Nissan plans to revive the brand for Indian, Indonesian and Russian markets
Nissan quit using the Datsun brand in 1981, but recently announced plans to revive the iconic model for emerging markets. The resurrection of an over 3 decade old brand comes as a welcome surprise for one and all. The idea behind introducing this brand in India was to offer more affordable products to get a bigger share of this rapidly growing market. Moreover, there is strong possibility of launching a sub-four-lakh Datsun smallcar based on Nissan’s V-platform on which the Sunny and Micra are based on.
The Datsun first came into being in 1932 with the model making its way into the U.S. market by 1958. Due to its highly efficient engine and reliable engine performance(at that time), the vehicle’s sales soared through the roof. However, the model was retired in the mid 80s since the automaker’s parent firm Nissan had decided to sell the brand’s vehicle under its own name tag. Rumors suggest that the newly revived brand will be built by Ashok Leyland, Nissan Motor India’s local partner as a low cost, reliable and fuel efficient vehicle.
The vehicle is expected to expand the reach of Nissan in India while protecting its reputation as a maker of luxury and high end vehicles. Rumors suggest that the vehicle may be launched in the Indian market by 2014.
