Nissan doing the groundwork for Datsun GO launch in India

The first car from the Datsun line-up will be officially launched next January at the 2014 Indian Auto Expo but before that, the groundwork is being done by parent company Nissan. The company unveiled the Datsun GO in India this July and more cars are expected to be added only to be sold directly through Nissan Motor India.

 “As part of a natural evolution we decided to have our own direct distribution for the Datsun brand. There will be a structured organisation. The manpower will be benchmarked with the competition that we have in the segment,” said John Kullu, general manager, Datsun India. 

“We recognise the need to have an extensive dealership network, not just in tier 1 but tier 2&3 cities as well. There will be a separate dealer development, sales and marketing team which will look at marketing the Datsun successfully. We are creating a new arm,” he added.

Entry into the country through the Nissan dealerships should see them well taken care of in terms of networking and service management as well. Apart from India, Datsun vehicles will be sold in Russia, Indonesia and South Africa.

Nissan has so far relied on Hover Automotive for marketing and distribution. Now the carmaker has its work cut out as it readying itself to target a much larger group than what it used to before as the company already has seven models in the market, including the Nissan Micra.

With regards to its entry into the Indian market Nissan and Datsun have embarked upon an extensive plan for the GO. With the Japanese carmaker expected to officially launch the car at the Auto Expo 2014, their tactics also reflect their urgency. Datsun is showcasing their soon-to-be-launched hatchback, the GO, to customers through a pan-India road show. This campaign will be carried out in more than 90 cities.

Source: FinancialExpress