Datsun ready to return!

Tuesday, 4 October 2011 00:09 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The parent company Nissan is planning to extend its ownership of the rights to the Datsun name – and the plans include an all-new logo.

The firm was rebranded as Nissan in the Eighties, and was most famous for small sports cars such as the Seventies 240Z and the Sunny hatchback.

If Datsun makes a return, it’s likely to be a sub-brand for Nissan that aims to produce economical and affordable cars. Nissan’s sister company, Renault, already has such a subsidiary in Dacia, so it’s possible that the new Datsuns could simply be rebadged Dacias.

It’s unlikely that the cars would be sold in the UK, at least initially, as Nissan believes they would be better suited to developing overseas markets.

The new machines will most likely be launched as part of the ‘Power88’ plan, which will see the car maker release a new model every six weeks for the next six years. A spokesperson for Nissan said: “We are looking at various brands and the option to acquire various brands for use in the future, should we want to. We need to make sure that we own the Datsun name. If we were to use it, Datsun would most likely be a brand for large, developing markets such as Russia and China.” Datsun hasn’t been resting – Nissan designers have been working on concept cars to keep the brand alive, producing the four-seat XLink diesel hybrid sports coupé. If Datsun emerges as a budget brand, it would face a host of new rivals.

(Source: autoexpress.co.uk)