Earlier this year, we had reported that Datsun may advance the launch of its third car, which was originally scheduled for 2017. Now, Guillaume Sicard, President of Nissan India Operations, has stated that the company will introduce the car in 2016.

The new model will be Datsun's entry-level car. It will be positioned below the Go and will be aimed squarely at the Maruti Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon. The car is likely to be based on the Redi-Go concept which was displayed at the 2014 Auto Expo. It is likely to share its platform with Renault's upcoming XBA (Kayou) hatchback.

At present, Nissan has 21 showrooms exclusively for Datsun vehicles. It is planning to expand its network by opening new dealerships in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. It aims to have 60 showrooms that will focus on Datsun only by 2016. This is a part of Nissan's overall plans to open 300 showrooms in India.

Datsun's range consists of the Go hatchback and Go+ MPV. The manufacturer has sold around 17,000 vehicles in its first year in India.

Source: Economic Times

Datsun, the budget brand of Nissan, has not had much success selling the GO hatchback, which was launched in March 2014. Nissan was aiming to capture 10% of the market share by 2016 and was banking on Datsun to boost its sales. The company however, is planning to advance the launch of its third vehicle in an attempt to fuel growth.

Datsun introduced the GO+ MPV, earlier this month and had planned to launch its third product in 2017. However, under the new plan, the company could advance the launch. The vehicle in question is believed to be a small car based on the Redi-GO concept, which was displayed at the 2014 Auto Expo. The Redi-GO will be Datsun's entry-level offering and will be pitted against the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon. Like its competitors, it is likely to be powered by an 800 cc, 3-cylinder petrol engine.

Nissan has also revealed that it plans to double its dealerships in India over the next two years. At present, it has 158, which also deal in Datsun cars. Datsun's target market is smaller towns.

Source: ET Auto