nissan-micra

Nissan launches special edition Micra in UK

by Paul Joseph December 17, 2011 Featured

Nissan’s  UK subsidiary unveiled  two special edition Micras in home market. The special edition Micras are branded as   Nissan Micra Kuro (Black) and Nissan Micra Shiro (White). Nissan Micra Kuro and Shiro  have upgraded specifications, special paint shades and extras in trims department. As the name indicates, Micra Kura comes with  a new metallic colour – Sapphire Black while Micra Shiro has two white shades – Pearl or Alabaster. Both the variants get same (ivory effect) dashboard and interiors (lighter shade). Under the hood, Nissan Micra Kuro and Shiro versions will continue to have same 1.2ltr engine  and new supercharged DIG-S gasoline engine. These special Nissan Micras will have heated front seats, climate control, parking sensors as standard equipments and Nissan Connect, an integrated satellite navigation as optional feature. A new decal that will tell the world that these Micras are special. The current generation Micra has been a massive hit in Global market.  But back in India (one of the manufacturing base of the car), Nissan Micra has been a lukewarm hit till now. Though Micra has a fuel efficient diesel engine and features  that make it a perfect city car (least turning radius), it   has not been a hit in our market. Now let us see whether Nissan India too formulating such a special edition strategy to promote  Micra Hatchback. Nissan launches special edition Micra in UK is originally published on : Wheelosphere – Indian Car and Bike Blog

Tagged as: news, nissan india, nissan-micra

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Nissan introduces sporty Micra 1.6 in Brazil

by Paul Joseph November 14, 2011 Featured

Nissan has come out with an interesting variant of the Micra (locally called March) hatch in Brazil sporting a 1.6-liter engine that fires using petrol and ethanol. The March variant is equipped with a 16-valve flex-fuel engine that develops 111PS/151 Nm. Its top speed stands at a lofty 191 kph. Nissan may not introduce a sporty version of the Micra for the Indian customer as the Renault Pulse looks very close to one. Nissan recently updated the car with a powerful horn, rear head rests and pure drive badges. Skyrocketing petrol prices thwarted the appeal of the fuel-sipping 1.2 petrol, and we’ll be surprised if the Japanese decision makers consider the more powerful 1.5 petrol from the Sunny. [Source - revistaautoesporte.globo.com ]

Tagged as: indian, indian-autos, indian-bike, new nissan micra/march, nissan-march, nissan-micra, scoops

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Nissan turning to V-Platform for sub-Micra hatchback?

by Paul Joseph November 12, 2011 Featured

There’s a new twist to the sub-Micra Nissan car project, or projects to be precise. Sources told IndianAutosBlog.com that Nissan is evaluating multiple small cars under the Micra. Ideally there can be two products – an alternative to the Alto and another alternative to the i10. Recently we asked a senior project member of Nissan’s passenger car division what is the ideal strategy to make low cost products for the Indian market. The Ford Figo for example is a reskinned Mk5 Fiesta with a powertrain matched to our market’s preference that’s worked wonders for Ford India. Is mimicking that strategy the sensible step? Here’s his reply – Maybe one of the ideas is how we can utilize the V-Platform. In the case of competitor brands, their volume is much bigger than Nissan’s.  He then concluded saying – For the V-Platform this is just the beginning. Nissan is working on a MPV model on the V-Platform that replaces Note in other parts of the world. India is not on the list of destinations. Instead we will get the NV200 MPV that was spotted testing by our readers Shreyas and Reji recently . Could Nissan look at remoulding the V-Platform to make a car shorter than the Micra? Will they borrow the Micra’s engine and gearbox? Is there a smaller diesel in the works? We’ll track this development to find out. Stay tuned to IndianAutosBlog.com!

Tagged as: indian, indian-autos, indian-bike, nissan, nissan v-platform, nissan-micra, scoops

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Global Auto Giants Undeterred Bullish for Indian Markets

by Paul Joseph July 20, 2011 Featured

New Delhi : On June 16 2011, the 1,00,000 th Micra rolled out of the Renault Nissan Alliance plant in Chennai, the production of this car had started in May 2010. The workforce has been multiplied threefold to meet the consumer demands within India .     Escalating inflation, sky-high interest rates, bad roads, labor problems; nothing seems to dissuade the global auto giants from making a beeline for the Indian automobile markets. The new mantra for these valiant auto manufacturers is “Made in India , made for India ”; they brave the grime, dust and heat to setup their manufacturing units in India . The increased spending on infrastructure and rising salaries, and demographic dividend have made India inviting as never before. The auto industry is witnessing its sharpest slowdown, the growth is crippling at 10–11 percent, but even that is pleasing in these times of global slowdown. The prominence of the Indian auto market was reinforced by the fact that Hiroshi Nakagawa, Managing Director Toyota Kirloskar Motors, deemed the launch of Toyota Etios Liva, the realization of his dream to “make something available to every section of the Indian society”. Toyota has forayed in the hatchback segment with Etios Liva. Their fleet has mostly premium priced models namely Corolla, Innova and Prado. Whereas Etios Liva is designed and developed specifically for the Indian customers; it is the part of the Auto-giant’s strategy to make further inroads in the India auto markets. The rapidly maturing and developing auto component industry is also attracting major international manufacturers. The road to being self sufficient in India is developing a car in the country and increasing the localization level. Stressing on localization, the MD and CEO of Renault Nissan Automotive India Pvt Ltd, Kou Kimura said, “A plant that provides us with a skilled and localized production base is a key part of our strategy for profitable and sustainable growth within India, and Micra’s success is only the first step in realizing our potential in this market.”  

Tagged as: auto india news, auto industry news, news for auto india, nissan, nissan sells news, nissan-micra

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New details from pinkish red Nissan sedan spied twice in Chennai

by Paul Joseph July 4, 2011 Featured

Readers Sree Ganesh and Thangavel P caught the Nissan Sunny/V-Platform sedan/Global sedan on test in Chennai city traffic. Sree who is always on the lookout for new cars wrote us an email with all possible details of the catch – Car Spotted: Nissan Sunny (logos and lights taped with black duct tape) Number of cars: 2 1st car – Red / Maroon : This is the base model with no alloy wheels, sporting black door handles. 2nd car – White : This would be the top-end variant with alloy wheels and body colored handles. This was the lead car. In my picture you will be able to see the red car with a very vaguely visible white car in front. I saw beige interiors on this variant. What we deduce – Top-end variant will have alloy wheels and beige interiors. Extra details (1) Both the cars had black sun visors over the window as an extra fitment. Could this be an accessory or part of the standard fitment? (2) The red car seemed to have met with a minor accident with the right side corner of the front bumper visibly damaged (you know how test mule drivers cut across and speed, don’t you?) (3) There was very little camouflage on the cars with just black taping on the logos, headlights and taillights. (4) Both the cars wore a red number plate. They were MH registered (Maharashtra). Location: Chamiers Road (Chennai city), I clicked while waiting at the signal in the middle of Cenotaph road, just off Mount road which happens to be one of the busiest roads in Chennai. Date: 1st July 2011 Time: Morning 9:20 Am (Peak office time for the junction) A few days back, kilometers before Sree’s spotting, eagle-eyed IAB fan Thangavel P spied the same cars testing on the GST road in Guindy. Thangavel’s image (posted on top) are clearer and they depict the same picture. Nissan Sunny spy video sent by reader Rathnavel Nissan will launch the Micra-based sedan by the end of this year with both petrol and diesel engines. There will be a new 1.6-liter petrol engine joining the Micra’s 1.5-liter diesel under this global sedan’s hood. We’re not sure what Nissan has decided to call it, but Almera is one probability.

Tagged as: nissan-micra, nissan-sunny, spy pictures, white

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Tell us – Are you turning into a dieselhead?

by Paul Joseph June 30, 2011 Featured

The passenger car segment is currently experiencing a slowdown. Automakers are easing of their production lines to compensate the slump in demand. Last year, same period, the passenger car market grew by 31%, however, this year it is only 17%. That is nearly half of the growth completely wiped off! But the 17% growth is still a considerable number. Diesel preference fluttering because of price. In a study of diesel vs petrol for customers who drive 2,000-3,000 km a month, petrol still is the correct choice but customers fear that further price hikes will result in petrol losing its advantage. Car buyers carried misconceptions about diesel producing noise and vibration and would find it uncomfortable to sit in a display car. Having test driven new generation diesel cars, they love the torque wave offered once the turbocharger cuts in. Everyone loves acceleration and a power rush on tap. Ford India believes that this slump is because of looming fuel prices, petrol to be specific. Hence the company has decided to bank on diesel products in the future. In higher segments, customer preference is diesel. Volkswagen didn’t bother launching a petrol Passat and 9/10 Renault Fluences booked is diesel. Diesel is turning out to be the next wave that will sweep the Indian market. Majority of manufacturers are offering diesel variants of their popular cars. This rapid dieselification of the market has caught many manufacturers by surprise such as Honda and Toyota whose primary sales came from petrol models. As a result, they are forced to develop new diesel engines to keep up with the market. However, developing a new engine takes ample time, so in the meantime auto companies who are already offering diesels are having the time of their life. VW and Ford have suddenly captured the fancy of the market with their fuel efficient diesel engines. Is it a wise strategy to completely bank of diesel engines in the future? Is a petrol car now a thing of passé? We want to know your opinion

Tagged as: ford, future, india, indian, life, nissan-micra, price, time

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Renault V-Platform hatchback is a B+ segment product

by Paul Joseph June 26, 2011 Featured

Renault’s V-Platform hatchback seen here is waiting under a car cover to protect it not only from dust, but also prying eyes until its official unveiling at the Auto Expo next year. Higher officials at Renault said the product will be positioned in the B+ segment meaning this will mess with the Hyundai i20, Maruti Swift, Honda Brio and Indica Vista. The car took shape at Renault’s design center in Mumbai. It is a “car by India for India” stationed on the V-Platform that the Micra sits on. The 1.5-liter diesel engine producing around 70bhp will be installed on what some say is a grown up Wagon R. Renault might not want to lend the car smooth surfaces and circular design nuggets found on the Micra. It might choose an interplay of a tall boy and a crossover’s styling bits for the 5 lakh rupee hatch. At the press conference in New Delhi last week where this image was shown to us, Renault wasn’t willing to share any details on the petrol engine but unless you are stretching your imagination, the answer is there to see – the 1.2L 3cyl petrol mill from the Micra is the candidate in question.

Tagged as: auto, hyundai, image, india, nissan-micra, press, renault

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Analyzed – Nissan Micra tops 6 million units globally

by Paul Joseph June 24, 2011 Featured

The Nissan Micra is a sales success for the Japanese company which was questioned for shifting the production site and making markedly different design changed during its introduction last year in March as the Nissan March in Thailand. Nissan has been making the Micra/March ever since 1982 in convertible, sedan and hatchback forms. The latest model was introduced in India last year with a 3cyl petrol engine followed by the highly fuel efficient, no-turbo lag 1.5-liter diesel variant which we felt was the best city hatch in India for someone starting a family. Nissan announced that by the end of May 2011, it had made 6 million units of the fourth generation Micra (codenamed K13) globally. The Micra is produced in India, Thailand, China and Mexico and sold in over 70 countries. An eye-catching city hatch, it is a worthy upgrade to cars like the Chevrolet Beat and Suzuki A-Star (Alto) globally but sales hasn’t been very impressive in India. Nissan will hope to build a stronger dealer network and roll out more marketing initiatives to catch up with the competition. Nissan has been testing the Micra in Brazil and America. During the media presentation in Chennai last year, one Japanese official told IAB that if the Nissan was to be ever sell it in USA it needed better rear seats, bigger tires and a bigger petrol engine. An automatic transmission is another must. Nissan has introduced the sedan (Sunny) in America and there is talk that it could complement the hatch to the line-up. DNA of the Micra 1) Easy to drive and park 2) Reliability 3) User Friendliness Target customer of Micra Young, urban, eco friendly and values social affirmation The new Micra will be on sale in another 90 markets bringing the grand total to 160. The time frame for the global expansion is not clear but by the end of 2013, this must be achieved. Old Micra vs New Micra Tsuyoshi Kobayashi, the Micra/March’s chief vehicle engineer – Six million units sold tell us the Micra/March has a track record of success. With over 28 years’ experience producing compact cars, we want our customers to enjoy the maximum value of the new Nissan Micra/March together with its new technologies. With the newly-developed V-platform shared between two new models being produced, reduced vehicle weight and new aerodynamics have contributed to fuel economy performance that is among the best in its class Nissan will also bring out the third model from the V-Platform, a compact MPV (code – J02C) that will replace the Note overseas. Measuring a touch over 4m long with tight overhangs, this model can be manufactured in Chennai in the next two years the probability of being launched here is low. The spacious NV200 is a more practical choice to make the right impression to the Innova customer with the 1.5-liter diesel engine. The V-Platform MPV is anticipated to be more stylish than the NV200 but with less interior space.

Tagged as: america, china, dna, mexico, micra, new nissan micra/march, nissan-march, nissan-micra, usa

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Nissan produces 1 lakh Micras in India

by Paul Joseph June 16, 2011 Featured

Nissan has rolled out the 100,000th Micra from the Renault Nissan Alliance plant in Oragadam near Chennai. The milestone has been reached in just over a year. Nissan India exports Micra to European countries. Ultimately the Made In India Micra will be shipped to over 100 countries including Africa and Middle East. Nissan manufactures RHD and LHD variants in diesel, “Pure Drive” petrol and petrol avatars. Nissan has not been able to match its contemporary Volkswagen but will hope things will fall in place with the introduction of the V-Platform sedan this year and the NV200 MPV in 2012. It has sold about 15k Micras in India. Press Release NISSAN PRODUCES 100,000th MICRA IN INDIA – Manufacturing milestone reached in one year – CHENNAI, 16 June 2011 – Employees at the Renault Nissan Alliance plant in Chennai, India are celebrating today after producing their 100,000th Micra in just over a year. The first Micra compact hatchback rolled off the production line in May 2010. Since then the workforce has expanded to nearly 4,000 (from an original 1,500) to meet demand from within India and across the world. The 45-billion Rupee (990 Mn USD) facility is the first dedicated Renault-Nissan Alliance vehicle manufacturing plant, and the 4th generation of the iconic Micra is the first model to be produced there. It will be joined later this year by an all-new global sedan, and in 2012 a commercial vehicle will be added to the line-up as part of a joint venture with Ashok Leyland Ltd. Since its launch in India last July the Nissan Micra has driven a sales boost within the market, with over 15,000 units sold to date. The innovative Micra is also produced at plants in Thailand, Mexico and China. Chennai, which will have an overall plant capacity of 400,000 units at full ramp up, will ultimately supply Micra to over 100 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. To date nearly 70,000 units have been shipped from the nearby Ennore deep water port. Gilles Normand, Nissan Corporate Vice President for Africa, the Middle East and India, commented: “I would like to congratulate everyone associated with the Chennai plant on reaching what will be the first of many production milestones. “The plant, which provides us with a skilled and localised production base, is a key part of our strategy for profitable and sustainable growth within India, and Micra’s success is only the first step in realising our potential within this market. “Chennai is also crucial in terms of manufacturing high-volume, high-quality products for export to many world markets. With the continued strong support of the Tamil Nadu government, I hope that the facility will develop into one of Nissan’s most important production hubs.” In addition to Micra, Nissan also sells the X-TRAIL lifestyle SUV, Teana sedan and 370Z sports car in India. By 2013, Nissan is aiming to have 85% coverage of the Indian market by expanding the number of dealers from 35 to over 100. Managing Director and CEO of the Chennai Plant, Kou Kimura, added: “I am very proud of the effort that our Chennai staff, supported by our suppliers, have made to produce 100,000 Micras in such a short period of time. “Today’s announcement not only reflects Micra’s popularity – both domestically and within export markets – but also Nissan’s long-term commitment to India.”

Tagged as: africa, director, indian, manufacturing, micra, middle-east, nissan-micra, president, press-release

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IAB is looking for an automotive writer in Delhi

by Paul Joseph June 15, 2011 Featured

Indian Autos Blog/Indian Motos Blog is looking for one talented automotive writer/representative in Delhi to join our team. This is a part-time opening and we are interested only in applications from Delhi. Requirements applicants must satisfy – 1) You must have equal passion for cars and motorcycles. An idea of the Indian automotive industry is important and an idea of overseas markets is a bonus. 2) This job is for the post of a writer, so your writing skills have to be very good. You must have the ability to send us well written articles that are informative and entertaining. 3) You need to have a good idea about the bike scene in India and hold a valid 2- and 4-wheeler driving license. 4) You need to have a good camera, a DSLR is a bonus. Ideally we are looking at a writer who can mail us about three-four short news articles per day Monday-Saturday and represent our blogs at various launches and conferences in and around Delhi. You might have to take off from work for a few hours on launch/event days. Delhi events are usually conducted before lunch time. If you will not be able to take off from work, this position is not for you. Are you interested or know someone who will be? Then do us a favor by sending a link of this page to them. To apply you have to send an email with the subject line “Indian Autos Blog Delhi representative” to notjustshrawan(at)gmail.com with prior examples of your work. If you don’t have ready examples, write two 250 word articles related to any car or motorcycle plus a few lines about yourself, the blogs you read everyday, your educational background and work experience if any. If you are the lucky one, we’ll contact you shortly with more information on the details of the position. We will read through every application, but we may not be able to respond to each email individually.

Tagged as: announcements, autos, india, indian, nissan-micra, work

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