Fueled by the popularity of its award-winning G35 sport coupe and sedan and FX premium crossover sport utility vehicles, Infiniti announced Nov. 14 that it has surpassed the 100,000 annual sales milestone for the first time in its 14-year history. In fact, sales of Infiniti vehicles are up more than 40 percent this year, one of the largest increases of any automotive nameplate in 2003. Combined with the launches of the new G35, FX and M45, as well as the continued support of its I35 and flagship Q45, Infiniti began selling more than 10,000 vehicles per month for the first time in March of this year, and has averaged above that number since, the company said. "Infiniti offers some of the most distinctive, technologically advanced, and fun-to-drive performance luxury vehicles the world has to offer, and we're happy that this is being quantified by third-party awards and by breaking sales records," said Mark Igo, vice president and general manager of Infiniti. "The one thing we won't break is our tradition of offering the highest levels of craftsmanship and customer satisfaction." Igo made the announcement of the brand's 100,000-unit sales achievement at the press introduction of the all-new Infiniti QX56 full-size luxury sport utility vehicle in Hana, Hawaii. The 310-horsepower, 7- or 8-passenger QX56 -- the first Infiniti vehicle to be produced in North America -- goes on sale at Infiniti's 162 dealerships next spring, and will help further increase Infiniti's growth in North America, according to company officials. Infiniti said its sales increase is just one of many milestones the brand has reached in 2003. Motor Trend named the Infiniti G35 coupe and sedan its "2003 Car of the Year," and the G35 was named as one of Car & Driver magazine's "10 Best" vehicles sold in the U.S. Infiniti was named as the highest ranked nameplate in J.D. Power and Associates' 2003 Customer Service Index (CSI) Study(SM). It was the third time in its history that Infiniti topped the well-known independent study that measures customer satisfaction with dealer service during the first three years of vehicle ownership. Infiniti finished second in last year's report. For more information on Infiniti luxury vehicles and the Total Ownership Experience (TOE) philosophy, visit www.infiniti.com.