Datsun exports India-made GO+ to South Africa

The Nissan group of India has just increased its scale of exports by shipping out the Datsun GO+ MPV to South Africa. Produced at the Renault-Nissan alliance plant in Oragadam near Chennai, the GO+ has been available to customers in South Africa since August 31, 2016.

The GO+ shares its 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine with the GO. Producing 68PS of power and 104Nm of torque, the engine comes paired with a five-speed manual gearbox. The budget sub 4-metre MPV gets a limited feature list, including a connected front seat, a mobile phone dock, AUX connectivity, a USB charging port, front power windows and a driver airbag.

While the commencement of GO+ exports further solidifies the Nissan group’s position as one of India’s largest automotive exporters, the MPV has received a lukewarm response in the Indian market itself. Launched in January 2015, the GO+ currently averages domestic sales of only around 600-800 units a month.

In fact, Nissan attributes the lion’s share of its production in India to global exports. Since the alliance plant, which has an annual production capacity of 4.8 lakh units, started operations in 2010, over 6.2 lakh units have been shipped overseas. This has resulted in the generation of over Rs 30,000 crore in foreign exchange.

The group currently exports made-in-India models to around 106 countries worldwide. Recent models for exports include the Datsun GO, the Datsun GO+, the Datsun redi-GO and the Nissan Sunny, among others. The redi-GO is a recent addition to the export range, with the car going on sale in Nepal in July and Sri Lanka in August. The recently launched hatchback has been well-received so far and with factory dispatches of over 3,000 units a month, Datsun India may have found its one model wonder.