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Datsun Redi-Go is reborn brand's first concept car [w/video]

Nissan's plan for its reborn Datsun sub-brand just got a shot in the arm, as the emerging-market manufacturer has unveiled its first concept car since its resurrection back in 2012. Called the Redi-Go Concept, it looks like a high-riding version of Datsun's recently launched Go hatchback that's been fitted with a few concept car cues (not a bad thing).
The Redi-Go packs LED taillights, Datsun's "D-cut grille" and LED running lights into its Go-inspired body. Funky two-tone 15-inch wheels add a bit of cheek to the overall design, and in our minds look quite good, despite being so small. The ruggedized front and rear bumpers, as well as the sill and wheel arch surrounds add to the Redi-Go's rough-and-tumble aesthetic. We like that Datsun has kept the overall package short, giving the Redi-Go a 92.5-inch wheelbase, rather than creating a lifted version of the upcoming Go+. There are no specific mentions of the Redi-Go's mechanicals, although we'd wager that a production model might share the 1.2-liter engine and five-speed manual found in the standard Go.
While it might be easy to dismiss a concept like the Redi-Go in America, there's no denying its importance to the Indian market, which is decidedly more limited when it comes to available bodystyles. "If we were to make a car like Datsun Redi-Go Concept it would be a segment creator in India, an aspirational car that at the same time is attainable, a car that would be within reach of the first time buyer. This concept shows how serious we are about reinvigorating the market by catering for the needs of a growing class of Indians who have the chance to own a family car that will enable them to enjoy a new sense of independence," said Vincent Cobee, the global head of Datsun.

Ghosn orders Nissan USA to double sales by 2017

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has just one teensy-weensy request for its United States arm: Double your sales by 2017.
"China was not our biggest, I would say, disappointment. It was mainly the United States. We were expecting a strong year in the United States. It didn't happen," Ghosn said, speaking at a conference after announcing Nissan's 2012 fiscal results, Automotive News reports. Because of this, Ghosn has ordered his US executives to iron out the problems that affected new vehicle launches and to strengthen the company's dealer network.
In 2012, Nissan's US sales rose to 1.1 million units - a five-percent increase, and a record, at that. But the company's overall market share fell from 8.2 percent to 7.7 percent, putting the company further away from its goal of having a 10-percent stake overall.

What happens to Renault-Nissan after Ghosn is gone?

Carlos Ghosn is a very, very busy man. Like, really busy. As in, he heads up three automakers (and their subsidiaries), running facilities in 68 countries and selling vehicles in 170 different markets across the globe. He flies over 300,000 miles per year and works 15 to 16 hours a day, just to manage an alliance between the Japanese and French that's responsible for an expected $140 billion in sales this year alone. The Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance, Ghosn has managed a number of remarkable feats during his time at both automakers, but there are some that are questioning how much longer the 60-year-old exec can handle the punishing nature of his responsibilities. According to Fortune, six months ago Ghosn signed a four-year contract to continue running Renault, while his tenure at Nissan will continue until at least 2017. Beyond that, though, the future is rather murky, and it's made worse by the high-level turnover that Renault-Nissan has experienced over the past few years, losing execs like Carlos Tavares, Johan de Nysschen and Andy Palmer. Fortune has an excellent, and lengthy, feature on Ghosn, his responsibilities and the danger posed to Renault-Nissan by his departure. If you're at all curious about what the exec has done for the two automakers, how this alliance has worked when so many other industry partnerships have failed and just what a post-Ghosn future may hold, head over and have a look. News Source: FortuneImage Credit: Lee Jin-man / AP Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Read This Infiniti Nissan Renault datsun dacia lada readthis