Nissan bringing back low-cost Datsun cars in emerging countries

Datsuns were once ubiquitous on the nation's highways.

Nissan Motor Co. is banking on retro to bring in big bucks in emerging countries with its revival of the Datsun, a name people over 40 might remember for the slogan “Datsun, We Are Driven!”

In a Wall Street Journal report, the Japanese car maker and major central Mississippi employer is said to be preparing a new, low-cost version of “this storied brand.”

The WSJ called Nissan’s plans “a bold move into the auto industry’s fastest-growing category—emerging-market countries.”

Nissan, which called itself Datsun before changing its name more than a quarter-century ago, is hoping to set new lows for pricing for a global auto maker. It will offer the cheapest Datsun model for about $3,000 to $5,000, the WSJ reports.

The lowest price is nearly a third the price of its most inexpensive car, the $8,000 Tsuru compact sold in Mexico, the WSJ says.

CEO Carlos Ghosn told the Journal the company was committed to offering six Datsun vehicles, due out beginning in 2014, at a price range lower than all but a handful of smaller car makers in China and India specializing in mini autos.

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