Nissan India has announced its plans to introduce its Datsun brand of automobiles in India and may set up a new facility for the production of the Datsun cars. Being an entry level brand, the cars to be launched by Datsun are expected to be priced between Rs 2,00,000 – Rs 4,00,000 to compete with the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Alto and the Hyundai Eon in the small car segment.
According to Mr. Takayuki Ishida, the newly appointed MD and CEO Nissan India, the Datsun brand is planning to manufacture and sell vehicles in large volumes to be targeted at emerging economies. The brand is initially expected to be introduced in country such as India, Indonesia and Russia.
The company is planning to showcase the Datsun brand of cars in India at the Delhi Auto Expo in the beginning of 2014 and launch its products by mid 2014. Moreover, the Nissan is also considering developing a small diesel engine for its hatchback. The company’s target is half of Nissan’s total sales accounted for by the Datsun brand in India.