Nissan has struggled to find its footing in India despite having models in the mass segments, and having tried its hand at the premium sedan class and, yes, even sportscars. Moving forward, the company has chosen to shift tracks and align closer to its ‘Intelligent Mobility’ global vision, which for India presents new and virtually uncontested areas.
Unveiled early last year, this vision focuses on three key areas: ‘Intelligent Driving’ with the adoption of driving aids and autonomous technology; ‘Intelligent Power’ that seeks to harness clean and more efficient sources of energy; and ‘Intelligent Integration’ with advanced inter-car and social connectivity. The ultimate goal is to achieve zero emissions and zero fatalities on the road.
First up for India will be the introduction of the X-Trail hybrid later this year. With only a handful of full hybrids on sale in India, the X-Trail will have its novelty factor and a clear differentiator in the market. There is also talk of the SUV featuring some level of connected technology. However, likely to be an import, the X-Trail will be pricey.
Following the launch of the X-Trail will be the start of a pilot test for the all-electric Leaf. Currently the world’s bestselling electric car, the Leaf is available in around 50 countries. Nissan has begun talks with the Indian government and various private institutes for the pilot and has received an encouraging response. The next-gen Leaf is to be unveiled later this year but Nissan is tight-lipped on which generation of the car will be tested in India.
Another exciting possibility for India is the electric eNote hatchback. The car has been an overnight success for Nissan in Japan and the company is actively evaluating it for other markets. The eNote’s batteries are charged by a small on board gasoline engine thus alleviating the plug-in requirements and because the engine never drives the wheels directly, it always operates at optimum rpms, thus maximising its efficiency. Daniele Schillaci, Nissan’s executive vice president for global marketing and sales, pointed towards a suitability of the range extender in India. “All I can say is that you are thinking like us. Right now there is no decision but we would certainly like to have the technology in as many markets as possible,” Schillaci told Autocar India on the Nissan Intelligent Mobility Japan tour.
While many of the intelligent technologies are a long way from being financially viable or implementable in our environment, Nissan firmly believes that select elements can be brought to developing markets like ours to enhance safety and efficiency. Nissan states that the hybrid X-trail and the Leaf pilot are only the start for India and we should expect more from the Intelligent Mobility plan.