Nissan’s big plans for small cars pegged to its plants in Mexico
By Andrew C., 26 Aug, 2010. 0 Comments
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Nissan Motor Co. plans to sell small cars with small price tags and looks to its plants in Mexico to produce them. At the Detroit auto show, Carlos Tavares, Nissan's chairman for the Americas, said that $10,000 is a good price point for Nissan's upcoming small cars. He pointed out that very few new cars are sold at that price point in the US. He disclosed that Nissan is developing two vehicles to be sold for about $10,000 each in the US. Those models will be made on the new global V platform that will also be used to replace the Micra subcompact sold outside the US.
Three models will be produced on the platform, with sales also planned for Central and South America. These unnamed models are said to be smaller than the Versa -- the smallest vehicle Nissan currently sells in the US. The V platform will be sourced in Mexico for the Americas; however, Tavares declined to give a timetable.
The program calls for annual production of at least 200,000 vehicles at one of Nissan's two Mexican plants, as well as their engines and transmissions. At least 1 million V cars a year will be produced at five plants around the globe. But for the Western hemisphere, it‚ expected that the sole factory site will be located in Mexico. [via autonews - sub. required]
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