Nissan India plans new models to raise sales, revive Datsun brand

Nissan Motors India plans to increase its sales in the domestic market to about 1 lakh vehicles in FY14 from about 37,000 units sold during the previous financial year.

The company, a subsidiary of Japan's Nissan Motor Co, will also increase its dealer networks to 145 by end of FY14 from 95 as of March 31, 2013, in a bid to raise its market share in India to 10 per cent by 2015-16.

''We have new models coming in, and we are going to increase the number of dealers. We should have sold more vehicles in India,'' Kenichiro Yomura, President, India operations, and MD & CEO, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd., said.

The company would launch a total of four models - two refreshed models and two new models, with the first launch in July, Yomura said.

Towards this end, the company is significantly ramping up its dealer network from 95 in 2012-13 to 145 in 2013-14. It has revived the Datsun brand under which it will sell economy segment cars.

''Datsun is not a cheaper version of Nissan but is being built as a brand for this market,'' he added.

NMIPL, which exported about 1.30 lakh vehicles exports in FY13, expects to maintain that number during the current financial year too.

NMIPL sells six models in India of which it manufactures the hatchback Micra, the sedan Sunny and the MPV Evalia at its Chennai plant, which has an installed capacity of 4 lakh units a year. It imports the other three models-the premium sedan Tenea, the high-end SUV X-Trail and the luxury sedan 370Z.

Nissan, Japan's third largest automaker, would also look at investment in improving its production capacity in India and increase its existing 4 lakh units of installed capacity.