Nissan wraps up Datsun brand in India as redi-Go production ends

Nissan Motor India has ended the long, mostly unimpressive run of Datsun brand in the country with the company confirming on Wednesday that it has ended the production of its redi-Go at the Chennai plant. With it, Datsun is now on its last legs the world over and its models are only available in a handful of markets.

Datsun brand was managed by Nissan in India and while models like the Go+, Go and redi-Go tried to go big on the value-for-money proposition, the sales numbers remained timidly low. Nissan, however, is assuring that the sales of the redi-Go will continue and that existing Datsun vehicle owners will still be served as is. “Production of Datsun redi-GO has ceased at the Chennai plant," the company informed in a press statement. "Sales of the model still continue. 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 aftersales service, parts availability, and warranty support from our national dealership network."

Nissan is now putting all its focus on the Magnite sub-compact SUV which had been launched here in December of 2020. The Magnite has been a make-or-break product but has largely managed to save Nissan from the blushes in the country and has sold in respectable numbers. A part of this may have also been due to its attractive pricing while it does have some other highlights like catchy looks, peppy turbo engine and an XTRONIC transmission unit. 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," the company further stated.

But barring Magnite, there is no other model of note under the Nissan India banner either with only the Kicks SUV and the GT-R performance car being the two other models. While Kicks has been relegated to the sidelines by the likes of Creta, Seltos and others, the GT-R comes in via the import route and meant for a microscopic few.