Nissan Motor Company Limited, the Japanese automobile manufacturer, has decided to introduce low-cost and fuel-efficient models with the help of its retro brand, Datsun. According to analysts, the company has planned to sell Datsun models in Russia, India and Indonesia. This step would help the Japanese automotive company to take on fierce competition and make its mark in the global automobile industry without investing additional money and time.
According to Kota Yuzawa, an auto analyst at Goldman Sachs (Tokyo), "Reviving the Datsun brand is better than creating a new brand as the old Datsun cars are still there and recognisable by some people."
Datsun was a big seller in the United States, since its fuel-efficient two-door sporty hatchback models gained traction there during the 1970s oil crisis. However, Nissan Motor Company decided to phase out Datsun in the year 1981 and labelled its own name on Datsun models.
As per the statement issued by Carlos Ghosn, the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Nissan, Datsun will become a global brand. The company plans to sell the cars under this portfolio in the same markets where it sells Nissan and Infiniti models. For now, the company has decided not to sell Datsun brand in Japan and other major automobile markets. Carlos Ghosn was in Jakarta, Indonesia when he stated, "Datsun is part of our history. It was synonymous with affordable and reliable cars. With the return of Datsun, we want to add modernity to it, with a new level of quality, like a high fuel economy."
Mitsuru Yonekawa, spokesman for Nissan Motor Company Limited, commented that owners of Datsun are optimistic about the brand’s future. He said that the company believes that Datsun would again attract the same segment of buyers that it appealed to in the past. According to analysts, auto manufacturers have earlier revealed targets for specific markets as well, but restoration of a phased out brand for emerging markets has been done for the first time.
Additional details and prices of the new Datsun models have not been unveiled by the company. According to Nikkei business daily, the new Datsun automobiles that Nissan would start selling from 2014 are expected to cost 5,00,000 Yen or USD 6,000. The source added that the majority of parts for new vehicles will be procured from local sources.
Between April and December 2011, Nissan Motor Company Limited has recorded global sales of approximately 6.7 trillion Yen. The official spokesman stated that Nissan now wants that Datsun brand should be responsible for around half of its sales in every automobile market. In 2011, Russia made it to Nissan’s top foreign markets, though it still lags behind the United States of America and China. As far as Asia is concerned, the region, excluding Japan, accounted for about 1/4th of Nissan’s total sales, which includes sales in India and Indonesia.
