Datsun gallops out of Nissan stable after 30 yrs

Japanese carmaker Nissan on Wednesday brought back its iconic Datsun brand with the launch of its entry-level Datsun Go, priced between Rs 3.12 lakh and Rs 3.70 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) to take on market leader Maruti's Alto and Hyundai's Eon in the hotselling small car segment. The front- wheel drive hatchback comes with a 1.2- litre engine and a five- speed manual transmission.

"The Indian car market is very competitive and with Datsun, we are entering a segment which we can't address with the Nissan brand. We expect the Datsun brand to contribute between one- third and half of Nissan's sales in India," Nissan Motor India managing director and chief executive Kenichiro Yomura told journalists here.

Datsun Go, which claims fuel efficiency of 20.64 km per litre, comes with various features, including electronic power steering, front power windows and mobile docking station.

Datsun Go is aimed at the first- time car buyers. Nissan is reviving the Datsun brand after almost three decades. The company will bring in three models under the Datsun brand by 2015- 16 and has already announced the Go+ as the next model for India.

Datsun global programme director Ashwani Gupta said that the global automotive market has undergone a shift with highgrowth markets such as India, Indonesia, Russia and Brazil that accounted for 40 per cent of the total sales expected to account for 60 per cent by 2016- 17. " The opportunity of new car demand lies in high- growth markets with first- time buyers. The transaction price in India ranges from $ 8,000-$ 9,000 as compared to $ 25,000-$ 30,000 in mature markets like the US, EU and Japan. That's why we decided to bring the Datsun brand."

Courtesy: Mail Today