NEW DELHI: Tata’s Nano
fi nally has a competition
Nissan’s Datsun. If one
thought India’s Tata Nano
was the cheapest car in the
world, one could be up for a
pleasant surprise.
According to reports, Japan’s
Nissan, in collaboration
with Bajaj Auto, has
decided to launch ultra lowcost
cars in the price range
of Rs 1.25 Lakh to 1.5 Lakh.
This is the fi rst time that the
company has indicated it
would make such low cost
cars.
To be called Datsun, the
recently revived brand will
take on the world’s cheapest
car, said the company. The
Datsun brand is the precursor
to Nissan in Japan but
was discontinued in the year
1981. However, the company
decided to revive the
brand and make it a more
reliable, robust, affordable
and modern car, and operate
it in segments where Nissan
does not.
“In markets like India,
Russia, Brazil and Indonesia,
roughly 40-50 per
cent of sales are in segment
where Nissan cannot have a
product. It is in those categories
that Datsun will have
a role to play,” the report
quoted Carlos Ghosn, chairman
and CEO of Renault
Nissan as saying.
Renault Nissan and Bajaj
Auto had signed an agreement
in 2009 wherein the
Indian automaker was to design,
develop and manufacture
an ultra low-cost car to
hit the roads in 2011 but the
project has been delayed.
Earlier this year, at the
Delhi Auto Expo in January,
Bajaj had showcased
the RE60 low-cost vehicle
which is expected to
be launched soon. However,
Renault Nissan said
they haven’t decided as
yet whether to go with the
RE60 or not.
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