Russia - Datsun on-DO sedan enters production on July 14; mi-DO hatch unveiling in August

The Datsun on-DO sedan which was unveiled in Russia earlier in April is the first model from the Nissan-owned budget brand in the country. The sedan which goes on sale in August will soon be followed by a hatchback by the name of mi-DO.

The Datsun on-DO and mi-DO are essentially badge engineered versions of the Lada Granta and the Kalina respectively. The Datsun duo would be made alongside their respective Lada siblings at AvtoVAZ's manufacturing unit in Tolyatti, Russia. AvtoVAZ, which owns the Lada brand, is partly owned by Renault.

Kolesa.ru reports that the Datsun on-DO will enter series production on July 14, right in time for its market launch in August. The mi-DO hatchback which is testing extensively in the country reported to be unveiled in August with sales slated to begin a few months later.

Both the models would derive power from a 1.6-litre 87 hp petrol motor that is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. The mi-DO hatchback could also offer a 1.4-litre petrol engine, borrowed from the Lada Kalina.

Datsun has assured that the entry level price of the on-DO sedan will be less than R 400,000 (around INR 7.11 lakhs). The sedan will offer ABS, driver airbag, EBD, Brake Assist, heated mirrors and front seats as standard equipment.

The second Datsun, the mi-DO hatchback, would be priced significantly lower than the R 400,000 mark. The report also says that there will be a third product in the future which will be a crossover.

The on-DO and mi-DO are purely meant for Russia and would not make it to other markets that Datsun has shown interest in. In India, the second Datsun product would be the Go+ MPV that was showcased at the Auto Expo.

[Source: Kolesa.ru]