Nissan India has decided to showcase a car from its low cost brand Datsun. The K2 prototype is expected to be revealed around July 2013 by Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. This car would be placed in the B plus segment (above Rs. 4 lakhs), to compete against vehicles such as Honda Brio, Ford Figo, Maruti Suzuki Swift and Toyota Etios Liva.
As per Ghosn, Nissan would be entering specific developing markets with Datsun. Countries where this particular project would be implemented are Indonesia, India and Russia. Another vehicle, codenamed as I2, would be seen some months later in the B segment, competing against the new Alto 800 and the Hyundai Eon (over Rs. 2.5 lakhs).
Both the above vehicles would be showcased by Nissan at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo. The importance attached to this project can be comprehended from the fact that Carlos Ghosn would personally be available during the unveiling of these new vehicles. In addition, a K2 MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) with seating capacity for 7 adults would also be shown. This would compete against the Maruti Ertiga and the M&M Quanto in India. Commercial launches of all the above mentioned Datsun vehicles are expected to occur in mid-2014.
Carlos has always admired the frugal engineering skills of engineers in the country, and was inspired by Ratan Tata's Nano to embark upon the production of an Ultra Low Cost (ULC) car in partnership with Bajaj. However, this project was not able to take off and no details are available about its future. In fact, the cost of the ULC was expected to be lower than Rs. 2 lakhs.
It is possible that the next place where Datsun cars would be revealed could be Indonesia. The country has a preference for MPVs, which is why the K2 seven seater would first be unveiled there. Reportedly, the unveiling of the above mentioned vehicle would take place in October 2013.
Looking at the above, it seems as though Nissan is going all out to promote the Datsun sub brand. However, it must take appropriate measures before launch, as the Datsun vehicles may end up cannibalising the sales of Nissan. Currently, Nissan's lowest priced vehicle is the Micra, starting at Rs. 4.2 lakhs.
