Nissan has pulled the plug on the Datsun brand in India after a dismal journey of nine years. The Japanese brand had earlier discontinued the Datsun brand in multiple global markets like Russia and Indonesia in 2020. Datsun was reintroduced in the Indian market in 2013 after a gap of 32 years with the launch of the GO hatchback. Soon, two more models were added to the brand's portfolio in the form of the GO+ MPV and redi-GO hatchback. Sadly, it failed to create any buzz amidst the buyers and hence, Nissan was left with no choice but to phase it out.
In its official statement, Nissan India said, "Production of Datsun redi-GO has ceased at the Chennai plant (Renault Nissan Automotive India Private Ltd). Sales of the model still continue (till the stock lasts). We can reassure all existing and future Datsun owners that customer satisfaction remains our priority, and we will continue to provide the highest levels of after-sales service, parts availability, and warranty support from our national dealership network." Datsun had already stopped the production of GO and GO+. India and South Africa were two key markets for the brand. The phasing out of the Datsun brand is a part of Nissan's global transformation strategy which was announced in 2020.
"As part of Nissan's global transformation strategy, Nissan is focusing on core models and segments that bring the most benefit to customers, dealer partners and the business. In India, this includes the all-new, locally produced Nissan Magnite with over 100,000 customer orders to date," added Nissan India in the statement. Nissan is also contemplating streamlining of operations in some markets in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region which includes ceasing production in Indonesia. The failure of the Datsun brand and products can be attributed to the unabashed dominance of Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai in the small car segment in the Indian market.
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A mechanical engineering dropout by choice, Mayank has been in the auto journalism biz for the past 8 years. He is currently working as an Associate Editor at Droom Discovery and covering each and every aspect of the auto industry. He has worked with a plethora of renowned Auto brands in his illustrious career so far. Being a student of English Literature, his mantras of success are the Never-Say-Never attitude and self-confidence. Mayank likes to travel, read books and listen to music during his free time.
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