“We are well on track to open the new factory in March,” Production will start in May and the first hatchback on the V platform will be sold from July,” Kiminobu Tokuyama, the Nissan Motors India managing director, told Dow Jones Newswires.
Annual auto sales are expected to triple in India by 2016. Two-thirds of the cars sold will be small cars. Nissan will join Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Co. in the assault for part of the share of the small-car market.
Suzuki Motor Co. currently sells more than half of the cars in India.
Tata Motors, which now has its Tata Nano available only in India as the world’s cheapest car, has already capitalized on the growing need for small, inexpensive cars.
“We see the Indian market as a growing market and we are very much focused on this market. At this moment, it is the most important market for Nissan after Russia and China,” Tokuyama said.
Nissan plans to sell nine models in India by 2012, five made in India. Nissan also hopes to secure a 5.5 percent of the car market in India.
James Raia
A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
Any idea what engine will be used?
Thanks for the comment. The information I received didn't include engine parameters.
I hope you visit dev.theweeklydriver.com again soon.