DATSUN ON-DO SEDAN ARRIVES IN RUSSIA

July 14, 2014 by Nissan

◾Datsun on-DO production begins at AVTOVAZ plant in Togliatti

◾Datsun will start taking pre-orders in July

TOGLIATTI, Russia – A new chapter in the Datsun story has begun with the start of production of Datsun on-DO, a new family sedan designed and engineered specifically for Russia.

Bringing affordable quality motoring within the reach of up-and-coming Russian customers, the four-door, five-seat car is being built at the Togliatti plant in Russia, a partnership between the Renault-Nissan Alliance and AVTOVAZ. A special ceremony took place today to mark the first Datsun on-DO coming off the production line.

The Datsun on-DO is being produced on one of the most modern lines in the AVTOVAZ facility. Plant personnel are using production techniques that have been developed and refined during the evolution of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, established 15 years ago.

More than 5,000 employees are involved in the production of the Datsun on-DO. Supervisors and shop managers have been trained to Alliance Production Way principles. Two dedicated training zones, manned by Nissan Motor specialists, ensure that the line staff uses Datsun assembly standards.

During the ceremony Vincent Cobee, global head of Datsun and member of the AVTOVAZ Board of Directors, said: 'Today our plans have become reality. The start of Datsun on-DO production here at the AVTOVAZ plant in Togliatti is the pinnacle of the Datsun project in Russia and the result of months of collaboration and hard work. Datsun is coming to make the dream of purchasing a foreign car for the first time a reality for our Russian customers. Our brand provides access to worry-free ownership experience as well as trust by ensuring product reliability and transparency in services provided. The Datsun on-DO is a new choice for up-and-coming aspirational customers in Russia looking for new, high-quality, modern cars from a Japanese brand. I am confident that Datsun on-DO will be a success, and I would like to thank our partner, AVTOVAZ, for the effort that has made this day possible.'

Bo Andersson, president of AVTOVAZ, added: 'The launch of Datsun cars is a big success story for AVTOVAZ. I am proud of the contribution made during the Datsun on-DO's development and especially the way our engineers have been able to work with their Japanese colleagues. By benefiting from the manufacturing experience of our partners in the Alliance, and by virtue of working so well together, AVTOVAZ is stronger and more competitive. I am convinced that our employees are ready to reach the ambitious goals we have set.'

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Datsun on-DO is a modern, spacious, safe and well-equipped car created to tackle Russia's road and weather conditions. The result of joint development efforts of an international team of highly experienced engineers from Russia, Japan and other countries, Datsun on-DO was styled at the state-of-the-art Nissan Design Center in Atsugi, Japan.

Datsun on-DO pricing will start at 329,000 Roubles. The car will be available for pre-order at 25 dedicated Datsun brand dealerships in key regions of Russia from the second half of July. Start of sales is planned for the end of the summer.

About Datsun

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. announced the return of the Datsun brand, Nissan's third global brand, alongside Nissan and Infiniti, in March 2012. Datsun will provide a sustainable motoring experience to optimistic up-and-coming customers in high-growth markets. Datsun represents 80 years of accumulated Japanese car-making expertise and is an important part of Nissan's DNA. The new Datsun brand stands for Dream, Access and Trust. The overall Datsun customer offer will include a worry-free ownership experience at competitive cost, accessible services, with transparent pricing, and dealership proximity. Sales of Datsun cars have been started already in India and Indonesia.

Datsun History

Datsun originated in Japan as DAT-GO (the DAT-car) almost a century ago in 1914. The word DAT means 'lightning-fast' in Japanese but is also a reference to the first letters of family names of the three financiers who supported the business at the time: Den, Aoyama and Takeuchi. Using the same logic, it was promoted as Durable, Attractive and Trustworthy, or DAT for short.

In 1933, Nissan's founding father Yoshisuke Aikawa took over the business with a vision of 'mobility for all.' The introduction of a light weight, economical yet resilient car to meet the aspirations of young Japanese people in the early 1930s was named the 'son of DAT – Datson – which later changed to Datsun. Local engineering and mass-production made the founder's dream a reality.