Datsun to unveil first model for India later this year

Datsun’s new small car for India will share its platform with the Nissan Micra but not be a stripped down version of Nissan’s existing car, reports Hindu Business Line from Geneva. Speaking to Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President & Chief Creative Officer of Nissan Motor Co, the paper reported that Datsun’s new car for India will be unveiled later this year.

Nakamura stressed that Datsun’s first offering in India will not be a bare bones version of an existing Nissan model. Instead, it will offer its own value proposition as a separate brand with simpler intrinsic design, but one that doesn’t look and feel cheap. Renault-Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn said that the new generation Datsuns would be a affordable, small displacement cars with high local content and will initially be built in Indonesia.

Despite the 2013 unveil, Datsun will launch its cars beginning 2014 in India, Indonesia, Russia and newly added South Africa. At present, the study to set up a new plant in India for Datsun is being looked after by Nissan Motor India with all decisions being made at the headquarters in Japan. The company has confirmed that Chennai is one of the locations under consideration for the plant. This will be Renault Nissan’s second plant in India, at a cost of USD 320 million. (Related Report)

Datsun is planning two models for India initially, which will slot below the Nissan Micra. Reports have suggested that the first model codenamed K2 will be priced at Rs 4 lakh and is based on the 1992-1997, K11 Micra and will feature a new exterior design and roomy interiors. A cheaper model expected to be priced at Rs 3 lakh is being jointly developed with Ashok Leyland and will target Maruti’s hot selling Alto. Ashok Leyland is already in JV with Nissan and currently produces the Dost LCV.