Nissan India's sub-4m SUV to be showcased at Auto Expo 2016 - Report

The 1.5L dCi engine would be powering the crossover.

It's no secret that Nissan India is working on a sub-4 meter SUV, poised to take on the Ford EcoSport and upcoming mini SUVs from Tata Motors, Volkswagen and Maruti. The Japanese car maker has a 2 percent market share in India currently, and aims to increase it to 5 percent by the end of this decade. Successful launches in volume-oriented compact SUV and compact sedan segments can certainly double sales.

The former, according to a report on Autocar India, would be addressed at the Auto Expo 2016 (which is set to take place in the first week of February 2016) where Nissan India is expected to showcase its sub-Terrano crossover.

The design of the new compact SUV will be derived from the Nissan Kicks concept which was showcased at the Sao Paulo International Auto Show in October last year. The Kicks concept was announced by Nissan to have been designed by the company's design centers in San Diego, U.S.A. and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

For the Brazilian market, the Kicks is expected to realize production next year. There will be market specific changes for India however, reports Autocar. For example, where the concept measured 4.3 meters, the Kicks-derived compact SUV for India would tuck under the 4 meter length to be eligible for lower excise tax.

Also read: Nissan Sway Concept revealed in Geneva

Also, the Brazilian model would be powered by a flex-fuel engine, whereas for the Indian market, the tried-and-tested 1.5-liter dCi diesel motor will be the engine of choice. While Nissan has not announced the platform of the Kicks, reports suggest it will make use of the V-Platform that generated the Micra and Sunny.

Rivals in Brazil: Honda Vezel (Honda HR-V), Fiat 500X, Renault Duster
Expected Price in Brazil: 60,000-70,000 Reals (INR 15-18 lakhs)
Launch date in Brazil: 2016

Nissan Kicks Samba Concept - Image Gallery

[Source - AutocarIndia]