Nissan to launch Alto 800 killer under Datsun brand

Nissan is prepped-up to launch a hatchback below the Datsun GO, both the GO hatch and the upcoming sub-Alto one will tackle Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, Hyundai Eon and to some extent Tata Nano too. Is it the Redi-GO concept company showcased at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo? No clarity on that. Furthermore, Nissan says that its alliance Renault will also share the car in India.

"You are only seeing parts of the story with the recently-launched Datsun 'GO' hatchback and the soon-to-be launched 'GO Plus' MPV. But we have got an A platform vehicle to come below that where the space is very spartan. This will be priced lower than the 'GO',” said Nissan's global chief planning officer, Andy Palmer.

Nissan added that the car will be designed and manufactured globally and will cater to most of the needs of buyers in this segment. The current market share of the Nissan and Datsun is slightly over 2 percent. However, Palmer said that the company is hoping to get 10 percent combined market share in future from Nissan and Datsun. The Japanese giant is separating the Datsun dealerships from Nissan. Moreover, with limited dealerships and comparatively newer brand image, GO didn't tasted the expected success. But Nissan is on a constant endeavor to increase dealerships and service network across the country.

The next product in the Datsun portfolio will be the GO+ MPV which was also showcased at the Auto Expo along with the Redi-GO. The MPV is based on the GO hatchback and shares the front and rear profile with the hatch. The vehicle is already on sale in Indonesia and will be introduced in India in coming months. Expect the pricing to be in the vicinity of INR 5 lakh.

Speaking of the engine, the vehicle will share the 1.2 liter petrol motor from its hatch sibling. The 1198cc 4-cylinder engine gathers a modest 67bhp of max power and 104Nm of peak torque mated to a five speed manual transmission, the powertrain in the hatch gives 20.6km/l. On the feature list, expect the three-row-seating MPV to be loaded similar to that of the GO hatch with features comprising of, follow-me-home headlamps, smart wipers, mobile docking station, bench-like front seats, front electric windows, electronic power steering, etc. 

Source: TOI

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