Nissan to revive Datsun name in emerging markets, eyes increased sales

Nissan is reviving the Datsun name to increase sales in India, Russia and Indonesia, the company said during a visit to Jakarta.

Nissan will invest $400 million in Indonesia over the next two years, doubling hiring and tripling the number of dealerships in the region to 90,000. The Datsun name will begin appearing on cars in 2014.

Of the Datsun models, CEO Carlos Ghosn said, “It's a green car, affordable car, small displacement, high local content. . . . It's going to be a generous car.”

The company that would become well-known as Nissan has sold vehicles under a few different names in its long history, including the name DAT Motors, which was used in the early 1900s. The company later became DAT Automobile Manufacturing, under which name it sold a 495-cc passenger vehicle called the Datson, literally, son of DAT.

By 1958, Datsun cars were appearing in the United States. At that time, the company reserved the Nissan name for trucks and high-end sedans. The company famously decided to transition from the Datsun name to Nissan in 1981, and many models carried both Nissan and Datsun badges during the process.

In its efforts to grow the brand in emerging markets, Nissan has partnered with Ashok Leyland

Ltd. in India and announced a new factory in Brazil. Additionally, Renault-Nissan is close to announcing a deal to increase its stake in the Russian brand AvtoVAZ.

Nissan is the third best-selling brand in Indonesia and said it hopes to increase sales with inexpensive, Datsun-branded models. The brand's most popular vehicle now is the Grand Livina

minivan, which accounts for 45 percent of sales.

By Jake Lingeman