The Japanese automotive giant, Nissan Motor Corporation, along with the French automaker Renault, recently revealed that they are planning big things for the Indian market. The companies, just a few months ago, announced their plans to invest around Rs 5,300 crore in India over the coming few years. Well, on further advancement on this expansion, recently the plans from Nissan’s end have surfaced online. Nissan has announced that it will be launching six new cars by 2026 in India, and all of them will be SUVs. Some will be internal combustion engine models, and some will be electric vehicles.
Nissan’s Plan
A spokesperson from the company recently stated,
“The Alliance has committed in February 2023 to collaborate on six new production vehicles for domestic and international customers, including two new fully electric vehicles. An initial investment of around $600m USD / ₹5300 crores INR is planned to support the new projects. At this stage, we cannot comment on speculation regarding product specifications of any of the future product(s) by the Alliance partners.”
Starting off with the first product, according to reports, the first will be Nissan’s flagship SUV in India, the X-Trail. The most recent fourth-generation model of the X-Trail was shown in India back in October of last year. According to sources, this model will be launched in India and will be brought in via the completely built unit (CBU) route. Once launched, this new full-size SUV will compete with the likes of the Toyota Fortuner, Skoda Kodiaq, Volkswagen Tiguan, and Jeep Meridian in India. Most likely, the X-Trail coming to India will be powered by a 1.5-liter full hybrid powertrain.
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Next up, according to reliable sources, Nissan could be debuting a fully electric global SUV in India. Most likely, this global EV SUV will be Nissan’s outgoing Ariya electric crossover. It has been reported that this EV SUV could boast an extremely spectacular true range of around 580-610 km. The exact battery size and powertrain specifications of this global EV vehicle are not known. Currently, the Nissan Ariya in the global market is available with the option between a 63 kWh and 87 kWh battery pack. This crossover comes in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations.
Creta rivaling mid-size SUV
It has also been reported that after the launch of this global EV crossover, Nissan could be launching a mid-size SUV to take over the current segment champions like the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, Volkswagen Taigun, and Skoda Kushaq, along with others. Several previous reports have suggested that this mid-size SUV could be the Nissan Juke, which is also currently on sale in the international markets.
The second-generation Juke, which launched in 2019, is presently available for sale in the international markets. The 1.6-litre four-cylinder naturally-aspirated 117 PS petrol engine and the 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbocharged 117 PS petrol engine are the two engine options currently offered for the Nissan Juke outside India. Given the trend, it is anticipated that the turbocharged petrol engine choice would come to the Indian auto industry. In India, the Nissan Juke may become available with two different transmissions: a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.
Lastly, it has also been reported that the company could be launching three sub-4 meter models in the coming years. One of those models has been reported to be an affordable 7-seater MPV based on the outgoing Renault Triber. Additionally, another entry-level EV vehicle is anticipated from the Japanese automaker. This EV, if launched in the SUV segment, will compete against the Tata Punch EV, which is also slated to be launched before the festive season begins.
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