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Nissan launches new Skyline, plans first U.S. sale --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOKYO, June 18 (Reuters) - Nissan Motor Co Ltd <7201.T>, Japan's second-biggest carmaker, on Monday launched a completely remodelled version of the Skyline sports sedan for the Japanese market and said the car would make its U.S. debut next year.
The Skyline will be marketed in the United States under the luxury Infiniti brand, President Carlos Ghosn told a news conference. That would mark the car's first full-fledged overseas sales since its launch in 1957. The Japanese selling price will start at 2.65 million yen ($21,570) with a monthly sales target of 2,000 units, the company said. It gave no sales target for the U.S. market. Nissan hopes the Skyline will compete with cars such as Honda Motor Co Ltd's <7267.T> Saber as well as other Japanese and European models in the United States, a Nissan official said. Nissan's only previous exports of the car were a total of 187 two-door Skyline GTRs sold to Britain in 1997 and 1999. Shares in Nissan, which is 36.8 percent owned by France's Renault , closed on Monday down 0.39 percent at 767 yen, while the benchmark Nikkei average <.N225> ended down 0.72 percent. ($1=122.85 Yen)
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