NISSAN TO LAUNCH SMALL CAR UNDER DATSUN BRAND IN INDIA BY 2014

Nissan Motor Co. is reviving Datsun models in emerging markets, where the biggest growth is expected for affordable stylish vehicles, and has no plans to bring the brand back in developed markets.The offerings will be tailored for each market, including price and engine size, targeting the burgeoning market of first-time car buyers in countries such as India, Indonesia and Russia, where Datsun will be introduced from 2014, he said. Executives gave away few details, including specifics of Datsun models they had in the works. Corporate Vice-President Vincent Cobee said the new Datsuns will be entry-level cars in each nation, aimed at "up and coming" successful people who are "optimistic about the future."

He said two models will go on sale within the first year in the three nations, and an enhanced lineup of models will be offered within three years. Nissan faces intense competition from rivals, including other Japanese players such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., which all have their eyes on emerging markets that also include China, Mexico and Brazil. Growth has stagnated in recent years in more established markets such as Japan, the U.S. and Europe.Ghosn announced Tuesday in Indonesia that the Datsun will make a comeback, three decades after the shelving of a brand that helped define not only Nissan but Japanese carmaking in the U.S., as well as in Japan. It is a name that is synonymous with affordable and reliable small cars, according to Nissan. Datsun debuted in Japan in 1932, and hit American showrooms more than 50 years ago.It was discontinued globally starting in 1981 to unify the model lineup under the Nissan brand. Nissan also makes Infiniti luxury models.The new blue Datsun logo was inspired by the old one, according to Nissan. Ghosn said Nissan has been preparing the Datsun brand for years and was already developing models. He was confident Nissan had not fallen behind rivals.

"We just see an opportunity," he told reporters. "When you're ready, you should do it."

Nissan officials acknowledged only the older generation may be familiar with the Datsun brand and it may not even be recognized in emerging markets.

Japan - (AP) -- Nissan's revival of the Datsun won't include developed markets, Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday, outlining a strategy to target the revamped brand at emerging nations where the biggest growth is expected for affordable stylish vehicles.

The offerings will be tailored for each market, including price and engine size, targeting the burgeoning market of first-time car buyers in countries such as India, Indonesia and Russia, where Datsun will be introduced from 2014, he said.Executives gave away few details, including specifics of Datsun models they had in the works.Corporate Vice President Vincent Cobee said the new Datsuns will be entry-level cars in each nation, aimed at "up and coming" successful people who are "optimistic about the future."

He said two models will go on sale within the first year in the three nations, and an enhanced lineup of models will be offered within three years.

Nissan Motor Co. faces intense competition from rivals, including other Japanese players such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co., which all have their eyes on emerging markets that also include China, Mexico and Brazil. Growth has stagnated in recent years in more established markets such as Japan, the U.S. and Europe.Ghosn announced Tuesday in Indonesia that the Datsun will make a comeback, three decades after the shelving of a brand that helped define not only Nissan but Japanese carmaking in the U.S., as well as in Japan. It is a name that is synonymous with affordable and reliable small cars, according to Nissan.

Datsun debuted in Japan in 1932, and hit American showrooms more than 50 years ago.

It was discontinued globally starting in 1981 to unify the model lineup under the Nissan brand. Nissan also makes Infiniti luxury models.Tsuyoshi Mochimaru, auto analyst with Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities, said the Datsun name helps differentiate cheaper models targeting emerging markets from Nissan's other models.

"Emerging markets are where the growth is, but what will sell are cheaper cars, where profit margins will be lower," he said. "By separating the brand, you avoid hurting the value of the Nissan brand."

The new blue Datsun logo was inspired by the old one, according to Nissan.

Ghosn said Nissan has been preparing the Datsun brand for years and was already developing models. He was confident Nissan had not fallen behind rivals.

"We just see an opportunity," he told reporters. "When you're ready, you should do it."

Nissan officials acknowledged only the older generation may be familiar with the Datsun brand and it may not even be recognized in emerging markets.

But they said it stood for good styling, durability and safety.

Japan (MarketWatch) -- A day after announcing the return of its Datsun vehicle brand in three key emerging markets, Nissan Motor Co. said Wednesday it would expand the new line of cars globally--but not in developed markets such as the U.S. and U.K. where the brand made its mark 30 years ago.The Japanese car maker said Tuesday it plans to resurrect the brand for small, sporty, inexpensive cars to attract young, first-time buyers in the world's fastest growing markets in developing economies. The once-vaunted brand, which was phased out in the early 1980s, is scheduled to hit the roads of India, Indonesia and Russia in 2014.

"Our priority for the moment is Indonesia, India and Russia, but this is a first step. Obviously, the Datsun brand will become global," said Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn at a press conference at company headquarters in Yokohama, following the company's initial announcement in Jakarta on Tuesday.But Ghosn added that the vehicles will not be offered in mature markets. "I don't think, frankly, today that we have a plan to launch Datsun in Japan or any developed country...This is for high-growth emerging markets," he said.

Nissan said Datsun's ultra low cost vehicles-which the company says will be about half the cost of its current lowest end vehicles that start at $10,000-will target first-time new car buyers, especially those looking to trade up from motorcycles or used cars.

Japan's second-largest auto maker by volume after Toyota Motor Corp. aims to tap that growing customer base without tarnishing the value of its existing product lines--the middle-income Nissan brand and upscale Infiniti brand.

The company says Datsun will allow it to compete in a segment that makes up from one-third to one-half of all new car sales in India, Indonesia and Russia. It comes as Nissan is racing to catch up in those markets, where its presence has been overshadowed by rivals such as Honda Motor Co., Toyota and Hyundai Motor Co.

Nissan said it will debut two Datsun models in each of the three initial markets in 2014 and then expand that product range by an unspecified number within three years. It provided few details on design or specifications of the new vehicles, but said they will be tailored to driver preferences and road conditions in each country.

For example, Nissan said only vehicles with engine sizes of 1.2 liters and below will be introduced in Indonesia, while vehicles in Russia will incorporate larger engines.

In Mumbai, Datsun unit Program Director Ashwani Gupta said Nissan will seek to price the initial models in India under INR400,000 ($8,000), which will help it compete in the biggest segment of the local market. Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.'s WagonR and Hyundai's i10 and Eon are the major brands in the INR300,000-INR400,000 price range.

While executives said Datsun might cross-share platforms and jointly source components with related operations, the cars won't be rebadged versions of the Chinese market Venucia brand made with partner Dongfeng Motor Group Co. or of Dacia vehicles sold by Nissan sister company Renault SA in Central Europe.Instead, Nissan said it has been quietly developing an entirely new line of cars for more than two years that incorporates technological innovations and fresh styling cues.

"You should not look for proximity to an existing Japanese or American vehicle," said Vincent Cobee, a corporate vice president in charge of the Datsun brand.

"Most customers are extremely smart buyers demanding (cars) for their particular needs. They are tired of receiving what in America you would call a 'hand-me-down' from the Western world."

Metro-North Expands Quiet Car Program

New York's Metro-North Railroad says its experiment with "quiet cars" is so popular that the program will be expanded to all rush-hour trains next month.

The railroad says the last car on all morning trains and the first car on all evening trains will be designated as quiet cars.

That means cell phones; music players and other electronic devices will be prohibited unless they can be operated quietly. Headphones will have to be at a volume that cannot be heard by others. Conversation must be subdued. Quiet cars started as a pilot program last fall. Metro-North says riders who were surveyed overwhelmingly support the program. The program is voluntary but conductors will issue "Shh!" cards to customers who are too loud.

His happens because Metro has the wrong goal in mind. Metro’s goal is to keep the trains moving on or close to the schedule. To achieve that goal, trains are at times sent on their way from stations without a full exchange of departing and boarding passengers. Instead, the goal in operating the trains should be to move as many passengers as possible from the station where they get on board to the station where they alight.

During off-peak operating hours, the first goal probably also satisfies the second and more fundamental goal. But in the crowding at peak hours, Metro should adjust the schedules to allow more dwell time in the stations where the greatest number of passengers arrive and depart. That is, they should adopt the passenger movement goal, and accept the fact that train movement will be slower than currently scheduled in the area of the most crowded stations.

The statistics on Metrorail’s malfunctioning doors are abysmal and embarrassing [“Metro’s train doors irk riders, operators,” Metro, March 18]. As a daily rider for more than a decade, I cannot count the number of times that trains I’ve been on have had to be taken out of service because of malfunctioning doors. Even more disturbing than the technology problems is the faulty rationale that the best solution for door problems during rush hour is to offload an entire train. Is it really best to take a train, which at peak capacity can contain nearly a thousand riders, out of service rather than have the operator take the time to manually put the one car with the problematic doors out of service?

two-month tryout, Metro-North Railroad announced Tuesday it will add quiet cars on a permanent basis to all peak-hour trains on the New Haven Line, providing sanctuary from ringing cell phones and limiting conversations to hushed tones.\

Metro-North Railroad peak hour trains like the quiet cars so much that beginning April 2, every peak hour train will have one, the railroad said Tuesday.

The railroad calls it the Quiet CALMmute program and has been testing out the idea on the Harlem, Hudson and New Haven lines, designating one car on some trains in which riders are expected to make little noise.

“Quiet cars are a hit,” said Metro-North President Howard Permut. “With very few exceptions, people have quickly adapted to the new etiquette.”

The program, which was introduced on a total of 18 morning and afternoon rush-hour trains in January, will be spread to 60 trains each in the morning and evening rush-hour periods starting April 2, according to Metro-North. The cars will be added to all Hudson and Harlem peak-hour trains at the same time to coincide with a new spring timetable, according to Metro-North.Connecticut launched the pilot program, called New Haven Line CALMmute, on Jan. 9, after a trial on the Hudson and Harlem lines that began in the fall met with good reviews from passengers. Wherever we've tried, it, has been a wild success and people have learned very quickly which car to go to if they want to take a nap or read a book," railroad spokeswoman Marjorie Anders said. "We've had very, very few comments that could remotely be considered a problem."

Honda Hikes Car Prices

The company said under the new prices effective from March 17, its entry level compact car Brio will become dearer by Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000 depending on variants. It will now be available at price ranging between Rs 3.99 lakh and Rs 5.2 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).Honda Siel has raised car prices by up to Rs 94,000 following the Budget announcement, which increased excise duties across the manufacturing sector.

While the lowest price increase of Rs 4,000- 5,000 has been on the compact hatch Brio, the premium Accord sedan price has seen the maximum rise of Rs 67,500 - 93,975. Prices have also gone up for the Jazz (Rs 15,000), City (Rs 5,000 – 10,500), Civic (Rs 36,600 – 45,800). The sole imported model CR-V has not seen a price change.Tata Motors has already increased prices by about Rs 35,000 this week. Most other automakers are also expected to follow suit.The price increases on vehicles comes after the Government increased excise duties on Friday. In effect, the excise on small cars is now at 12 per cent (from 10 per cent), with large cars (above four metres length) at 24 per cent (from 22 per cent). However, for large cars with engines above 1.5 litre capacity, a new ad valorem rate has increased excise to 27 per cent.

Honda has announced a price hike to realign its prices following an increase in the basic excise duty in the Union Budget 2012-13. The price revision effective from March 17 is applicable on all Honda cars expect CR-V, as the revised prices for the SUV that comes as CBU (Completely Built Unit) are to be confirmed.

The prices of Honda Brio is up in the range of Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000, while the premium hatchback, Jazz, has become dearer by up to Rs 15,000. Recently launched Honda City Corporate will now cost around Rs 7.10 lakh up from Rs 6.99 lakh, similarly, the prices of other City variants hike by up to Rs 10,500.

he Honda Civic and Accord have seen a maximum hike of 3.5 per cent and the prices of top-end automatic variants are increase by Rs 46,000 and Rs 94,000 respectively.  Click on the model names for new ex-showroom prices of respective models – Honda Brio, Honda City, Honda Jazz, Honda Civic and Honda Accord.Honda’s R&D facility in Japan is working on developing a new economical 1.4-litre to 1.5-litre diesel engine for compact cars – instead of downsizing the existing 2.2-litre DTEC seen in the Accord and CR-V in the European market.

Needless to say that this engine can be a game changer for Honda, as the demand for diesel cars has gone up considerably across the world. Along with development, the Japanese manufacturer has also finalised the long-term plan for the company, which includes using Indian facility as an export hub for the new diesel engines. Honda Siel was probably waiting for the Union Budget 2012-13, and now that government has not introduces any additional taxes to hinder the growth of diesel market, Honda has went ahead and confirmed its plans. Honda will first introduce diesel variants of Brio and Jazz in India and later start exporting the engines to the global markets. Honda has not divulged any details of its plans as yet; and it will have to be seen whether diesel engines will be manufactured at its Greater Noida facility or will move to Rajasthan facility that is currently used to manufacturer components.