Tan Chong Motor has revealed to research houses that it will be launching an additional two models in the next two years – the Nissan Note as well as a new A-segment model.
According to a report by Maybank Research, the Nissan Note will be launched by the end of 2014, following the car’s recent preview at the 2013 KL International Motor Show.
The Nissan Note on display at KLIMS had a 1.5 litre engine paired to a four-speed auto under its hood, similar to the powertrain in the Nissan Almera. The Note will allow Nissan to have a competitor against the Honda Jazz, which is a same segment car that’s pretty competitively priced in Malaysia.
Next up is word of a new A-segment car due for launch in 2015, reported by CIMB Research. The new A-segment car is expected to be a ‘killer model’ in terms of sales volume. The report specifically mentions a “RM50,000 and below” price point. For Tan Chong to achieve such a price for even the most affordable variant of a multiple variant offering would likely mean high localisation.
Nissan’s A-segment contender is currently the Nissan March (badged Micra in Europe), so it would be safe to assume that this is the model to be launched.
Another possibility is the Datsun Go hatchback, which rides on the same platform and wheelbase as the Nissan March. Although it falls under a different badge, the lower cost car will be sold in India at Nissan dealerships instead of separate Datsun dealerships like it is in Indonesia, so a similiar setup to India could also be arranged for Malaysia.
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