CEO says Datsun brand to return to Nissan

JAKARTA (Reuters): The Datsun brand will return to Nissan and the top priority for it will be increasing sales growth in Indonesia, India and Russia, Nis-san Motor CEO Carlos Ghosn told reporters in Indonesia during a visit on Tue-sday.

He said Nissan plans $400 million in investment over two years and will double hiring by 2014 in Indonesia, which has the largest economy in Southeast Asia.

Ghosn previously expressed interest in reviving the Datsun brand for car and truck lines to be sold outside Japan in 2014 and set emerging markets such as India, Russia, Indonesia as main targets. “It’s a green car, affordable car, small displacement, high local content,” Ghosn said of the Datsun, adding: “It’s going to be a generous car.” Nissan executives met Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday and said they would inject $400 million for plant expansions to double its production by 2014. On March 12, Nissan appointed Kintaro Izumida as president director of PT Nissan Motor Indonesia and PT Nissan Motor Distributor Indonesia, replacing Takayuki Kimura.

“The priority (for Nissan Motors in Indonesia) is for the Indo-nesian market. If there is any room for more capacity it will be located for domestic (market) rather than for exports, although cost is competitive,” Ghosn said.