demographic.
“We want to make a car that will satisfy the Chinese customer, but at the same time markets outside of China,” Nakamura says. “China is a strong growing market that has the power to influence other than its own country.”
With a common end goal of creating vehicles that will appeal to all markets globally, all of the brands design centers must work in unison to develop compelling ideas that will hopefully make production.
The market is critical to luxury brands such as Nissan’s Infiniti nameplate, and Nakamura is well aware of the impact its products must have on China’s young customers. “We are expecting a lot of creative ideas from China,” says Nakamura.
Check out the video to hear more from Nakamura himself.
