Nissan & Infiniti Open New Dealerships In Downtown San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Expanding into a key sales market that is known for a strong interest in leading-edge technology and environmentally smart products, Nissan and Infiniti have appointed a new Nissan dealer and a new Infiniti dealer in the heart of downtown San Francisco.

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The new dealerships are located on Van Ness Ave., one of the Bay Area's most famous and well-traveled automotive retail corridors. Both dealerships are owned and operated by one of the largest automotive retailers in the world – Penske Automotive Group (NYSE: PAG). 

"Infiniti and Nissan products and brands directly align with San Francisco's unique customer profile, making this effort a strategic element of our plan to grow sales volume in the U.S.," said Brian Carolin, senior vice present of Sales and Marketing for Nissan North America, Inc. "The 100-percent electric Nissan LEAF has already surpassed 11,000 sales in the U.S. alone.  Along with the forthcoming Infiniti LE all-electric luxury sedan, we will make a defining statement in a region known for innovation and technology leadership.  We are excited to be represented in such a dramatic way by a leading retailer like Penske Automotive Group in this pivotal market."

The opening of the new dealerships will help contribute further to Nissan and Infiniti's sales and market share gains in the U.S. market. In 2011, the Nissan Division posted its best-ever U.S. sales year – up 17.3 percent over the previous year – and Infiniti continues to gain ground. Nissan North America, Inc reported its March 2012 sales of 136,317 units versus 121,141 units a year earlier, an increase of 12.5 percent, and a record for any month in the company's history.

"I'm very pleased to offer the Nissan and Infiniti brands in world-class, state-of-the-art dealerships in San Francisco," said Penske Automotive Group Chairman Roger Penske. "Our new facilities are unrivaled within the city offering an array of automotive services, including sales, service, parts, vehicle preparation and delivery areas all under one roof."  

Nissan of San Francisco and Infiniti of San Francisco are located in the Ellis Brooks Building – which opened for vehicle sales in 1935. The 8-story, 200,000-square-foot complex is unparalleled by any other dealership in the San Francisco marketplace and is one of the largest automobile retailing locations in the United States. The building was completely renovated to provide distinct representation for each brand, and features multiple levels of indoor new and pre-owned vehicle display, service, maintenance and retail parts area, separately branded showrooms, front entrances and signage.

Additional features of the new dealerships include:

• An efficiently engineered, multi-level building layout, thoughtfully conceived to provide customer convenience, including over 400 vehicle display and parking spaces
• Convenient and free "off street" customer parking in the building's covered mezzanine level, including five vehicle delivery bays.
• 22 service bays, and six vehicle detailing bays.
• Nine electric vehicle charging stations.
• Separate full floors of new and pre-owned vehicles for each brand
• Individual, brand-specific customer lounge areas, a central cafe bar, interior new-car delivery areas, and free wireless Internet access throughout the building
• State-of-the-art graphics highlighting Nissan and Infiniti products
• Open and inviting sales consultant offices and staff that will ultimately be equipped with e-tablets to provide quick and accurate information to customers shopping in each dealership
• Dedicated service drives and service write-up areas for each brand

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and Infiniti vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.InfinitiUSA.com.

About Nissan

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second largest Japanese automotive company by volume, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan and is an integral pillar of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 150,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4 million vehicles in 2010. With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of fuel-efficient and low-emissions vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the 2011 European Car of the Year award.

About Infiniti

Infiniti offers a full line of luxury performance automobiles, including the G Coupe, Sedan and Convertible, M luxury sedan, EX personal crossover, FX performance crossover, JX 7-passenger luxury crossover and the QX full-size SUV. More information about Infiniti and its Total Ownership Experience® can be found at www.InfinitiUSA.com.

About Penske Automotive Group

Penske Automotive Group, Inc., headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, operates 335 retail automotive franchises, representing 42 different brands and 29 collision repair centers. Penske Automotive, which sells new and previously owned vehicles, finance and insurance products and replacement parts, and offers maintenance and repair services on all brands it represents, has 168 franchises in 17 states and Puerto Rico and 167 franchises located outside the United States, primarily in the United Kingdom. Penske Automotive is a member of the Fortune 500 and Russell 2000 and has approximately 16,000 employees.

SOURCE Nissan