Showing posts with label Nissan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nissan. Show all posts
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Nissan Sunny XL automatic’s low price could give fillip to sales
Nissan, which has rolled out an automatic version of the Sunny sedan (the Sunny XL X-Tronic), has priced it near about Rs 9 lakh (which is Rs 80,000 more than its manual version), but is a tad cheaper, compared to cars of its class, and this could give a fillip to sales.
Nissan is going all out to rev up its presence in the Indian market with its SUV Duster (which comes with awesome looks) selling around 3,500 units a month on an average whereas the Nissan Sunny’s figure stands at a poor 2,000 units.
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| The Nissan Sunny automatic. |
Comparing automatic cars in its peer group, the Honda City comes for Rs 9.25 lakh, while the Ford Fiesta is priced at Rs 10 lakh, among others. So, among cars in its segment, the Sunny automatic is the cheapest.
Already having a twin car with an automatic variant (the Scala X-Tronic) and with the pricing not really great, whether the Sunny automatic variant will live up to the expectations of the Japanese company is a question that could come to mind. The company needs to go for an ad blitz to rev up sales.
Compared to the Scala X-Tronic (the top variant), the Nissan Sunny’s high-end version will come cheaper by nearly Rs 10,000.
The automatic gearbox variant of the Sunny sedan will be equipped with a 1.5 litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that offers an output of 99 bhp of peak power (compared to 97 bhp in the manual version) and 134 Nm of peak torque.
The Nissan Sunny automatic will use a CVT automatic gearbox, making it the second car after its twin, the Renault Scala, to use this technology. The advantage a CVT gearbox offers is that it comes with power and torque without jerks, unlike the manual gearbox variant.
But such gearboxes suffer from what is known as the rubber band effect, where the CVT transmission takes some time to respond to the throttle inputs. Another big stumbling block is that fuel economy delivered by automatic gearbox cars is slightly less than that offered by a manual gearbox.
However, ARAI-tested fuel economy of the Sunny CVT is better at 17.97 km for a litre compared to the Ford Fiesta (for instance), which offers nearly 18 km per litre.
According to reports, the Nissan Sunny XL automatic comes with keyless entry, a start-stop button and chrome door handles on the inside.
Nissan Sunny is a car which falls in the C-segment and it is still the only one in the segment which did not have an automatic variant, and this probably came as a big deterrent to its sales as almost one third buyers who opt for cars in the C-segment, prefer the automatic variants.
So, with a commendable fuel economy and good pricing, the Nissan Sunny automatic may get a fillip so far as sales are concerned.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Nissan Sunny 2014 offers better features and added styling
Japanese car major Nissan, which has been going all out with the Micra, Sunny and Terrano in India, has rolled out a refurbished version of the (2014) Nissan Sunny in an aggressive bid to beef up presence in the Indian market and the USP of this car is its better features and added styling.
The Nissan Sunny facelift comes with the same 99 PS 1.5-litre petrol engine and the diesel engine is a 200 Nm one.
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| The Nissan Sunny 2014. |
Both the petrol and diesel engines come with a five-speed manual gearbox, while the petrol one has a continuously variable transmission in the XL model only.
The new 2014 Nissan Sunny carries a price tag of between Rs 7.39 lakh and Rs 9.29 lakh for the petrol version and between Rs 8.33 lakh and Rs 10.02 lakh for the diesel models (Mumbai prices).
The new version of the Nissan Sunny sedan comes in six colours: Nightshade, Pearl White, Deep Grey, Onyx Black, Beige Silver and Bronze Grey. Nissan hopes to ramp up its dealership network to 200 by the end of fiscal 2014 and raise it to 300 by 2016.
The company had become the second biggest exporter from India, after setting up its self-owned network and introduced the Datsun brand, throwing the gauntlet to other players in the Indian industry.
The new version is a big draw when compared to the old model. The car is crafted keeping in mind the company’s new design language, which is seen on the new Micra as well as a few cars of the company, which are sold globally.
The 2014 Nissan Sunny comes with a new signature boomerang shaped headlights, along with a bold-looking chrome front grille.
There is also a refreshed front bumper along with new fog lamps, a 12-spoke Y-design alloys, outer rear view mirrors, integrated turn indicators and shorter radio antenna on the rear of the roof, which give the styling of the new Sunny a big boost. The rear also has a new bumper along with a chrome strip.
The interiors are offered with a new greyish-beige or what the company calls Greige fabric and a new piano black instrument cluster makes the interior more opulent.
Adding to the sports design is a refurbished steering wheel, which comes with audio controls and hands-free phone.
Other features of the new 2014 Nissan Sunny include push button start, automatic air-conditioning, keyless entry, reverse parking camera along with rear reading light. All variants of Nissan Sunny come with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist along with driver's airbag.
Other features of the new 2014 Nissan Sunny include push button start, automatic air-conditioning, keyless entry, reverse parking camera along with rear reading light. All variants of Nissan Sunny come with ABS, EBD, Brake Assist along with driver's airbag.
This safety feature is the USP of the new 2014 Nissan Sunny and is attractive enough to see many car buffs flock for it as the car offers better features and gives a fillip to styling.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Is Nissan Sunny diesel price too high?
Nissan Motor India Private Limited, realizing that it is not among the most popular brands in India, has been swift in launching a diesel variant of the Sunny (just in a matter of three months), which could help rev up sales but the steep price ranging from Rs 7.98 lakh for the XL variant to Rs 8.68 lakh for the high-end XV version may deter buyers from opting for the new Sunny diesel.
The Nissan Sunny diesel is propelled by the K9K motor that currently powers a litany of the company’s cars such as the Nissan Micra, the Renault Pulse, the Renault Fluence, the Mahindra Verito (formerly Logan) and the yet-to-be-launched Renault Duster.
The Sunny diesel is capable of producing 85 bhp at 3,750 rpm and a steady 20.3 kgm of peak torque from 2,000 rpm onwards.
The diesel Sunny comes with a five-speed manual and offers a credible mileage of 21.64 km per litre under ARAI test conditions. The diesel variant weighs 70 kg more than its petrol counterpart.
The colour options that will be available for the diesel model are Brick Red, Onyx Black, Sapphire Blue, Storm White, Blade Silver and Bronze Grey.
Nissan had hogged the limelight first after the launch of the Micra, which saw sales of around 1,500 in November, for instance, and made it among the major contenders in the Indian automobile space. Even the Sunny has been doing fairly well, selling around 1,100 cars a couple of months ago, which is good for a car in the C-segment sedan class.
The Sunny had in fact created quite a stir in the C-segment and the diesel model will surely spur the numbers substantially as it would whittle down the running cost of the car by quite an amount.
The V-platform, on which the Sunny is based on, could see a clone produced by Renault from its Chennai facility as Nissan and Renault are working towards an integration to give a fillip to both their market share. Although Nissan has made some headway in sales, Renault is still lagging despite a slew of launches.
May be a car or two in the highly-lucrative basic compact hatchback market could be a game-changer for Nissan as well as Renault.
In India, the Sunny diesel will slug it out against similar fuel variants like the Maruti Suzuki SX4 and the Swift Dzire, the Mahindra Verito, the Toyota Etios, the Tata Manza, the Ford Fiesta Classic and a host of other cars.
The Sunny diesel has a slew of active and passive safety arrangements and technology, ensuring safety of passengers like the anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, engine immobilizer and airbags, which are typical advanced safety features offered by Nissan.
Like Honda, Nissan has failed to realize the psyche of Indian customers, who are mainly scouting for either cheap cars (the small compact hatchback cars) or diesel variants, but with the new Sunny being priced so steeply, it could come as a letdown for Nissan as customers may look for other diesel cars in the myriad C-segment.
Will compact car Datsun K2 spur Nissan’s profit, market share?
Nissan, which is yet to become a major player in the car market of the country, could see its fortunes (read profit and market share) change for the better after it brings in the Datsun after three decades (the latest K2 model this time) into India as well as to upcoming markets like Russia, Indonesia and South Africa.
The first Datsun hatchback is expected to hit Indian roads in mid-2014 with a base price of Rs 3.2 lakh (approx) and the car would be sold through Nissan dealerships. The new car would have some mind blowing acceleration as well as fuel efficiency, according to the auto major.
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| The Datsun K2 (Courtesy: Autocarindia.com). |
The new Datsun brand would be showcased at the Kingdom of Dreams in New Delhi around mid-July.
Global CEO of Renault-Nissan Carlos Ghosn is likely to unveil the first Datsun model, which will be a five-door hatchback in the sub Rs 4-lakh category and vie with the likes of Chevrolet Spark, Maruti Suzuki Alto and Hyundai Eon, among others.
The car, called K2 as of now, comes with the same 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine (XH5) from the Micra. In the Micra, this engine develops 75 bhp but this could be a tad less in the K2, which is set to be tuned for better efficiency.
This is a big step (bringing in a compact car) by Nissan and entry into the small and compact hatchback market, which sees the highest sales in the auto sector, could turn out to be a game changer.
And, the fight would mainly be on the price front here. Budget cars with some features like body colour bumpers, power steering and, of course, air conditioner, are the basic requirements for buyers in the category. If these are met, then a car sells well.
Nissan expects to sell around 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh Datsun cars in India annually by promoting the Datsun as affordable and feature-rich car.
Nissan feels that the Datsun brand – which has been targeted at the emerging middle class market of India, Russia and Indonesia – will play a key role in ‘Nissan Power 88’, where the auto company is aiming to jack up both profits and market share globally and an affordable car could provide a welcome relief.
But Nissan may take quite a while to make Datsun among the leaders in the compact car pack, where the Alto is miles ahead. Unless Nissan uses some earth shattering marketing strategy (like giving huge discounts), Datsun is unlikely to top the charts even in the medium term.
So, Nissan may see a big surge in profit and market share if it comes out with schemes like mega discounts for the Datsun K2, among others, and this may help in catapulting Nissan to the top three in the compact car segment.
Monday, August 24, 2015
Will Renault Nissan’s Datsun bear Tata Nano’s stigma as the cheapest car?
So, the Nano will no more remain the cheapest car in India as Renault Nissan plans to revive the Datsun brand to give the Tatas (makers of the Nano) a run for their money, but will the new cheapest car bear the stigma which the Nano has been bearing in the country for all this while?
The Tata Nano has seen fluctuating fortunes where during a month sales went up to over 5,000 cars, whereas on the other hand, the figure once plunged to nearly 500 (after the series of fire incidents).
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| The Datsun. |
There have been murmurs that Japan’s Renault Nissan, in a tie-up with Bajaj Auto, is planning to launch ultra low-cost cars in the price range of Rs 1.25 lakh to 1.5 lakh (comparatively, the Nano’s price ranges from Rs 1.5 lakh to 2.2 lakh now).
In fact, this is the first time that Renault Nissan has unveiled it would make such low-cost cars. The new cheapest car will be from the recently-revived brand Datsun, the company unveiled.
Remember the once-popular Datsun brand?
Datsun was well-known for sports cars like the Fairlady roadsters and the Fairlady (240Z) coupes and was an iconic brand in the 1960s and 70s. Datsun was, however, discontinued in 1981. But Renault Nissan has decided to revive Datsun and make it a robust, affordable and a modern car brand.
Carlos Ghosn, chairman and CEO of Renault Nissan, had earlier said, “In markets such as India, Russia, Brazil and Indonesia, about 40-50 per cent of sales are in segments where Nissan doesn’t have presence. In those categories, Datsun will have a major role to play.”
On the other hand, the Tata Nano is the cheapest car in the highly price-sensitive Indian market. But the Nano is yet to be accepted as a full-fledged car in India. Whenever people have opted to buy a Nano they’ve been given peculiar suggestions like “why don’t you buy a motorcycle instead?” or “please don’t buy a Nano.”
The Tatas hoped to see sales surge, owing to it being the cheapest car. But even small car buyers saw their status plunge and didn’t really flock to buy the Nano. That’s why the Maruti Alto (priced above Rs 3 lakh) is still India’s most popular car rather than the Nano.
Renault Nissan and Bajaj Auto had inked a deal three years ago where Bajaj was to design, develop and make an ultra low-cost car to hit the roads in 2011. But the plan had been shelved.
At the Delhi Auto Expo in January this year, Bajaj had unveiled the RE60 low-cost vehicle which is expected to be launched soon (for a price of Rs 1.25 lakh). Renault Nissan said it hasn’t taken a decision on whether to go with the RE60 or not.
But Renault Nissan will have to find a way to shed the cheapest car brand tag with the Datsun otherwise it could fall in the Tata Nano trap (and not see good response), or may be, the Datsun could be priced at Rs 3 lakh so that it can vie with cars like the Alto, which could make Datsun a more popular brand.
Ashok Leyland Stile may jostle for space in the MPV passenger car segment
Ashok Leyland, which is mainly into heavy vehicles like trucks and buses along with other commercial vehicles, is foraying into passenger cars but with the segment having little space and with too many players vying for a place, the Stile’s sales could stagnate after a short while.
The Stile is based on the Nissan Evalia and compared to the latter the eight-seater Stile comes with a few refurbishments, which can only be termed ‘cosmetic’, and include new headlamps, a fresh grille along with green and blue stickers. The looks are somewhat bulky and the Stile multi-purpose vehicle or MPV seems to be a tad big for city roads.
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| Ashok Leyland Stile MPV. |
The Stile is priced at Rs 7.5 lakh and the pricing is pretty aggressive even as sales aren’t expected to hit the roof in the category.
The new vehicle, which is similar to Nissan’s MUV Evalia, targets commercial users who use passenger cars as ambulances, taxis or courier vans.
But like the Evalia, Ashok Leyland’s Stile will be propelled by Nissan’s 1.5 litre dCi diesel engine, which is mated with a five-speed manual gearbox and offers 85 PS power and 200 Nm torque.
The current Stile is a diesel variant (which is ideal for an MPV) but the company is also contemplating rolling out a petrol car.
This plan (of launching a petrol model) would be a futile exercise as even a diesel MPV could see lukewarm response in India.
So, may be Ashok Leyland has to either shelve its plans of a petrol model of the Stile or it has to shelve the car soon after its launch. Unless the petrol model breaks the price barrier (on the lower side though)! After all, a petrol model would sell less in a category (MPV) where sales are not too encouraging.
So far as plans on the petrol variant go, Ashok Leyland will offer a CNG kit with this version in a bid to boost operational cost of the car so as to see that it does not gather dust. But the CNG tank would severely eat into the legroom inside the car, which would have otherwise been spacious.
The Stile is likely to be available before the festive season (around October) and would be manufactured at Nissan’s unit in Oragadam near Chennai.
“With the Stile MPV, Ashok Leyland is foraying into a new vehicle segment and our confidence with the new vehicle stems from our confidence in the strength of our combined teams in Nissan and Ashok Leyland,” said chairman of Ashok Leyland Dheeraj G Hinduja.
So, with too many auto majors jostling for space in the MPV passenger car segment, the swanky-looking Stile may lose steam in the middle term of may be two years.
Saturday, August 22, 2015
Will Nissan Sunny do a Micra in India?
Nissan Motor India, which has managed to notch good numbers with its Micra, hasn’t been doing well as a car manufacturer in India, mainly owing to its pricing strategy and slack marketing but has been aggressive on price with its newly-launched mid-sized sedan, the Sunny, tagging it at an economical range of Rs 5.78 lakh-Rs 7.68 lakh.
Built on the Micra’s V platform, the Sunny comes with a 1.5 litre petrol engine which belts out 99 PS power and has a fair amount of fuel efficiency of almost 17 km to a litre.
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| The new Nissan Sunny |
Nissan began its mass appeal in India with the Micra and the Japanese company wants to replicate the same with the Sunny (even though it realised this strategy late) just ahead of the festive season.
With the new sedan, Nissan is upbeat that it will sell over 40,000 cars by the end of the current financial year.
The new model is the 10th generation of the Nissan Sunny, which has seen whopping sales of 16 million cars in a period of almost 45 years.
In India also, the car major wants to ride the popularity wave, which the Nissan Sunny acquired across the globe over the years.
The company plans to launch the petrol version of the car initially, and this, buyers may not find too attractive with the price of the fuel being frequently raised, and now, almost hitting the roof.
The Sunny, whose prices will be kept uniform across the country, will vie with highly-popular cars like the Maruti’s Swift Dzire, Volkswagen Vento and Toyota Etios.
The company isn’t wasting much time and bookings have already started and deliveries will begin from the start of October.
Nissan is apparently banking on the comfort level it is providing at the Rs 5-Rs 7 lakh range.
“With high levels of sophistication and comfort, we are sure the Nissan Sunny will set a new benchmark in India’s sedan segment. We have been able to aggressively position it owing to localisation of over 85 per cent,” Gilles Normand, corporate vice-president (Africa, Middle East & India), Nissan Motor Company, averred.
The company has set sights on professionals in their 20s and 30s as well as families.
The car apparently boasts of substantial legspace compared with its peers and this could be one of the USPs the company is banking on to rev up sales of the Sunny.
Moreover, there is a huge centre armrest with cup holders in the rear seat.
Nissan, which has grabbed eyeballs with only the Micra, also has cars such as the X-Trail SUV, the Teana sedan and the 370Z sports car in its stable. By next year, it wants to bring in nine models to the country.
But in order to accelerate sales in the medium term, the Japanese giant will have to bring in a diesel variant of the Sunny, and the sooner the company realises this, the better, if it wants to see the new Sedan notch numbers similar to the hatchback Micra.
Nissan plays price game to rev up Evalia sales
Nissan Motor India Private Limited’s new multi-purpose vehicle or MPV comes with an impressive fuel efficiency of over 19 km per litre and this ‘Urban-Class MPV, with its commercial vehicle-type looks, many not impress city car buffs but the car (which is economically priced) may sell well only if there are more dealers across the country.
The Nissan Evalia, which is a seven-seater MPV, comes with a litany of consumer comforts and convenience features which are truly world class.
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| The Nissan Evalia. |
The ex-showroom price ranges from Rs 8.5 lakh to Rs 9.99 lakh, which is cheap compared to other MPVs.
So, Nissan is trying to play the price game to rev up the Evalia’s sales.
So, Nissan is trying to play the price game to rev up the Evalia’s sales.
It comes with a 5-speed manual transmission and the front-wheel drive MPV is powered by a 1.5-litre dCi diesel engine that belts out 85 PS power and 200 Nm torque.
The Evalia can touch 60 km/hour in 12.7 seconds due to its monocoque construction that paves way for a lower kerb weight when compared to other MPVs in India.
The Evalia has a 5.2 metre turning radius, a massive windscreen, a rear view camera for easy parking in crowded zones, a multi-function display with the speedometer and an on-board computer that lets you know the fuel efficiency of your car.
The smooth sliding doors of the Evalia along with massive space (both for passengers and luggage) and the power make it a cynosure of all eyes but the design is somewhat a damp squib, especially the rear, which wears the look of an old-fashioned bus.
The Nissan Evalia will vie with the likes of Maruti Suzuki’s Ertiga, Toyota Innova and Mahindra Xylo and may find it difficult to dislodge the trio in the short term although it will dent the market to a certain extent.
The Japanese car maker hopes to sell about 2,500 MPVs every month. The auto giant, which plans to launch 10 models in four years, is also looking to scale up its dealership network in the country, without which the prospects of its new MPV would remain bleak.
“To increase sales, we are planning to ramp up our dealership network to 300 in four years,” Nissan Motor India managing director and chief executive officer Takayuki Ishida said. Currently, the company has 75 dealers in India.
“Now, we are planning to create market awareness for the Evalia. We are now rolling cars which are India-specific,” averred Ishida.
Last year, Nissan sold 33,268 cars, and between April and August this year, sales stood at nearly 18,000 cars.
Nissan seriously needs to think about launching a compact hatchback in the Rs 3-3.5 lakh price range if it wants to see a phenomenal rise in sales volumes. Its Micra, which falls in the high-end hatch category, leads the sales tally for the company.
Nissan seriously needs to think about launching a compact hatchback in the Rs 3-3.5 lakh price range if it wants to see a phenomenal rise in sales volumes. Its Micra, which falls in the high-end hatch category, leads the sales tally for the company.
The Evalia, which has been priced judiciously, may not be great in terms of looks and it is unlikely to succeed unless Nissan ramps up its dealership on a war footing.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Nissan’s new Micra: Prices must be in line with current models
Micra, the hatchback which gave Nissan a lifeline in the Indian auto market, has got a refurbished (masculine) look and the overhauled variant is set to make its way into Europe first but it would take a while to come to India, hopefully within a month and half, where sales would depend on whether prices are in line with the current models.
The engine types are likely to remain similar to the current Micra - a 1.2-litre petrol engine and a 1.5-litre diesel one.
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| The Nissan new Micra. |
Also, in India, Nissan plans to roll out the new Micra with the X-Tronic CVT gearbox for the petrol version only.
This is the same transmission that comes in the Nissan Sunny and Renault Scala automatic. For the Micra, Nissan has re-programmed the software owing to the smaller 1.2-litre petrol engine.
According to Nissan, the changes are ‘comprehensive’, which is much more than just a mere makeover. Besides a refurbished interior, the new Micra also comes with fresh looks so far as front and rear ends go.
There is also a litany of new technology and entertainment options. A new trim, enhanced quality fabrics and more textured plastics have been added to the Micra to give its visual appeal a further fillip.
Exterior changes are a fresh front end with a new grille, bonnet, bumper, headlights and fog light surrounds. At the rear, there are refurbished LED lights, fresh tailgate trim and a redesigned bumper.
Nissan’s rallying point is that the X-Tronic CVT is highly fuel efficient, and the company claims it is five per cent better compared to the old Micra with the conventional five-speed manual.
A traditional torque converter-based automatic is usually less efficient than a manual transmission. Other changes include enhanced sound insulation and tweaked suspension settings to improve stability of the car.
The new Micra will also have new alloy wheel designs and a range of colour choices along with USB and Bluetooth connectivity in some variants. The higher variants to be introduced in India may come with parking sensors as well.
The facelift has enhanced the overall garb of the Micra. Standard equipment, including the slew of safety and comfort features, will certainly give a big fillip to the value of the car.
Nissan’s total sales have been around 37,000 cars in the previous financial year, and this year, the Japanese automaker is targeting to sell one lakh units.
It has rolled out fresh variants of the Sunny, and of course, the Duster (with great looks). So, with the new Micra coming in may be 30-45 days, Nissan could well surpass its target.
But Nissan must keep the prices close to the current models of Micra – which come for Rs 4.3 lakh to Rs 6.5 lakh – otherwise competing in the hatch market could become a worrying point for the auto major.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Nissan Terrano scores over rival SUVs in comfort and safety
Japanese car major Nissan has finally brought in its budget utility vehicle, the Terrano, to vie in the basic SUV category inundated by vehicles like the Mahindra Quanto as well as the Ford EcoSport and the game will be played on the price front even though the Terrano is likely to score on comfort and safety as well as options available.
The initially response though has been overwhelming with the Terrano getting nearly 6,000 bookings in about a week. The SUV comes for a starting price of Rs 9.5 lakh. The car would also vie with the likes of the Renault Duster, Mahindra Xylo and Bolero as well as the Tata Safari Storme.
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| The Nissan Terrano. |
The Terrano, which actually would compete in the higher compact SUV category as well, will be offered in seven variants with three engine types, that is, 110 PS diesel, 85 PS diesel and 104 PS.
The price of the Nissan SUV would be in the range of Rs 9.58 lakh to Rs 10.9 lakh.
The price of the Nissan SUV would be in the range of Rs 9.58 lakh to Rs 10.9 lakh.
But the 110 PS diesel XL version has been priced at Rs 11.31 lakh and the premium variant XV Premium comes for Rs 12.44 lakh.
Nissan Terrano would come with a 1.5 litre dCi diesel engine.
The 100 PS diesel variant will be offered with the six-speed transmission. But the remaining models are being offered at five-speed gearbox.
”Terrano is a key roll out for us and would set the pace for future vehicle launches next year,” Nissan India president Kenichiro Yomura averred.
Nissan Terrano prices (both of the lowest to its high-end model) are pretty steep compared to its peers (in the lower end though) like the EcoSport and the Quanto along with sister concern Renault’s Duster, among other cars.
The Japanese company is making the compact SUV along with French auto major Renault at the Rs 4,400 crore manufacturing unit located at Oragadam.
Nissan, which has the hatchback Micra, sedan Sunny and compact SUV Terrano under its stable now, sold 36,975 cars in the previous financial year.
Based on the popular Duster by Renault, Nissan has gone for a refurbished design for the Terrano to make it as unique as possible.
While the facade of the Terrano comes with new bumper, new headlamps, honeycomb grille and a mega Nissan badge, the rear comes with a split light.
The interior looks similar to that of the Duster, but the Terrano offers a new music system, different design for AC vents. Other than the XE (base) version, features like ABS, EBD, along with Brake Assist and driver side airbag are standard on all variants of the Terrano. That’s a big plus!
The top variant comes with two airbags, rear parking sensor, leather seats, leather-wrapped gear knob along with a steering wheel.
So, with advantage on the comfort and safety fronts, the Nissan Terrano could be a mega hit although the price could have been cheaper to make it more attractive.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Datsun Go to trigger mega competition in compact hatchback segment
Well, Maruti (Alto 800 and WagonR), Hyundai (Eon and Santro) and Chevrolet (Spark and Beat) have mega competition at hand with Nissan making a big splash in the Indian market with the roll out of its Datsun brand car the ‘Go’ for a price, which is below Rs 4 lakh, and the unique offerings, space along with the all-round features will definitely give the revived Datsun brand a leg up in the compact car segment.
An initial look at the Datsun Go would give the impression that it comes for a steal as the engine is a 1.2 litre one and the car looks good enough to be priced around the Rs 5 lakh-mark.
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| The Datsun Go from Nissan stable. |
The Datsun Go’s engine produces 68 PS and 104 Nm. But in the Datsun Go, the company could detune the engine in order to give fuel economy a boost.
There is some great engineering in store. The Go can seat six people (unlike five persons in other sub-Rs 4 lakh hatchbacks) as the front bench seat could split in the middle with individual adjustability fore and aft giving the Go’s front seat a capacity for three.
The Go will be propelled by the 1.2 litre petrol engine with a five-speed manual gearbox, which is present in Nissan’s Micra. With its all-round features, space and efficiency, the Go will surely create a jolt in the sub-Rs 4 lakh segment.
Nissan, which is reviving the age-old Datsun brand nearly 30 years after it went into oblivion with the Marque, revealed that the Go would be available from the beginning of next year.
“Today, we begin a new chapter in the history of our company. The Datsun brand is back. The car will go on sale early next year in India. It would then be sold in Indonesia, Russia and South Africa," Nissan Motor president and CEO Carlos Ghosn averred.
He said the launch of the Datsun brand is part of Nissan’s plans to ramp up sales from emerging markets such as India. “We have a market share of a measly 1.2 per cent in India. We are looking to scale that up to 10 per cent in five years and we believe that Datsun will give the required fillip to our sales,” Ghosn added.
The country’s car market had surpassed the three-million mark in 2011 and is set to touch four million by 2016. The Datsun Go will be ‘fully engineered’ in India.
So, with great looks, a powerful engine along with great features and fuel efficiency (as claimed by the company but with details yet to be provided), Datsun Go could trigger an intense competition in the compact hatchback segment.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Should Nissan bet on made-in-India Global Sedan?
The new Global Sedan will be first showcased at the Eighth China (Guangzhou) International Automobile Exhibition in December 2010.
The new Global Sedan will be rolled out first in China and will come to India around the middle of next year. It will be made at the company’s facility at Oragadam, near Chennai.
Managing director and CEO, Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd (NMIPL), Kiminobu Tokuyama, said “Following the success of our first locally made car — the Micra — we are pleased to reveal the first sketch of the second car that will be produced in India. We are confident that the new Global Sedan, based on the versatile ‘V’ platform, will delight the Indian customers. The model will be launched in India in the second half of 2011.”
Nissan Motor India logged sales of 1,256 cars in September. This includes 1,183 Micras, against a minuscule 57 (total sales) in September 2009. The company has already sold 3,293 Micras in 75 days since its debut in mid-July.
Recently, the auto major started exporting its first made-in-India car Micra to Europe by sending the first consignment of 3,866 cars via Ennore Port near Chennai. Nissan is bullish on its exports and hopes to sell over 110,000 Micra in over 100 countries in the Europe, West Asia and Africa this fiscal.
In order to meet the burgeoning domestic demand, Nissan has tweaked it schedules, ramping up production. Currently, the order book for Micra stands at 4,500.
The Micra has provided a lifeline to Nissan like never before. But to see sales of its Global Sedan surge amid intense slugfest from other auto giants, Nissan will have to plan an aggressive ad campaign, ramp up dealership network and price it very very competitively.
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Electric car Nissan Leaf rolls out in Japan
A green revolution in car technology has just begun with Nissan Motor rolling out the new, fully electric and zero emission car aptly called the Leaf in the Japanese market where it is likely to hit the roads in another 10 days. The Leaf will be in the US as well as Europe in early 2011 and take another year to reach other markets.
The price of the Nissan Leaf begins from yen 3,764,250 and that includes consumption tax. There are sops that the Japanese government is providing, that is slated to benefit the Leaf’s buyers.
As per rules, buyers are eligible to get a maximum of yen 780,000 through the government’s electric vehicles incentives. If this is accounted for, then the Leaf’s price will begin from yen 2,984,250. The Leaf also qualifies for tax breaks, which will whittle down the car’s tax by 50 per cent.
In the US, the Leaf, which is a four-door hatchback, will carry a base price of $32,780. But customers can get a $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit, paring the price to $25,000.
Nissan Leaf will roll out in Japan during the middle of the month and be the world’s first electric vehicle or EV within the reach of the average customer. The Leaf has spacious interiors and can accommodate five adults easily.
Nissan Leaf comes with a lithium-ion battery along with an electric motor. It has a driving range of 200 km (on JC08 mode) and this should be adequate for one drive. About 200-volt normal charging is provided at Nissan 2,200 dealers nationwide. Normally, the Leaf can travel up to 160 km at a stretch.
About 200 dealers in Japan have quick chargers that can charge the battery up to 80 per cent of its full capacity in just half an hour. The battery provides 24 kWh capacity and maximum power output of more than 90 kWh. The Nissan Leaf comes with a high-response 80kW AC synchronous motor. The car was made through a joint-venture between Nissan Motor and NEC Corporation.
Nissan has fitted the Leaf with its standard cabin tech, that includes navigation and a Bluetooth phone system. This navigation system is a new feature which helps the driver locate charging stations.
But on the flip side, a range of about 100 miles kind of cripples the car’s tasks, and recharging takes hours at a standard AC outlet. If climate control is used, this range comes down substantially. This makes the Nissan Leaf a perfect car for urban and even semi-urban roads, or for short drives. But ideally not for long drives.
There are more electric vehicles in the pipeline with Ford Motor and Chrysler also mulling launches after the Leaf. With emission norms getting stringent by the day, Nissan along with other companies will have to rev up their EV plans, at least in the developed markers such as the US, Japan and countries in Europe, to see their sales ticking.
But in emerging markets such as China and India, these companies can still afford to go slow on EVs as pollution norms are rather slack compared to developed nations. But when stringent norms are in place, there will be a huge market for these electric vehicles.
So, by coming up with the Leaf, the first EV to go on commercial production, Nissan certainly has given itself first-mover advantage.
So, by coming up with the Leaf, the first EV to go on commercial production, Nissan certainly has given itself first-mover advantage.
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Nissan to roll out Micra diesel next month
Nissan Micra lovers have been demanding it and, within just a few months of launching it, Nissan is out to deliver it: the Micra’s diesel variant.
Nissan Motor India has said the rollout will happen next month and the car major has already started bookings, which it is doing so through its 20 dealerships. According to the company, the precise time of Micra diesel launch will be near about Christmas. The bookings will also take place in a phased manner.
The Micra diesel will come in two variants only - the XV and the XV Premium. The on-road prices (Chennai) of the XV and XV Premium are Rs 6.45 lakh and Rs 6.90 lakh.
The XV Premium variant will additionally have alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and a spoiler at the rear. It will also have climate control, 15 inch alloys, driver side airbag, push button start, keyless entry, auto retractable mirrors and beige interiors. The vehicle’s 1.5-litre diesel engine offers a fuel economy of 23.08 kmpl, which is among the best in its class.
In July, Nissan launched the petrol variant of the Micra, which is based on the Versatile ‘V’ platform and the roll-out took place from Oragadam in Chennai. Since sales began in mid-July, the company has clocked 4,500 Micras.
The Nissan Micra is being exported to over 100 nations since October. They include countries in Europe, West Asia and Africa. Nissan is bullish on Micra exports and has set an ambitious target of 1,10,000 units by this financial year ending March 31, 2011.
Managing director and chief executive officer of Nissan Motor India Kiminobu Tokuyama, said, “The success of the petrol variant of Micra in the domestic market has given us confidence to introduce the diesel variant within six months of the petrol version’s launch. We are aware that this is a very important phase of our journey and we stand by our commitment to provide Indian customers with a full range of products and services. We are confident that the diesel-powered Micra would fulfill the needs of our Indian customers.”
Nissan Micra petrol is doing well, alright. But for the diesel variant to find a place in the midst of intense slugfest, Nissan will have to scale up its dealer network hastily.
Otherwise, it will see its sales dwindling after the Micra diesel craze dies down as it has no other car that it can bank upon to drive its earnings. However, in the short term, the Micra could see its sales surge as soaring fuel prices could prompt buyers to make a beeline for the diesel variant after its launch next month.
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