Datsun previews new budget sedan for Russia [w/video]

Thu, 13 Mar 2014

Nobody does cars on the cheap quite like the Renault-Nissan Alliance. The former part of the equation already has its Dacia brand of cost-effective, no-frills vehicles that have become a favorite of Top Gear co-host James May, and last summer, the latter revived its Datsun nameplate for a budget brand of its own.

The reborn Datsun launched in India this past July with its Go hatchback, returned in September with the Go+ minivan and revealed the Redi-Go concept just last month. And now it's given us our first look at an upcoming budget sedan developed specifically for the Russian market.

The as-yet unnamed vehicle (which we'll bet will incorporate the word "go" into its nameplate somehow) is set to debut on April 4, where it will launch the Datsun brand in Russia. Few details are available at this point, but the low-cost sedan was designed in Japan to offer Russian drivers "an engaging driving experience, peace of mind ownership and accessibility at the right and transparent price, with a competitive Total Cost of Ownership."

That's about all there is to say at the moment, but Datsun has released a brief teaser video along with the press notice below to give Russian buyers an idea of what to expect.

First Datsun Production Model for Russia to be Unveiled on April 4th, 2014

- Datsun reveals a sketch of its first ever car for Russia
- Datsun's Russian consumer website goes live today
- First official introduction of the Datsun brand in Russia
- New Datsun model has been developed specifically for Russia

YOKOHAMA, Japan (March 13, 2014) - Datsun will pull the covers off its all new car for Russia on April 4th, 2014, in Moscow. And in advance of this symbolic event, that will celebrate the brand's entry into the dynamic Russian automotive market, Datsun has released a sketch and an animated video of the exciting new model.

The Datsun launch in Russia is particularly significant for the global expansion of the brand as it is a key market that offers Datsun great potential for growth. Furthermore, it is the first time in Datsun's history that the brand has been introduced to Russia officially.

Datsun's dedicated webpage for Russia goes live today, with a countdown to the official launch date. The site allows visitors to register for the latest brand news, helping to build anticipation and customer interest in this new player in the market. Visitors will also be able to watch a live-stream of the unveiling on April 4th.

The Datsun car to be unveiled on April 4th was developed specially for the Russian market, but its concept follows the brand's common global philosophy of offering customers - known as risers - an engaging driving experience, peace of mind ownership and accessibility at the right and transparent price, with a competitive Total Cost of Ownership.

The car was styled in Japan, while development was carried out locally by an international team of talented engineers drawing on Nissan Motor Corporation's 80 years of car manufacturing experience and technical expertise. The 21st century Datsun for Russia will deliver a rich, customer-orientated brand experience with no compromise in terms of accessibility, reliability and durability - values deeply rooted in Datsun's heritage.

Brand and product information in Russian will be available after April 4th. To follow Datsun news online please visit: www.datsun.ru.

About Datsun
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced the return of the Datsun brand, Nissan's third global brand, alongside Nissan and Infiniti, in March 2012. Datsun will provide a sustainable motoring experience to optimistic up-and-coming customers in high-growth markets. Datsun represents 80 years of accumulated Japanese car-making expertise and is an important part of Nissan's DNA. Datsun vehicles will start sales in India, Indonesia, Russia and South Africa from 2014.

Datsun History
Datsun originated in Japan as DAT-GO (the DAT-car) almost a century ago in 1914. The word DAT means 'lightning-fast' in Japanese but is also a reference to the first letters of family names of the three financiers who supported the business at the time: Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi. Using the same logic, it was promoted as Durable, Attractive and Trustworthy, or DAT for short.

In 1933, Nissan's founding father Yoshisuke Aikawa took over the business with a vision of "mobility for all". The introduction of a light-weight, economical yet resilient car to meet the aspirations of young Japanese people in the early 1930s was named the 'son of DAT' - Datson - which later changed to Datsun. Local engineering and mass-production made the founder's dream a reality.

By Noah Joseph