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To survive in India, a diminished Nissan bets big on a small SUV

NEW DELHI — By any measure, Nissan has had a dreadful run in India. A push to revive its lower-end Datsun brand flopped, sales have slumped 60% over the past five years, and its sole plant in the country is operating way below capacity. But the amount of money and energy that Nissan — battered by scandal and expecting a record $4.5 billion annual operating loss worldwide — will spend to turn its fortunes around in India will hinge on the sales of one vehicle, its new Magnite compact SUV. The SUV may also determine how much heft Nissan will wield as it and alliance partner Renault thrash out their respective roles in the Indian market. Unveiled this month and due to be launched either late this year or early 2021, the Magnite will be Nissan's first new vehicle in India in two years. It's expected to have a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine with 72 horsepower, and a turbocharged version of that engine making 100 horsepower. It will have features such as an 8-inch touchscreen, cruise control, and a 360-degree camera. Moreover, it will be just one of three Nissan-branded models in the market after two others were pulled in April when tougher emission rules kicked in. "Magnite will buy Nissan a couple of years to figure out a plan for India and the SUV's success will determine whether it invests more or scales down operations," said one source. A second source called the sport-utility vehicle Nissan's "last hope" to revive the brand in India. Japan's No. 2 automaker has, however, no plans to withdraw from India, where it has invested over $800 million, and discussions about strategy are ongoing, the sources said. They were not authorized to speak to media and declined to be identified. The Datsun brand is likely to be phased out as part of a global overhaul, they added. Nissan's only other models in India are three Datsun cars. Nissan said in a statement to Reuters it is committed to the Indian market and has a well-defined strategy for "a sustainable and profitable business". It declined to comment on sales goals for the Magnite.   Who will lead? Nissan's internal plans call for sales of 1,500 to 2,000 Magnites a month, the first source said — which if realized would exceed the average India monthly sales it achieved last business year with seven models. The SUV will be priced "aggressively," the sources said without elaborating.

Nissan Canada to end Versa sales with Micra launch

There's plenty of space in Canada. In fact, with the second largest land mass of any country in the world, Canada has a population density of just nine people per square mile. But apparently there isn't enough room for more than one cheap Nissan in the True North, Strong and Free.
As you may recall, Nissan Canada recently announced it would begin offering the Micra hatchback with a starting price of less than ten thousand Canadian dollars - significantly less than the nearly $12k it charges for the Versa sedan. As a result, Nissan will reportedly cease offering the Versa sedan in new home of the olympic gold medal for hockey.
Apparently the Versa was a slow seller in Canada, a country in which European tastes tend to prevail - particularly in the Eastern provinces - more than they do in the United States to the south. Nissan evidently hopes that the Micra (a model created principally for the European market) will do better than the American-centric Versa ever did there. According to sales numbers cited by Automotive News, Nissan sold barely more than 12,000 Versa sedans and hatchbacks in Canada last year, but over 117,000 in the United States.

Nissan, Infiniti recall more than 130,000 vehicles for potential fuel leak

Nissan and its luxury brand, Infiniti, are set to recall 133,592 vehicles after discovering that fuel could leak out around the pressure sensor, potentially increasing the chances of a fire. While Nissan lists five nameplates in its recall, there are actually only three models affected by the improperly tightened fuel pressure sensor. They include the 2012 to 2014 Nissan Juke, as well as 2012 to 2015 Infiniti M56/Q70 sedans and QX56/QX80 SUVs. Nissan will begin notifying owners of affected vehicles soon, with the recall expected to officially kick off no later than January 26, 2015. Naturally, repairs will be conducted free of charge. Scroll down for the official bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And stay tuned for more news coming out of the NHTSA offices today. In addition to Honda's expansion of its recall for vehicles with Takata-built airbag inflators, the regulatory body published a huge number of unrelated recalls this morning, helping to stack the total number of called-back vehicles even higher in these last weeks of 2014. Report Receipt Date: NOV 28, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V683000 Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 133,592 Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2012-2014 Nissan Juke, 2012-2013 Infiniti M56, QX56, and 2014-2015 Infiniti Q70, and QX80 vehicles. The fuel pressure sensors may not have been sufficiently tightened during production. As a result, the fuel pressure sensor may loosen with vehicle usage and cause a fuel leak. CONSEQUENCE: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source could cause a vehicle fire. REMEDY: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pressure sensors, as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before January 26, 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. This is an expansion of recall 12V-069 Featured Gallery 2015 Infiniti QX80 View 26 Photos Related Gallery 2013 Nissan Juke Nismo News Source: National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationImage Credit: Infiniti, Nissan Recalls Infiniti Nissan Safety Crossover SUV Luxury Sedan infiniti qx80 infiniti m56 infiniti q70