PANAMA CITY, Panama -

One particular element of the six-year “Nissan Power 88” global growth plan unveiled by the automaker late last month dealt with bolstering the worldwide presence of its Infiniti brand.

Nissan explained that it aims for Infiniti to command a 10-percent share of global luxury market share and for its footprint to reach more than 70 markets.

News coming out Wednesday appears to have been a step in that direction.

Infiniti is making its first-ever foray into Latin America, as it was revealed that auto consortium Grupo FASA will sell the Japanese luxury carmaker’s vehicles in Panama.

The units will be on sale at the new Infiniti Center Panama City, a 2,040-square-meter dealership facility that also offers a service center.

“Our definition of luxury performance is different. Infiniti offers a unique combination of Japanese hospitality and driving pleasure with daring designs, and pioneering performance and safety innovations,” said Toru Saito, Infiniti corporate vice president.

“Furthermore, our customers in Panama will experience extraordinary levels of personal service from Grupo FASA’s sales and service teams,” Saito added. “All our customers are VIPs to us, and we will develop personal, long-term relationships with each and every one of them. At Infiniti we do things differently, and we represent a bold challenge to our competitors here in Latin America."

“This is a fantastic opportunity for Grupo FASA as the growth of luxury car sales continues in this country — last year saw a volume increase of 15.8 percent to 1,670 vehicles,” stated Ivan Espino, general manager for Infiniti Panama.

“We are thrilled to compete in the Panamanian luxury market with Infiniti’s aggressive and passionate vehicle lineup, and we are committed to becoming one of the top luxury brands in the country,” Espino continued. “The vehicles are provided by Infiniti, and we will provide the unique service that luxury car buyers are looking for in Panama.”