Nissan launches Venucia brand

The Chinese joint venture between Nissan and Dongfeng has launched a new brand, called Venucia, at the Beijing motor show.

Two new cars were revealed at the launch, including the Nissan Leaf-based 'e-concept' which the firm has committed to build in China from 2015, and the D50 saloon, which will go into immediate production at a new plant in Zhengzhou and to be sold through 100 exclusive dealerships in China.

Powered by a 1.6-litre petrol engine, the D50 is seen by Dongfeng as a pivotal vehicle as it seeks to raise its standards towards global manufacturing.

"It allows us to enhance our engineering capability and starts us towards our goal of launching a new model every year," said Ren Yong, deputy director of Dongfeng Nissan. "We want to hit one million sales within five years, with an annual sales aim of 300,000 cars."

The Venucia name is derived from the ancient Roman name for the god Venus.

Beijing Motor Show 2012 COMPLETE IMAGE GALLERY