Datsun, Nissan Motor India’s low-cost sub-brand, was reportedly stopped production in the Indian market last month. After nearly three decades of absence, the Datsun brand was resurrected in July 2013, focusing on emerging markets. Datsun relaunched the Go entry-level hatchback in January 2014 in New Delhi, and it went on sale in the first half of 2014.
Since 2014, the Japanese company has grown to Indonesia, Russia, India, Nepal, and South Africa, before entering Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Lebanon in 2016. The Datsun Go was built in the Renault-Nissan alliance’s plant in India as well as in Indonesia, and it was based on Nissan’s V architecture, just like the Micra.
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Datsun History In India
The Datsun Go+ MPV was introduced in September 2013 as India’s most affordable MPV, while the redi-Go concept was unveiled at the Auto Expo in early 2014. Since the middle of 2015, the entry-level compact crossover has been available in the local market. Datsun ceased operations in Indonesia in November 2019 and left Russia the following year.
It’s worth noting that Nissan hasn’t formally announced Datsun’s departure from India, and none of the company’s models have been taken down from the website. The sub-brand has produced 4.70 lakh automobiles globally during the last seven years, accounting for 2% of Nissan’s total sales in 2016. However, according to ET, a Nissan official confirmed Datsun’s departure.
He explained that the manufacture of Datsun vehicles has been halted as part of Nissan’s global transformation strategy, in which the company’s focus has switched to core models and categories, benefiting both consumers and dealers. In the last several years, more SUVs have entered the compact and midsize segments of the market, and the preference has shifted away from hatchbacks.
Datsun is the third brand to leave India in recent years, following General Motors and Ford Motor Company, and it indicates falling sales statistics in recent months. Datsun owners may expect nationwide after-sales support, spare parts, and warranty coverage from Nissan shops.
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