At the Tokyo Motor Show recently, Vincent Cobee, Datsun’s global head, spoke of the success that the brand has experienced so far. “This is a significant day for Datsun. We have successfully completed the first phase of our return, and feel proud that through our vehicles more than 100,000 customers have been able to make their dream of personal mobility a reality. In fact, the latest figure of cars sold since Datsun Go was launched in India in March 2014 now stands at 114,000 units (globally),” he said.
Stressing on the growth of sales and service networks in the four markets—India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa—that Datsun operates in, and expanding its product line-up in India, Cobee also said that there will be a new product based on the Renault–Nissan Alliance CMF-A architecture in the early part of 2016.
However, according to our sources, Datsun could play a surprise and bring in the production version of its Go-Cross concept before the Redi-Go gets ready for launch in the Indian market. The Go-Cross shares the same platform as the Go+, and that itself is a strong reason for the company to accelerate its development as a production model.
While it’s essentially a hatchback with raised ride height and fancy body-cladding to make it look off-road worthy, expect the Go-Cross to be positioned as a ‘crossover’ in the sub-4 metre vehicle category. Experts also expect a seven-seater version of the Go-Cross as a follow-up act to the standard five-seater version—much like Go/Go+ product strategy. Hypothesised looking at the design of the concept, the Go-Cross siblings are expected to sit slightly above the Go and Go+ models that are currently on sale. Datsun will also bring in Redi-Go—shown as a concept at the 2014 Auto Expo in India—in the first half of 2016. Based on the CMF-A platform developed by the Renault-Nissan Alliance, the Redi-Go will slot itself in a segment lower than where the Go is currently positioned in the market.
ashish.jha@expressindia.com
