Datsun gets a reboot for Russia, India, and Indonesia

By Nick Jaynes May 1, 2013

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Nissan officially phased out the Datsun nameplate in 1983. The last vehicle to sport the Datsun moniker was the 280ZX.

Now, however, Datsun is back. But only in Russia, India, and Indonesia.

According to Autocar India, by way of Autocar, the new Datsun will be aimed mostly at the burgeoning Indian middle class and will feature comfortable seats. A sportier model is also planned.

While the underpinnings aren’t yet known, the new Datsun will be just smaller than the Nissan Micra available outside the U.S.. Under the hood of the Datsun, buyers will find the same 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that powers the Micra.

Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn is scheduled to unveil the new car and officially restart the Datsun brand this July before the car goes on sale next year.

Could this car have roots in China? We have a hunch it might. Nissan launched a China-only brand called Venucia. We wouldn’t be surprised if Datsun and Venucia didn’t share some commonalities in terms of production and design – if not now then in the near future.

There is no current plan to bring the Datsun brand back to either Europe or the U.S. so don’t get your hopes up.

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Nick Jaynes is the Automotive Editor for Digital Trends. He developed a passion for writing about cars working his way…

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