Japanese auto maker Nissan on Monday announced the revival of Datsun brand in India through the unveiling of a five-door hatchback called 'Datsun Go'.
The car which will hit the roads early next year is expected be priced less than ₹4 lakh. The brand which made a comeback to the global auto market after nearly three decades will also launch its Datsun Go in Indonesia, Russia and South Africa in the later half of 2014.
"Today we begin new chapter in the history of Nissan. Datsun is back... The car will go on sales early next year in India, followed by Indonesia, Russia and South Africa," Nissan Motor Co President and CEO Carlos Ghosn said.
Under the hood the car is powered by a 1.2 litre petrol engine. Renault Nissan's plant in Chennai will produce the cars. The Go hatchback from Datsun will be pitted against the Maruti Alto 800 and Hyundai Eon.
"We have a market share of little over 1.2 per cent in India at present. We are looking to take it to 10 per cent in the mid term (2016). We expect Datsun to play a significant role in this," Ghosn said.
The global launch of Datsun in India aims to tap the ultra-low cost car market. The company which withdrew from the market in 1986 was then marketed in more than 190 countries. The company plans to introduce more models in the worlwide markets by 2016 and is also looking to expand its production capacities in India.
