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Nissan Motor Co is surveying the Indian market for the launch of its ‘Infiniti' range of super-luxury cars, said Mr Gilles Normand, Corporate Vice-President — Africa, Middle East and India, Nissan Motor Company.
He told newspersons here on Thursday that the Infiniti cars for the Indian market would be “obviously CBUs”, imported from elsewhere. A decision on its local manufacture would come much later.
The Indian market for super-luxury cars is small but growing in leaps and bounds. Sales of all upmarket cars are doubling each month, in comparison with the corresponding month last year. To illustrate, sales of BMW (the market leader today) in 2010-11 rose to 6,281 units from 3,461 the previous year. Sales of Mercedes cars shot up to 5,987 units (3,611). In the calendar year 2011, Audi expects to sell 4,500 cars, 50 per cent more than in 2010. Similarly, Porsche expects to sell at least 500 cars, compared with 130 in 2010. The UK-based Bentley, which recently started selling in India and whose cars are priced at Rs 1.9 crore a unit, hopes to sell at least 100 cars.
Clearly, this is a market Nissan does not want to ignore.
Electric cars
Asked if Nissan would introduce an electric car in India — it has the ‘Leaf' in its stable — Mr Normand said the sale of electric cars requires three market conditions. First, the Government should incentivise sales in some form to ensure the cars are not priced way above those fuelled by petrol or diesel. Second, there is should be infrastructure for charging the cars. Mr Normand said the Leaf can run 170 km at one charge. With that as reference point, charging facilities should exist at least every 170 km on the roads. Third, the Government should educate people on the wisdom in opting for a (non-polluting) electric car over other kinds.
Sedan for the Indian market
Nissan will introduce a sedan in India this year, Mr Normand said. While declining to divulge details, he however did say that the Indian market was biased towards diesel cars.
The sedan, he said, would be positioned in the C segment, so as to compete with the likes of Maruti Dzire.
The Nissan Micra, introduced last year, has sold 13,000 units till date. The company hopes to sell at least 40,000 Micras in 2011-12.
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