Japanese auto major Nissan today said it will launch small car under the Datsun brand in India by 2014 as part of a global programme to revive the marque.
The Datsun brand, which was discontinued in 1981 to unify the model lineup under the Nissan, will also be launched in Indonesia and Russia, besides India, around the same time.
"Datsun will officially begin sales in India by 2014 in the entry hatchback segment with a price under Rs 4 lakh to tap high growth market," Nissan Motor India managing director and CEO Kiminobu Tokuyama told reporters here.
The two models will go on sale within the first year and an enhanced lineup of models will be offered within three years, he added.
The cars will be designed to meet distinct local customer needs and will be built locally, Tokuyama said.
Nissan is developing a platform at Chennai unit for Datsun brand and will be investing in developing new products and ramping up plant capacity, Tokuyama said, but declined to disclose the investments.
The company has already commenced second line of operation and increased its production capacity from 3 lakh vehicles to 4 lakh vehicles this month, he said.
Nissan Motor India reported its highest-ever monthly sales in India at 5,371 units in February compared to 2,081 units a year ago.
In the international market, Nissan Motors sales from Bric (Brazil, Russia, India and China) market has increased from 20 million in 2006 to 37 million in 2011. The Japanese car maker aims to take this number to 60% by 2016 with the Datsun brand playing a key part.
