According to sources, Nissan, the Japanese car manufacturer, is planning to launch its new Multi Utility Vehicle (MUV) Nissan Evalia in India in August 2012. The auto maker has already entered the domestic market by introducing Sunny, a sedan, and Micra, a hatchback.
Evalia is expected to have class-leading fuel efficiency, attractive interiors and high end features like rear view camera and intelligent key. It is anticipated to be launched with a dash-mounted gear lever that will render extra space in the cabin. Power-steering should be available as a standard feature in all variants of Evalia. Known throughout the world as NV200, the car will be launched with a 1.5 dCI motor that will be modified to produce 104 hp of power. Strut-type suspensions will be present in the front of the car, while the rear will feature leaf springs. It will have sliding doors, which are also present in Maruti Suzuki's Eeco.
The 7-seater Nissan Evalia will be developed in tandem with the requirements of Indian market and compete with the upcoming Maruti Ertiga and the unnamed Chevrolet MPV. Other competitors of the model will be the highly successful Toyota Innova as well as the new Mahindra Xylo. Despite a smaller wheelbase than Innova, Nissan Evalia will offer approximately as much space as Toyota's MPV. It is expected to be manufactured at Nissan-Renault's Oragadam plant, located in the vicinity of Chennai. The cost of the upcoming Evalia is expected to range between Rs. 8 to 10 lacs.
