Nissan India excludes Hover from Datsun operations
Datsun in India will be available through Nissan directly, the Japanese car maker has confirmed. Nissan in India currently has a tie-up with Hover Automotive for sales and marketing operations, but Datsun will not be part of this Nissan-Hover alliance.
Nissan resurrected Datsun, which is known to be a budget brand, earlier this year after an absence of nearly three decades. First, the GO hatchback will be launched early next year, followed by the GO+ MPV. Expect both these models to be showcased at the upcoming Auto Expo 2014.
Nissan aims to make Datsun a fun to drive, economical and affordable car brand. Datsun cars are expected to have good quality interiors, decent space and an attractive design language. With a five-speed transmission sending power to the front wheels, the GO will have the Micra's 76PS 1.2-litre petrol engine but with a lower power output tuned for efficiency. Datsun had also confirmed that the GO hatchback will be priced under Rs 4 lakh. Accordingly, we can expect the GO+ MPV to start around Rs 5.5-6 lakh. The GO will compete with the Maruti Alto and Chevrolet Spark.
Vincent Cobee, global head of Datsun, said: "Selling the Datsun GO and future Datsun models through Nissan Motor represents a natural evolution of the company's operations in India, which are well recognized in the market. We are excited about launching the iconic Datsun brand in India and look forward to bringing a growing range of bespoke, locally-produced products and high level services to our customers."