Datsun is Back with All-New Datsun GO for the New Risers
07/15/2013
Datsun
Datsun today unveiled the first new Datsun car for the 21st century. The all-new Datsun GO will be on sale in India in early 2014.
The Datsun GO is the realization of the commitment made by Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. in March 2012 to return the Datsun brand to the marketplace. Datsun is the third brand for the Nissan Motor Company along with the company's Nissan and Infiniti brands. Datsun will play an important role in the Nissan Power 88 mid-term business plan.
"This is an historic day for Nissan Motor Company and for our customers and partners in some of the world's fastest-growing markets. It's also an exciting moment for many women and men here in India who - today - come one step closer to realizing the dream of purchasing a car," said Carlos Ghosn, Nissan Motor President and CEO, when unveiling the car.
The five-door, front-wheel drive hatchback will come with a 1.2-liter engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission that offers optimal response time and agility in congested traffic.
With comparatively compact body dimensions (width - 1635mm; height - 1485mm; length- 3785mm), the car is spacious inside thanks to a wide stance and large wheelbase (2450mm), and offers ample headroom and an expanded front seating configuration. It will be a reliable partner for families, providing comfort to five occupants and agility in congested traffic.
For those customers never wanting to part with their favorite music and pictures Datsun GO will offer a very practical solution - Mobile Docking Station to connect with their smartphones.
Datsun GO is expected to be "a category up" in its price range, attractively priced below INR 400,000.
This all-new car has been built to meet the needs of recent rising group of optimistic customers in high-growth markets who seek better value propositions. These are people who want transportation that supports their everyday needs, but that also fulfills their dreams and ambitions for a better tomorrow. They are literally "on the move." They want to GO further, so the name of the car reflects this aspiration.
The name of the new car is inspired by the first Datsun, the DAT-GO, launched almost a century ago in Japan. Back then the cars brought mobility to people who had never dreamed of car ownership before. The reignited Datsun brand and the Datsun GO will bring a similar combination of aspiration and trustworthiness.
Datsun GO is high quality, stylish and modern, delivering an engaging driving experience. The overall Datsun customer offer will include a worry-free ownership experience, competitive total cost, accessible services, with transparent pricing, and dealership proximity.
"When a customer buys his first new car in countries like India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa, first he dreams about it. To realize the dream, customers need to have access, feel a sense of belonging towards the Brand. Also, as this purchase will represent a significant part of their disposal income, it is important for them to have full trust in the brand and the product. So Dream, Access and Trust are key values for which the Datsun brand stands now," said Vincent Cobee, who leads Datsun.
Datsun models will be individually developed for different markets, but the concept will follow a common inspiration. Datsun GO will be the first of several Datsun models that will be launched later in 2014 in Indonesia, Russia and South Africa.
While Nissan Motor's Global design center in Japan was responsible for the Datsun GO styling, R&D and engineering development for the project were entrusted to local engineering resources and suppliers to ensure the product would suit local market conditions, preferences, tastes and needs, and would be accessible in terms of price and supply. The project development was of course backed by the full assurance of the global Japanese car manufacturer's accumulated expertise and quality assurance.
Datsun GO will be produced at one of the newest Renault-Nissan Alliance factories at Oragadam, in Chennai.
More information will be available closer to the start of sales.
About Datsun
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced the return of the Datsun brand, Nissan's third global brand, alongside Nissan and Infiniti, in March 2012. Datsun will provide a sustainable motoring experience to optimistic up-and-coming customers in high-growth markets. Datsun represents 80 years of accumulated Japanese car-making expertise and is an important part of Nissan's DNA. Datsun vehicles will start sales in India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa from 2014.
Datsun History
Datsun originated in Japan as DAT-GO (the DAT-car) almost a century ago in 1914. The word DAT means 'lightning-fast' in Japanese but is also a reference to the first letters of family names of the three financiers who supported the business at the time: Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi. Using the same logic, it was promoted as Durable, Attractive and Trustworthy, or DAT for short.
In 1933, Nissan's founding father Yoshisuke Aikawa took over the business with a vision of "mobility for all". The introduction of a light-weight, economical yet resilient car to meet the aspirations of young Japanese people in the early 1930s was named the 'son of DAT' - Datson - which later changed to Datsun. Local engineering and mass-production made the founder's dream a reality.
About Nissan Motor in India
A recent entry to India, Nissan now employs more than 12,000 people here, and plans to grow its presence through new model launches and network expansion. In 2012, Nissan sold approximately 37,000 units, an 11% growth over the prior year, and is targeting triple digit growth in FY13. Nissan plans to launch 10 new models in India by 2016 under the Nissan and Datsun brands, and is expanding its dealer network to more than 300 dealers by 2016.
Chennai is a strategic hub for production, R&D and exports for Nissan and its Alliance partner, Renault. A manufacturing plant at Oragadam, near Chennai, was opened in 2010, representing an investment of about INR 45 billion. The plant has full stamping, body, paint, plastic, trim and chassis shops with two test tracks, and has annual production capacity of 400,000 vehicles.