One platform, halfadozen cars: Datsun’s ready to go
NEWDELHI: Nissan-owned small car maker Datsun is planning three more vehicles in the sub-₹ lakh category – a sports-utility vehicle (SUV), a crossover and a sedan, to attract low income groups buyers.
Datsun already has three models – hatchback, crossover and a multi-purpose vehicle. “Datsun’s intention is to compete in the entry level, with different body types… We have a lot of flexibility with the platform. We can do what the customers want,” said Jerome Saigot, V-P of Datsun India.
This is the CMF-A platform, which is also used to make Nissan-owned Renault Kwid. The entry-level segment (22% of passenger car sales) has for years been the province of Maruti Alto and WagonR, until Hyundai launched Eon and Tata Motors the Nano. “There is very little choice in the ₹3-lakh category. We will bring products for those customers who have not been served for years,” said Saigot. Datsun is working towards getting 60% of Datsun sales from small towns and villages.
The company did not disclose how much the flexible platform cost to set up, but Anil Sharma, analyst at HIS Automotive said building a flexible platform costs ₹500 crore or more. “Bringing different body types is less than 10% of the overall cost. But you need to ensure that each model looks different,” he said.
Saigot said the Datsun has worked to ensure safety is no longer a concern. N-CAP, the European New Car Assessment programme, had given a zero safety rating to Datsun Go.