The Datsun Go was unveiled here on Monday with commercial launch expected early next year. From Nissan Motor’s point of view, it is just not the revival of a brand that has been in the archives for nearly three decades.

Datsun will now be its new growth driver for emerging markets such as India, Russia, Brazil and South Africa.

Carlos Ghosn, Nissan President & CEO, said these markets, along with China, will account for the lion’s share of global automobile sales in the coming years.

Price range

In India, the Datsun is expected to kick off at a price of around Rs 3-lakh, going upwards for versions like the Go. It will be part of a segment that includes models such as Maruti’s Wagon R or Hyundai’s Santro and the i-10.

The Maruti Alto, part of the sub-Rs 3 lakh category, is among the highest selling models with over 20,000 units each month.

Datsun will end up being Nissan’s entry-level option while the Micra moves up to the next slot of premium hatchbacks, competing with the likes of the Swift (Maruti), the Brio (Honda), Figo (Ford) and so on.

The Japanese automaker is betting big on India’s growing middle-class, which is now more open to trying out new brands. The Datsun is being developed from scratch in Chennai and it is likely that the engineering competencies here will be leveraged to meet the requirements of other emerging nations. Nissan may look at mature markets subsequently if the middle-class there also ends up with similar aspiration levels.

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