Nissan's Datsun lines up big event in India on July 15th

Datsun, Japanese car maker Nissan's low cost brand aimed at emerging markets, is due to make a big announcement on the 15th of July, 2013, at New Delhi. The presser reads, "Be a part of the rising at the Datsun World Premiere". With that, it's uncertain whether Datsun will actually showcase the first hatchback aimed at countries such as India, Indonesia and South Africa, or whether the brand will announce the official launch of the Datsun brand of cars and delve into the finer aspects of the brand. Either way, Team-BHP will bring you updates of the launch from ground zero. 

That the global premiere of Brand Datsun is being held in India underscores the importance of the Indian car market to Nissan and Datsun, for the sheer volumes it is capable of generating. Datsun, where D A T stand for Dream, Access and Trust is a low cost car brand that'll predominantly use platforms from Nissan and Lada to come up with low cost cars for emerging markets. India, Indonesia and Russia will be at the forefront of the manufacture of these cars with particular emphasis on local production and sourcing. India is expected to also serve as an export hub for Datsun cars considering the country's expertise in high quality-low cost manufacturing. 

The first Datsun car bound to India is anticipated to sit in the 3-4 lakh rupee category, in the Indian B-segment car space, just under the Nissan Micra. All Datsun cars are expected to sit under equivalent cars from Brand Nissan to maintain distinct brand identities of both the brand. The B-Segment Datsun car for India, code named the K2, is said to be based on the previous generation Nissan Micra in terms of underpinnings. An Auto Expo 2014 launch/showcase is what's speculated for the previous generation Micra based Datsun B-Segment small car. 

In 2014, another low cost Datsun small car, code named the i2, is expected to be launched in the 2-3 lakh rupee price bracket, a segment in which cars such as the Maruti Alto 800, the Tata Nano and the Hyundai Eon operate. At the outset, Datsun cars will be sold in India through Nissan's dealerships. This arrangement might change in the future with standalone Datsun dealerships coming up if the volumes necessitate such a move. The Datsun small cars are expected to roll out from the Renault-Nissan joint car making factory at Oragadam, off Chennai.