CHENNAI, INDIA - Back in October it was reported that Nissan was likely to ditch its Datsun brand, with Reuters having cited two company insiders with direct knowledge of the matter. But now
is reporting that the budget brand will be discontinued in East Asian markets, but not in India, where South Africa’s cars are sourced from.
This comes as Nissan’s new boss Makoto Uchida takes the helm with the promise of turning the tide for the Japanese carmaker, which in recent times has seen its sales and profits fall in the wake of former Chairman Carlos Ghosn’s arrest.
According to
, Datsun will stop producing vehicles in Russia from next year, as well as Indonesia - which serves the entire Southeast Asia region.
However, the publication also reports that India will continue to produce Datsun vehicles, and that the brand is also set to launch a new compact SUV in 2020, according to
.
This should in theory secure Datsun’s future in South Africa, as our Go and Go+ models are sourced from India. The local division has certainly shown no signs of giving up on SA, and recently reiterated its commitment by launching
, which now offer the option of a CVT gearbox. The aforementioned SUV is also expected to reach local shores in 2020.
However, Datsun remains a small player in Nissan’s overall portfolio, accounting for just one percent of global sales, according to Nikkei. But for the time being it is set to remain a fixture in India, its surrounding neighbours, and South Africa, while production will soon commence in Pakistan.