Japanese car maker Nissan will launch the Datsun brand in India in July this year, when it pulls the wraps off its much awaited affordable, sub-Rs.4 lakh small car. The global premiere of the first car to sport the Datsun brand again after nearly a thirty-year hiatus will be kicked off in India, but locally produced models are likely to be rolled out over the next one year in four other countries.
The new hatchback for India will be commercially launched and be available at the company's dealerships only in the first quarter of 2014. The car is currently under advanced levels of testing and validation.
The Hindu Business Line met with the new clique of officials who have taken on the mantle of reviving the Datsun brand and developing the first cars to sport the badge at the company's headquarters in Yokohama, Japan.
The new team comprising a mix of officials and product experts from the major markets where the brand is due to be launched has a very clear brief. And that is to make sure that the new car meets the brand's redefined tenets of Dream, Access and Trust (DAT), borrowing on the original promises of durability, attractiveness and trustworthiness.
From the level of local involvement that has been sought from the company's Indian operations, Nissan seems to have pulled all stops in trying to get the brand positioning and product positioning right for the new car.
To make the car competitive and locally relevant, Nissan is relying heavily on a collaborative development effort by the Chennai-based Renault-Nissan Technology & Business Centre India (RNTBCI). In addition to getting the new Datsun hatch designed and developed to suit local needs and tastes, the Chennai operation is expected to contribute significantly in maximising localisation of parts sourcing.
The new Datsun small car will be produced at the Renault-Nissan Alliance plant in Oragadam near Chennai. The new brand is expected to initially seek the comfort of using Nissan's dealership network to reach out to customers. A shop-in-shop concept might be used to shorten the gestation of reaching the product to the customer. But later, the brand will have its own dealerships including a mix of new and current Nissan dealers.
There are currently five models being developed under the Datsun brand. The four markets that will get locally relevant models under the brand will include Russia, Indonesia and South Africa, in addition to India. One car every year for the first three years starting 2014 is the roll-out plan for the Indian market.
Increased visibility
Disruption in the affordable small car segment is the story that could be written by the new Datsun hatch when it is unveiled later this year.
This reporter was part of a small group of journalists from the four main target markets to get a glimpse of the new car. Though the prototype was heavily camouflaged, there are pointers that lead us to believe that the car will have a segment-leading wheelbase and that means the potential for considerable cabin space. It will have very short front and rear overhangs, above average ground clearance and large front and rear windscreen glass for increased visibility.
A cab-forward, tall-boy design will be part of the new Datsun hatch's overall approach. One of the more interesting parts of the new hatch could be the position of the door mirror - to provide for visibility and preventing damage on crowded Indian roads. The picture here also is the face of the new Datsun car and is meant to provide a glimpse of the design direction for the new brand.