‘We are evaluating our future product portfolio for India’
Autocar Professional|1st November 2022
Frank Torres, President, Nissan India, Region Divisional Vice President AMIEO Business Transformation and Alliance talks to Sergius Barretto about SUVs and future plans for Nissan in India during the recent preview of the all-new X-Trail, Qashqai and lifestyle-oriented Juke.
Sergius Barretto
‘We are evaluating our future product portfolio for India’

Why did Nissan shortlist these three SUVs for a potential India launch?

We are leaders and specialists in SUVs and in India too SUVs are growing, so both these factors align well and present an opportunity and so to realise this opportunity we want to start testing these three SUVs, the X-Trail, Qashqai and the Juke and in case everything goes well, the first one we want to launch is the X-Trail.

Why do you think the X-Trail has the stronger potential for India?

The X-Trail is a market leader, and we have a wide range of powertrains including our e-power technology. Plus, there are a lot of customers here who are looking at the premium SUV segment and the X-Trail is a good fit here. There's also roominess, a high seating and safety, all of which matches what the customer wants here, so we are convinced this is the right product. But of course, this is only the first step of our journey here and we are currently defining our new product range for India, and we hope in the coming weeks we'll be able to conclude this.

Nissan are essentially pioneers in the EV space, so is that something you want to leverage in markets like India too?

Yes, we are evaluating EVs and are currently thinking about the right timing to launch them. The most important thing is that electrification is in our DNA and our carbon neutrality plans for 2050. Secondly, we are seeing a growing demand here and the government also wants to focus on EVs, of course we need the infrastructure, but things are starting to converge for EVs. So right now, the only discussion going on for us is-when is the right time to launch EVS in India?

Beyond these completely built units, what is the plan for Nissan in India, will you also make EVs here?

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