Nissan Motor to double its dealership network

Nissan Motor India Private Limited (NMIPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co, is aiming at doubling its sales and service touch points (dealerships) from the present 170, across the country in the next two-and-a-half years to three years, according to its managing director Arun Malhotra.

Inaugurating the fifth dealership in Hyderabad, NMIPL's 194h nationally, on Monday, Malhotra said the new dealership would showcase the complete Nissan and Datsun portfolio of cars.

The company is planning to launch an affordable small car under Datsun, its low-cost car brand, within a year, he said, adding that NMIPL would also look at rolling out a a new compact sports utility vehicle (SUV). "The launch of the new compact SUV will be part of our future portfolio expansion," he said, while drawing any time line.

Stating that the proposed affordable small car would be rolled out from the manufacturing plant set up together with its global alliance partner Renault at Oragadam near Chennai, Malhotra said the Chennai plant currently had an installed capacity of 480,000 units a year, with a capacity utilisation of close to 65 per cent.