Japanese car maker Nissan will launch an entry-level small car, developed in partnership with Ashok Leyland, by 2014 that could be priced around Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh.
“We are working on multiple options of price-entry vehicles for the Indian market. One of them is being developed with engineering department of Ashok Leyland. This car will be launched around 2014,” Nissan Motor Executive Vice President Andy Palmer said at the 82nd Geneva Motor Show here.
Currently, the Nissan sells only one small car ‘Micra’ in India in both petrol and diesel engines. The car is priced between Rs 4.14 lakh and Rs 6.26 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).
Nissan also has a joint venture with Ashok Leyland to produce light commercial vehicles for the Indian market. The company will also launch the NV200 van tagged as Stile
Earlier, Ashok Leyland had said it would not enter the passenger car segment and would limit its association with the Japanese firm to only commercial vehicle space.
Nissan has also officially announced the Datsun brand which was discontinued in the eighties at the Geneva motor show. The small car market is growing and the number of people upgrading from two-wheeler to four wheeler is increasing. The Tata Nano may be the first to tap this segment but has not witnessed the success it should have. Will Nissan able to do it?
