[volkman10]

Nissan has recently the far more characterful facelifted version of Micra here immediately after its international debut showing the outlook Nissan is having on capturing a significant portion of the market share.

With these bases covered, Nissan is now looking at building the brand further by introducing a sporty Nismo (the company’s in-house motorsport and performance division) version of the hatchback.

Revealed internationally soon after the standard car’s facelift, the Nismo Micra (or March, as it’s called in Japan) gets sporty interior and exterior styling upgrades, including bumpers, skirts and wheels, lined with Nismo’s trademark red accents.

The international version also gets a different exhaust, stiffer suspension and bigger brakes, but for India these could be left out to save on costs. What is a closer possibility, however, is that it will use the international model’s 114bhp, 16kgm, 1.5-litre petrol engine.

The car is expected to cost in the region of Rs 8-9 lakh.





Source: http://www.autocarindia.com/News/349...r-india.aspx/2

[NPV]

Micra Nismo seems to be targeting the Premium Hatch market but will it get enough takers if it comes to India ?
I'm wondering since the market seems to be going towards the mini SUV/UV. Ecosport pricing range is so wide that even the potential buyers of hatches will look that way before deciding on a hatch.

[phamilyman]

This will simply not work. Why?

It is not premium enough (and neither gorgeous enough) to be a flagship. Think Yamaha R1 or Maruti Kizashi or Hyundai Sonata. The hot hatch already has enough contenders - two is already a crowd in that miniscule market.

If they need to make engineering changes, and price it around 8-9 lakhs, its a high probability of a loss. They would be better off plonking more money popularising the Micra active with its god awesome juicy price or getting a Diesel Active version out to drive volumes.

They've been here long enough - its time to make volumes, not just make a mark!

[amitg79]

Another hot hatch is always welcome. I wonder if car makers are detecting a shift towards high end, powerful hatchbacks. Liva TRD, Polo GT TSI launched, Abarth Punto, Polo GT TDI and now the Micra Nismo waiting in the wings. 2013 seems to be the year of the hot hatch. Will look for international reviews of this Nissan now.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

They've been here long enough - its time to make volumes, not just make a mark!

I completely agree. Nissan, it is fine to add the Nismo to your portfolio, but please have low expectations. Don't be disappointing if you spend much resources on the Nismo in the Indian market. Not many in India will know the performance achievements of Nissan and there are very few who would spend such money for a hatch. Here, it is mostly, big is better.

Or else, I would only be happy to be proved wrong.

And, as quoted in the above post, it is high time you picked up some volume. We need another player to substitute the big names Maruti and Hyundai. That is what your cars are primarily good at all over the world but in India. Do consider the Active DCi.

[9thsphinx]

Hot hatches is the new mantra and everyone wants to cash in. Everyone wants to be a part of the game. VW, Toyota and Mercedes already are. BMW and Fiat are gearing up to bring their badboys soon. What's wrong in Nissan sharing a bit of this hoopla? Bring it on I'll say. The more the merrier.

Fact: The Nismo branding is almost as valuable in Japan as the AMG badge is to Mercedes in the EU.

[fiat_tarun]

Nissan should bring in their 1.2L Supercharged engine to India. They can use the engine as the USP to market the car and avail the excise benefits as well.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by volkman10

However, is that it will use the international model’s 114bhp, 16kgm, 1.5-litre petrol engine.

The car is expected to cost in the region of Rs 8-9 lakh.

Nissan,

Bad choice.

1. It doesn't have the hot hatch looks, no matter the full styling kit is there or not! With the recent facelift, it doesn't look girly anymore but its no way sporty as well!

2. 114bhp, 16kgm, 1.5-litre at 8-9L puts it against the sedans like Honda City and Linea TJet both having similar/higher figures. Hence not much performance advantage as well.

3. Nissan brand has a decent brand value in India, specially the south thanks to the top-down approach they had in the market (X-Trail first). However, many people stay away from the brand due to sub-par dealership reach and experience.

4. All the brand building they need is to introduce the Terrano at a better price than what Renault has on offer currently.

PS: I love this trend of hot hatches though!

[arup.misra]

God bless competition. This could just be the turning point in the evolution of a new segment - hot hatch. Not that its going to be a volume driver but even if it manages to create a niche, it'll help boosting the brand name. Lately so much has been spoken and written of the GT TSI it augers well for the younger sibling too to stay in the news.

In my opinion, I dont think it will cannibalize the parents C segment offering simply because the target audiences for both are separate.

[vinair]

We may all be wrong if Nissan decides to tweak its strategy a little.

Look at it like this, instead of introducing this model as a main stay, why not introduce just a handful of cars initially (ala limited edition, but with a purpose) and clearly distinguish why this car needs a place in your garage! Talk about exclusivity!

However, in our country, extensive engineering changes in a limited edition model may also not fly as a fear of limited availability of spares is always going to haunt a potential buyer. However, if Nissan provides a real good assurance on this front, I don't see any reason why a real enthusiast wouldn't want to go for this 'super hatch' (another term Nissan can cash upon! )

[bigblackshark]

the trend of hot hatches is still catching up in India, with the polo 1.2tsi we can see people accepting this trend also. Its good to see companies looking at bringing these cars to India, as the traffic scenario here is getting worse and hatches might become a matter of choice for people for the matter of convenience.

[aerohit]

When manufacturers release limited editions with stickers, public complain.

When manufacturers try to release real hot-hatches, hope public dont complain.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by aerohit

When manufacturers release limited editions with stickers, public complain.

When manufacturers try to release real hot-hatches, hope public dont complain.

The problem is that nobody wants to sell real hot hatches
100bhp, 85bhp, 115bhp that is sedan territory. Many cars have such engines.
If they want to sell at 8L ex showroom, better offer a 1.5L 180bhp engine.

[KiloAlpha]

Nissan offers the Micra with 1.2L supercharged engine in Europe. Why not simply put this engine into the car, give it Nismo body kit, make some suspension tweaks, and sell it as the Micra hot hatch?
Since the engine is already being made in Chennai, there is no tooling/setup cost. They only have to spend on R&D to make it suitable for Indian conditions. And since it is a 1.2L petrol, it is taxed as a small car and hence they will be able to price it to suit the market.

Nice idea though.