Nissan Debuts Datsun Mini-MPV in India

Nissan Motor Co. has introduced the Datsun Go+, a seven-passenger multipurpose vehicle variant of the Go small car it debuted in India last year.

The Go+ is the market's first MPV measuring less than four meters (13.1 feet) long. The shorter size reduces the excise tax on the Go+ to 12% from the 24% levied on larger vehicles.

Beyond the Datsun brand, Nissan sells the self-branded Micra minicar, midsize Sunny sedan and Terrano SUV in India. The company aims to double its dealer network there to more than 300 and capture 10% of the Indian car market over the next two years. Its sales in fiscal April-December surged 46% to 35,000 units.

Nissan-Renault's assembly plant in Chennai, which exports about 100,000 Datsun Go cars per year, can make 480,000 vehicles annually. The facility currently is operating at 60% of capacity.