Nissan Begins Datsun Production in India

Nissan Motor Co. has begun assembling its first Datsun brand model, the subcompact Go, at the factory it co-owns with Renault SA outside Chennai, India.

The five-door hatch will go on sale in March with a base price of about 400,000 rupees ($6,400). Nissan also plans to introduce the Datsun brand in Indonesia, Russia and South Africa before the end of 2015.

Nissan is expected to eventually produce Datsuns in several countries. Analysts say the company will build the cars along with its own models until volume builds enough to justify separate facilities. The Go shares its platform with the Nissan Micra/March minicar.

Nissan announced in 2012 that it would bring back the Datsun brand, which it phased out in the early 1980s, as an entry-level brand for emerging markets. Reports at the time said the company aimed for annual sales of 300,000 units.

Nissan hopes to capture 8% of the worldwide car market by early 2017 from 5.8% in fiscal 2012.