Nissan working on improved Evalia

Japanese car-maker Nissan plans to launch an upgraded version of its multi-utility vehicle Evalia. The seven-seater Evalia, from the Nissan-Ashok Leyland joint venture, was launched late last year. It competes with the Toyota Innova. At the time of launch, Nissan had expected to sell 2,500 units a month. Asked about the lukewarm response to Evalia, Kenichiro Yomura, President and CEO, Nissan Motor India, said, “New products that are innovative will take time to penetrate. It is an affordable product (starting at Rs 8.49 lakh), but it will take some time for the market to take to it. Meanwhile, we are working on a refresh.” He did not elaborate on the features the new Evalia would have. Ashok Leyland will soon launch the Stile, built on the same platform as Evalia. Compact SUV Terrano and small car Datsun are the other upcoming launches from Nissan. Yomura also said that Nissan is “studying the Rs 2-3 lakh car segment”.