Nissan India has stopped the production of Datsun’s range of cars. Resurrected in 2013, Datsun was introduced as a budget brand for developing markets like India, Indonesia, Russia, and Africa. Coincidentally, India was the first country where Datsun was introduced and also the last country to see its exit. Datsun’s India range of cars consisted of the Go, Go+ and Redi-Go. With a minuscule market share, it was inevitable for Nissan to shut down the brand to avoid losses.
What caused the failure?
Regarding the cease of Datsun’s operations in India, Nissan stated, “As part of Nissan’s global transformation strategy, the company is focusing on core models and segments that bring the most benefit to customers, dealer partners, and the business. Production of the RediGo has ceased at the Chennai plant.” As mentioned before, Datsun was introduced as a budget brand in the country. The brand focused on the entry-level segment which comprised cars like the Maruti Alto.
The first car to be introduced by the brand was the Go. Datsun’s showrooms and workshops were merged with Nissan to save on the cost of opening separate outlets for the brand. The Datsun Go offered to be a bigger and more powerful package than the Maruti Alto at a similar price point. However, the car was never received well due to the cost-cutting it came with. Though all entry-level cars are built to cost, the Datsun felt incredibly cheap. Datsun then launched the Go+ which was the MPV derivative of the Go. Again, it failed to a similar demise despite the extra practicality that it offered at a low price point.
What didn’t help its case either was that the brand wasn’t well known among Indians and its sister brand Nissan wasn’t too popular either. The last launch from the brand was the Redi-Go which did improve upon a few aspects of the Go but it still didn’t do any wonders. The dismal results in the Global NCAP only made the matters worse for the brand. Brands like Maruti and Hyundai sold like hot cakes in the entry-level segment and even new players like the Renault Kid did exceptionally well. In the end, the brand died a slow death and we don’t think it will be revived anytime soon.
Keyword: Nissan Pulls The Plug On Datsun In India