Upcoming Nissans for India to get the local touch

Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor Co, which has a large 480,000 units per annum manufacturing plant in Oragadam, Tamil Nadu, has produced hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs and even premium sedans. However, even after eight years, the company has a piffling 1.21 percent market share of the Indian passenger vehicle market. Even its reborn low-cost brand Datsun has failed to find significant volumes. This lack of success doesn’t seem to be due to a want for products or resources.

According to Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice-president – Global Design, the reasons are many and it also includes design. Not bad design per se but limitations with platform possibilities and not having enough local input. Thus, the company is rapidly building up its local design studio. “I do want to design cars here,” Albaisa told media persons earlier this week at an event in Chennai.

Elaborating further, Albaisa said the studio in India will tackle two types of projects. “One, where the project may have been designed anywhere but then rationalised or made real here in India and where, very quickly we are going to initiate programs that are specifically for India.”

Thus, there will be downstream activities like production engineering design and also upstream activities like concept creation including exterior and interior design as well as colour design.

When asked if he thinks that the next big global designer can come from India, he confirmed this stating that Nissan already has two – Ajay Panchal, who contributed to the design of the hot-and- happening 350Z, and Hiren Patel, who’s touch is seen in the Nissan Navara and now working on a new model.

So, if Nissan and Albaisa have their way, it may not be long before a designed-in-India, made-for-India and made-in-India model rolls out. Given the current stiff competition in what is the world’s fastest growing market for cars, the carmaker better be quick.

Also read: Nissan looks to nurture young designers in India, launches its Roots of Design program