Nissan pulls plug on budget brand Datsun after nine years
NISSAN HAS CONFIRMED it will stop producing cars under the Datsun name, just nine years after resurrecting the brand to sell value-friendly models in emerging markets.
Nissan said it will focus on “core models and segments that bring the most benefit to customers, dealer partners and the business”. This, it said, is part of a new global transformation strategy.
However, the Japanese firm’s parent company confirmed that despite ending production of the Datsun Go, Datsun Go+ and Datsun Redigo, it will continue to sell the stock it has left and provide aftersales services to owners.
“We can reassure all existing and future Datsun owners that customer satisfaction remains our priority and we will continue to provide the highest levels of aftersales service, parts availability and warranty support,” a Nissan spokesperson told Autocar.
Nissan pulled the plug on production of Datsun cars at its factory in Chennai, India, earlier this month, bringing the brand to an end. In 2020, the car maker stopped production of Datsun cars from its plants in Russia and Indonesia.
Datsun, which was taken over by Nissan in 1933, was revived in July 2013 after being wound down 33 years earlier. During the relaunch, the firm said it wanted Datsun to be a low-cost car brand, selling affordable vehicles in Indonesia, Nepal, South Africa, India and Russia.
This represented a radical shift in positioning for the Datsun brand, which rose to prominence in the latter half of the previous century, especially in Europe and the US, with high-profile cars such as the 240Z, Cherry and Sunny.