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spikerS
03-21-2012, 10:17 AM
Nissan is announcing that they are reviving the Datsun brand in emerging markets for budget vehicles.


Nissan Motor Company announced the return of the Datsun brand after 30 years, with plans to introduce a low-cost car in several emerging markets in 2014.

In a nod to the growing importance of developing markets, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn made the announcement Tuesday in Indonesia, one of three markets the new car line will debut.

"The Datsun brand has a global mission, but when you go on a global mission you start with priorities and today we said our priority are three: They are Indonesia, they are India and they are Russia," Ghosn said.

"That doesn't mean that we are going to be limiting it to there. This is the first step of development, which are these three markets, but absolutely not excluding other high growth markets or other emerging markets from the range of Datsun," he added.

The Datsun brand first emerged in Japan in 1923 but was phased out in the 1980s as the company focused on mid-market buyers and its upscale Infiniti brand, launched in 1989. The new line will capitalize on the Datsun tradition of low-cost, sporty cars marketed in burgeoning economies where many young drivers are first-time buyers.
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The company also plans to include a "green" line of Datsun cars.

Ghosn drew an analogy to Japan's economy when it launched the Datsun brand and today's Indonesian economy, which has grown steadily at about 6% per year. The country is the fourth most populous nation in the world with 250 million people.

"Datsun was introduced to Japan to bring reliable, afford and contemporary technology to consumers who had too few choices," Ghosn said at the Indonesia press conference. "Today, this is the very situation in Indonesia. There is a growing segment of up and coming customers who have few choices. They can buy motorcycles, they can buy used vehicles or they can buy a new vehicle but one based on older technology. We will offer them an exciting new choice."

The company also announced plans to invest $400 million in Indonesia production, adding 3,300 jobs and producing 250,000 vehicles by 2014. Nissan sales outlets will increase to 150 in Indonesia by 2015, the company said.

"Datsun is part of our company heritage and will now contribute to its future," Ghosn said.

Source (http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/21/business/nissan-datsun-resurrection/index.html?hpt=hp_t3)

Mibz
03-21-2012, 10:34 AM
At first I thought "The makers of the Versa and the Sentra need to revive Datsun to make a low-cost car?".

Then I saw where they were focusing and it made sense.

Tik-Tok
03-21-2012, 10:43 AM
Originally posted by Mibz
At first I thought "The makers of the Versa and the Sentra need to revive Datsun to make a low-cost car?".

Then I saw where they were focusing and it made sense.

Well, even if they were bringing it back here. Toyota has the Yaris, Corolla, and Matrix, yet Scion exists.

Mibz
03-21-2012, 10:50 AM
Touche.

BokCh0y
03-21-2012, 01:48 PM
I could see this eventually becoming a competitor to Scion.

Odd that while the american automakers are reducing brands (saturn, pontiac, plymouth gone now) the japanese would go and introduce more. :nut:

Masked Bandit
03-21-2012, 03:03 PM
In a global economy this makes sense.

flipstah
03-21-2012, 03:08 PM
I just hope they don't do a Chrysler/Plymouth disaster where they launch the exact car but under different names.

At least do some tweaks. :nut:

CanmoreOrLess
03-21-2012, 03:31 PM
Here's hoping the interior smell of my 510 is not coming back. Man that was a nasty interior "scent".

01RedDX
03-21-2012, 03:37 PM
.

spikerS
03-21-2012, 04:07 PM
Originally posted by 01RedDX
Don't think it's coming back here dat soon.

well done. :thumbsup:

Projek01
03-21-2012, 04:18 PM
^lol. so punny

Xtrema
03-21-2012, 04:24 PM
Originally posted by Tik-Tok


Well, even if they were bringing it back here. Toyota has the Yaris, Corolla, and Matrix, yet Scion exists.

Scion exists because nobody under 40 would caught dead in a Yaris, Corolla, and Matrix. So they need a youth brand that's has low entry price.

Then they forgot old people are cheap, so only people over 50 are buying Scions.

:rofl:

That said, average age of Toyota owner is 54. Average age of Scion owner is 39. Scion did succeed in what it set out to do.

I don't think Nissan has the same image problem as Toyota to warrant the need of a youth brand.

Sugarphreak
03-21-2012, 07:38 PM
...

e31
03-21-2012, 07:53 PM
First order of business is to tell the Steel lobbyists to fuck off. Build the cars without all the excess weight we have been paying to accelerate and decelerate for the last 38 years. This will enable you to then tell the gov't to fuck off on their EPA mandated mileage. This will start a chain reaction that ends up with a long list of groups/agencies being flipped-off.