$3,000 Car In Development: 2014 Datsun To Be Sold in Developing Countries
Nissan Rebooting the Datsun at a Price Tag of $3,000
Atsugi, Japan – Nissan Motors has announced it will revive the classic Datsun vehicle for sale in emerging markets for a price tag between $3,000 and $5,000, reports FOX News.
The little car will give up air bags on all sides and an automatic transmission in order to be economically viable at $3,000. It should be noted that both of those features are standard in the USA.
Also, there are no plans to unveil this vehicle in the United States as was done with the Yugo back in the 80s. Instead, Nissan, a leader in niche market of selling cars in Emerging markets, plans to sell the vehicle in the developing world.
Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Nissan’s CEO, Carlos Ghosn
Mr. Ghosn said the company was committed to offering six Datsun vehicles, due out beginning in 2014, at a price range lower than all but a handful of smaller car makers in China and India specializing in mini autos.
The target release date is 2014.
Ghosn says the goal is to provid poorer populations a greater chance at car ownership.
Currently, Nissan’s low-end vehicle, the Tsuru, is sold in Mexico for $8,000. Getting the revamped Datsun to market at $3,000 will be quite a feat of engineering.
The cheapest car in Canada is around $12,000. To go below that, you have to start shopping over seas in placs like India. In those markets, cars retail for a fraction of the cost, but they’re even more basic than you could imagine. We doubt any of them would pass a Canadian crash test.
Here are three of the cheapest cars ever sold.
Zotye Z100
Price: $3,851 (converted from Chinese yuan at today’s rate).
The Zotye is not the world’s cheapest car, for that you’ll have to go to number 10 on our list. But, the Z100 is certainly down there. Like many of the cars on this list, you’ll find it’s missing some key safety features of its North American counterparts. Not only that, China Car Times isn’t even sure if this is a legal replica of the old Suzuki Alto or a bit of a knock off. (Photo: China Car Times)
Chery QQ3
Price: $5,000
Cars like the Alto, although incredibly cheap, seem to be end-of-production cars and overstock according to the experts at China Car Times. The QQ3 is a good example of the latest generation of ultra-cheap new cars in China. The engine is an 800cc, so when the vehicle is loaded down with four passengers, we suggest you avoid steep hills.
Jiangnan Alto
Price: $3,000
Now, I must admit, I am no expert on the impenetrable mess of rapidly changing companies, brands, and models that make up the Chinese car industry. (I expect that to change in the coming decade.) However, from what I can discern, the Jiangnan Alto is one of the cheapest cars on offer in The Peoples’ Republic. (As of mid-2011, it was in fact the cheapest.) It has been built by different brands in its time, but the current iteration has a 800cc, 36 hp engine. (Photo: Autohome.com)
