A new car with a $3,000 price tag sounds too good to be true, but according to Nissan, it’s happening soon in what they call “emerging markets” and what Examiner.com calls “third world countries” and will mark the return of an old, familiar brand: Datsun.
Although the car will initially be pushed in markets where new cars are an untouchable luxury, it’s being predicted that the U.S. will see it sometime in the not-so-distant future, as well. Unfortunately, making the car so affordable will not be easy, and will require the auto maker to leave out features which have long come standard in most other markets, such as automatic transmissions, locks, and windows, as well as various airbags and safety upgrades.
Nissan spokespeople say they hope to have six different models available by 2014 which will be cheaper than any new car on the market other than a few specialty cars out of China and India. As of right now, Nissan’s least expensive car is still priced around $8,000, which makes the new Datsun quite a jump.
The company does acknowledge that the move won’t be an easy one, considering the old Datsun was known for both economy and comfort; the new models simply can’t have both. But the transition into these “emerging markets” could boost Nissan’s profile as they prove themselves to be leaders in one of the fastest-growing category.