The company will introduce new models and upgrades to existing models during the holiday season. Thomas Kuehl, president, Nissan India, said the carmaker will have new products for new segments, including an SUV with a Datsun badge. "You will see a Datsun SUV under Rs 10 lakh. I can’t say more but I promise you it will be a killer in the market," Kuehl said.
The car is expected to be built on the Nissan Alliance’s CMF-A platform, which will also spawn a Renault MPV in the first quarter of 2019. The engine under the hood could be the turbocharged version of the Redigo’s 1.0-litre motor and there will be no diesel option.
The company’s strategy is to offer a bevy of models below Rs 10 lakh under the Datsun brand, while models above that mark will be sold via Nissan. During this festive season, you can expect Datsun to launch the Go and Go+ facelifts.
“At the moment, we don’t have a strong product portfolio, so we are trying to fix that,” Kuehl said. “Yes, our life cycle management is not the best at the moment, but you will see that we will have a major event every six months from this festival season onwards,” he added.
A special edition of its Redigo small car will also be introduced, according to Kuehl. “We have a special version of the Redigo coming in during the festival time. I’m very positive that, with the things we are doing with the Redigo and the successor model, we will have a major impact in the segment,” he said.
