Renault to launch Fluence by Mid-2011
Renault will bring out its first offering in the Indian market in the form of its sedan – Fluence. The sedan is based on the Renault/Nissan C platform and is sized between the compact family saloon C-segment and the upper-medium segment. Renault made its intentions clear when they unveiled its 18-24 month road chart which will see the Fluence being launched by mid 2011. The Fluence is a D-segment sedan that will be manufactured at the new Renault-Nissan greenfield manufacturing capability in Chennai. The automobile will come with Renaults 1.5 DCi motor (which did duty on the Logan) that churns out atleast 100hp as well as a 1.6 petrol engine sourced from Nissan which gives out 110hp more than that. The Fluence will be priced around 12-14 lakh and will contend with the Chevrolet Cruze and the Toyota Corolla Altis. We are sure that the Fluence with its smooth plan and superior features will find a place in the hearts of the people once its launched.
Nissan Plans To Launch Two New Small Cars For India
India’s compact automobile market is already packed with lots of cars competing for survival. Maruti Suzuki is dominating this section for decades now. But, many auto companies sees more development potential in this segment, that is why they are preparing to launch more small cars in this segment in upcoming years. The Nissan Motor India is also one of them. The company which has tasted success in India with Nissan Micra is scheduling 2 new small cars to its product portfolio to tap into the demand for small cars in India the next 3 years, according to Auto car India.
The first model (code: K2) will be built on a two-generation old Micra platform (code: K11) but will obtain a new ‘top-hat’ or all new corpse and interiors. The K2 which is due for open in December 2012 is aimed at the Wagon R and A-star and will be priced competitively at around Rs 3.5 lakh. Engine options are likely to be the same 1.2 ltr 3 cylinder petrol motor that powers the Micra although a highly fuel-efficient 1-ltr engine is also being considered. The second model, Nissan I2 is probable to lock horns with Maruti Suzuki Alto, which is now the World’s No.1 small car. I2 is developed by Defiance Testing & Engineering, a company basically in the U.S. and acquired by Ashok Leyland (AL) in 2007. It has to be noted that Ashok Leyland & Nissan have forged a joint project to build up small car and now we know that it is I2. The K2 will come with 2 wheelbases; the longer account will be for export markets. Nissan is also considering an MPV version of the K2 to cater to the Indonesian market where this corpse style is very popular.
Nissan is planning a massive assault
Nissan is planning a massive assault on the huge compact car market in India with two all-new models that will sit below the Micra in the Japanese company’s model range. The first model (code: K2) will be built on a two-generation old Micra platform (code: K11) but will find a new ‘top-hat’ or all new corpse and interiors. The K2 which is due for launch in December 2012 is aimed at the Wagon R and A-star and will be priced competitively at around Rs 3.5 lakh. Engine options are likely to be the same 1.2 litre three-cylinder petrol motor that powers the Micra although a highly fuel-efficient 1-litre engine is also being considered. The K2 will come with two wheelbases; the longer version will be for export markets.
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Nissan is also considering an MPV version of the K2 to cater to the Indonesian market where this body design is extremely popular. According to sources in Nissan, using the defunct K11 platform has resulted in savings of around Rs. 50,000 and critical to meeting the stiff target price. Even more ambitious is the cheaper entry level hatchback (code: I2) that Nissan is rising to compete head on with the Alto. The I2 is being developed by Defiance Testing and Engineering, a US company acquired in 2007 by Ashok Leyland, Nissan’s joint-venture partner in India.
Ashok Leyland will take the lead in developing the I2 and to keep costs down a significant amount of engineering work will be carried out in India. Nissan hopes to sell the I2 for around Rs 2.5 lakh and tap into the massive volumes the Alto is presently enjoying. The I2 is likely to be launched in 2013. Nissan also has the alternative to use Bajaj’s ultra-low cost car (ULC) though it’s not clear if the ULC will form a part of Nissan’s India range. However, with the Micra, K2 and I2, Nissan will have completely covered the budget end of the Indian car market and could pose a formidable challenge to Maruti’s stranglehold.
Nissan Teana Set To Become Less Expensive
Although a successful car maker internationally, Nissan have not been able to score numbers in India. Nissan India had launched their luxury sedan, Teana, in 2007, but its competitors, the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, overshadowed it ever since.
However, Nissan are now planning to import the Teana in India through the semi-knocked down uni route instead of the completely knocked down unit they currently import. This will save them considerable import duty and other taxes to the tune of 85%! Nissan will assemble the car here from February 2011 at their Chennai plant. The Nissan Teana range in India starts from Rs 26.64 lakh. Considering the reduction in taxes, the price should come down to less than Rs 20 lakh.
Nissan India Registers Domestic Sales of 1104 units in Dec 2010
Nissan Motor India Private Limited on Tuesday announced that it has registered total domestic sales of 1104 units for the month of December 2010 as against twelve units in December 2009. Out of the 1104 units, Nissan Micra, the made-in-India Global compact hatchback leads the sales figures with 1057 units in December 2010 as against 1029 units sold in November 2010. Nissan India has so far sold 6441 units of Nissan Micra since sales began on July 15, 2010.
Out of the remaining, Nissan Teana, the luxury sedan (CBU) clocked 14 units in December 2010 as against 6 units in December 2009 and Nissan X-trail; the lifestyle Sport Utility Vehicle (CBU) registered sales of 31 units as against 6 units in December 2009. Nissan also sold two units of its iconic sports car, Nissan 370Z in December 2010. So far, the Nissan has sold eight units of 370Z since its launch in January this year. As part of its after-sales commitment, in an effort to handhold the consumers and provide them with round-the-clock assistance, Nissan has introduced a host of customer care and service schemes including Extended Warranty and Roadside Assistance for its products starting with the Nissan Micra.
{Source: carazoo}
Nissan Opens Dealerships In Aurangabad & Rajkot
Nissan India has announced the opening of its new dealerships in the cities of Aurangabad and Rajkot. This marks the entry of the Nissan in Marathwada and Saurashtra regions. The opening of Shirin Nissan dealership in Aurangabad and IB Nissan dealership in Rajkot respectively marks Nissan’s dealership expansion strategy to reach commercial coverage in more than 52 percent of the national territory.
Currently 13 states of the country have Nissan dealerships. Both Shirin Nissan in Aurangabad and IB Nissan in Rajkot have a spacious showroom facility with service area to cater to customers’ need for a quick and better service. The Nissan India today has 22 dealers operational across the country and aims to have more than 100 dealers by 2013.
Widebody Kit For Nissan GT-R by Axell Auto Previewed
Japanese tuner Axell Auto has released first renderings of a widebody kit for the Nissan GT-R, that will be shown next month at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon. The kit includes a new aggressive front fascia, modified fenders, side skirts, LED daytime lights, huge diffuser and a rear wing.
To better fit the wider body, the Nissan GT-R is expected to get wider wheels and tires. No details yet are the upgrades just visual or will Axell Auto also offer performance upgrades for the Nissan GT-R.
Portugal Prime Minister Socrates Takes Delivery of Nissan Leaf
Portuguese electric mobility consortium MOBI.E took delivery of nine Nissan LEAFs last week, becoming the first commercial customer in Europe of the world’s first mass-market 100% electric vehicle. The keys to the cars were handed over to the CEO’s of the nine companies belonging to the consortium by Carlos Tavares, Executive Vice-president Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Pierre Loing, Vice President Product Strategy & Planning Nissan International SA and Diogo Jardim, Country Director Nissan Iberia SA – Portugal, at a ceremony in Lisbon.
“Companies such as EDP, Efacec, Critical Software, Martifer and Siemens, which, together, have developed MOBI.E’s charging solution, want to set an example by being the first entities to acquire electric vehicles for their fleets. The existence of a charging network constitutes the most crucial element in the affirmation of the electric vehicle. With MOBI.E – the most advanced and intelligent solution for charging worldwide – the incentives and legal frame as defined by the Government, Portugal brings together all the essential conditions to become the first Living Lab for electric vehicles”, said João Dias, on behalf of MOBI.E.
At the ceremony, Tavares also handed over a set of keys to the Portuguese government who receives one Nissan LEAF on loan for test-drive purposes.
Prime Minister José Sócrates, who accepted the keys on behalf of the government, said: “We are extremely pleased to be introducing the electric vehicle in Portugal. After 3 years of collaborative work between the Government, public entities, the corporate consortium which developed the MOBI.E solution and Nissan, we have achieved the first smart, built-in charging network on a national scope, therefore we are the first country to welcome electric vehicles. By combining in a pioneer manner our commitment to renewable energies, the implementation of the smart charging network and the introduction of electric vehicles, Portugal will be in the lead of the transition to a more sustainable future.”
Nissan LEAF, which was recently awarded European Car of the Year 2011, is powered by a compact electric motor, which drives the front wheels. The AC motor develops a power output of 109PS and 280Nm of torque, enough for a maximum speed of 145 km/h. The electric motor is powered by a Nissan-developed laminated lithium-ion battery with an output of more than 90kW. The car has a range of 175 km (New European Driving Cycle) between charges, making it a practical proposition for many urban drivers. Deliveries to customers have already begun in Japan and the United States while in Europe, deliveries to Portugal, Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands will start in the first quarter of 2011. Production of the car, which is currently being manufactured in Japan, is due to start in Sunderland, in the UK, from early 2013.
{Source: Globalmotors}
Nissan working on small car below Micra
Unable to price the Micra aggressively, Nissan has understood that the only way to penetrate the Indian market is by developing another inexpensive compact car. Nissan is working on this small car and the Indian wing is helping them complete the task. Earlier this year, Nissan held talks with Ashok Leyland for a car between the Bajaj-Nissan-Renault ULC and the Micra, but no headway was made. As wheelosphere.org points out, Nissan could develop this small car with another objective – Pixo replacement for Europe. The Pixo is the Maruti Suzuki A-Star wearing a Nissan badge. Maruti Suzuki decided to supply Nissan Pixos till 2013. Beyond this point, Nissan might fill that void by manufacturing the next generation Pixo at its Oragadam plant in Chennai where the Micra is manufactured.
Mr. Kiminobu Tokuyama, Managing Director & CEO, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. (NMIPL) to Business Standard - We plan to have a car below the Micra. We have a significant demand for this segment and we have been studying it. We are, at present, in the concept stage and studying customers Rumor has it that Volkswagen expressed attention in cosmetically altering the A-Star to fill the product gap under the Polo for India. This might be another reason why Nissan could have chosen to look beyond the A-Star and its partnership with Maruti Suzuki for the future of the Pixo. Recently there were reports of a possible tie-up between Malaysian car maker Proton and Nissan, where the latter would provide its V-Platform to Proton for developing its small car for India.
In 2013, Nissan will manufacture the V-Platform MPV at Oragadam which might not be suited for the Indian market. Nissan will however introduce the NV200 MPV in India by 2012 under the Ashok Leyland-Nissan alliance. Nissan’s third product for India, from Oragadam, instead of the V-platform MPV, could be the sub-Micra mini car which will serve dual purpose – take on the likes of the Maruti Alto and Hyundai HA here in India, and serve as the Pixo replacement in Europe and other parts of the world.
Sunny is Nissan’s global sedan
Nissan has unveiled their all-new global sedan model at the 8th China International Automobile Exhibition. The sedan, to be called Sunny, will go on sale in China in January 2011. It will then be sold across 170 countries worldwide. The all-new global sedan is the second model to be built on the Nissan 'V' platform. The automobile will be launched in India in the second half of 2011 and will be manufactured in Chennai. The car will not be called the 'Sunny' in India, though. However, Nissan is yet to reveal what it will be rebadged.
Mr. Kiminobu Tokuyama, Managing Director & CEO, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd. (NMIPL) said, “Following the achievement of our first locally made car – the Nissan Micra, we are happy to disclose the first visuals of the second car to be produced in India. We are sure that the “New Global Sedan”, which is also based on the versatile ‘V’ platform, will delight the discerning Indian customers. The model will be launched in India in the second half of 2011." The Nissan Sunny in China will be motorized by a 1.5-litre HR15DE engine with double injectors and a new-generation Xtronic CVT with an auxiliary transmission, both of which are newly introduced in China. The company claims that the Sunny delivers ease in handling for city driving where there is regular acceleration and deceleration, and superior ecological performance as a projected class leader in fuel economy.