Skip to main content

Blast from the past: Nissan to officially bring back Datsun as budget brand

Blast-from-the-past-Nissan-to-officially-bring-back-Datsun-as-budget-brand
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Well it looks like the rumor mill actually churned out a nugget truth for once. Earlier this month we reported on the possibility of Nissan resurrecting the Datsun brand. Now we can confirm those reports as 100 percent accurate. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has officially announced the reintroduction of the Datsun name, bringing the up-until-now defunct nameplate back into the fray alongside Infiniti, giving Nissan its third global brand.

New-Datsun-LogoSadly, as we mentioned before, the Datsun brand will more than likely not make it to established markets in Europe or the United States. Instead, the Datsun brand will be used primarily in emerging markets such as Indonesia, India, and Russia. With Datsun, Nissan will look to strengthen its presence in these particular markets by offering consumers inexpensive, fuel efficient vehicles with a healthy array of standard features.

Given the growing automotive market and potential for emerging markets like Indonesia, it’s no surprise companies like Nissan are looking to capitalize and strengthen their positions. In 2011 alone, Nissan sold 60,000 vehicles in Indonesia. Nissan expects that number to rocket up to about 250,000 units by 2104. A figure that is more realistic than you would imagine when taking into account Indonesia’s growing automotive economy is expected to double in size from its current 890,000 vehicles per year by 2017, according to analysts.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Amir Iliaifar
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Associate Automotive Section Editor for Digital Trends, Amir Iliaifar covers the ever increasing cross-section between tech…
Alpine sale: Up to $160 off speakers and subs for your car
alpine speaker sale crutchfield march 2024 car and amp setup on table

If you’re looking to kit your car out with some superior speakers or a subwoofer, Crutchfield is the place to go today. Right now, there’s a huge sale on Alpine subwoofers and speakers with nearly 50 different items forming the sale. As there are so many options, the best idea is to hit the button below to see what’s around. If you don’t know where to start though, read on while we take you through some great items in the sale.

What to shop for in the Alpine sale
Buying the best aftermarket car speakers are important for anyone who spends a lot of time on the road and is currently dealing with a mediocre sound system. One good starting point in the Alpine sale is the 2-way speakers for $104 instead of $130. You get two 2-way speakers with a polypropylene/glass fiber/mica woofer with a specialized rubber surround. There’s a one-inch silk dome tweeter with speakers able to handle up to 80 watts RMS with 240 watts peak power. The grilles aren’t included but the factor ones should be fine for most purposes.

Read more
Mercedes to trial humanoid robots for ‘low-skill, repetitive, demanding’ jobs
Apptronik's Apollo robot at work in an auto plant.

Humanoid robots have been coming on leaps and bounds in recent years, and some major companies are starting to take note.

Mercedes-Benz, for example, has just entered into an agreement with Texas-based robotics specialist Apptronik to collaborate on identifying applications for highly advanced robots that the auto giant could deploy. The deal will involve a trial that will see Apptronik's Apollo humanoid robot work alongside Mercedes' human workers on the factory floor.

Read more
Hyundai Ioniq 9: price, release date, range, and more
Hyundai Ioniq 9 Front

Hyundai has been at the forefront of EV development for a while now, largely thanks to the success of the crossover-sized Hyundai Ioniq 5. But the company is readying another new EV that could be even more popular than the Ioniq 5 -- or at least more desirable in the U.S., the land of big cars.

The upcoming Ioniq 9, previously set to be called the Ioniq 7, will be Hyundai's take on an electric SUV. It will be to Hyundai what the Kia EV9 is to Kia. It will have three rows and carry over design elements from the Ioniq 5.

Read more