100,000th Nissan Micra Produced in India
When Nissan revealed the new generation of Micra in Thailand they promised this car is going to be a global model, and they kept their world.
The previous Micra was a rather posh and extremely well-equipped car. It was kinda up market, and because of that it was not all that successful in sales. The new one though, it is primarily designed for the mass markets like Thailand, china and India. And it’s already setting production milestones.
Employees at the Renault Nissan Alliance plant in Chennai, India have just celebrated production of 100,000th Micra in just over a year. That is a proof of the car’s success as the demand is rising for a small and affordable economy car that is also well built and well engineered.
Nissan press release:
The first Micra compact hatchback rolled off the production line in May 2010. Since then the workforce has expanded to nearly 4,000 (from an original 1,500) to meet demand from within India and across the world.
The 45-billion Rupee (990 Mn USD) facility is the first dedicated Renault-Nissan Alliance vehicle manufacturing plant, and the 4th generation of the iconic Micra is the first model to be produced there.
It will be joined later this year by an all-new global sedan, and in 2012 a commercial vehicle will be added to the line-up as part of a joint venture with Ashok Leyland Ltd.
Since its launch in India last July the Nissan Micra has driven a sales boost within the market, with over 15,000 units sold to date. The innovative Micra is also produced at plants in Thailand, Mexico and China.
Chennai, which will have an overall plant capacity of 400,000 units at full ramp up, will ultimately supply Micra to over 100 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. To date nearly 70,000 units have been shipped from the nearby Ennore deep water port.
Gilles Normand, Nissan Corporate Vice President for Africa, the Middle East and India, commented: “I would like to congratulate everyone associated with the Chennai plant on reaching what will be the first of many production milestones.
“The plant, which provides us with a skilled and localised production base, is a key part of our strategy for profitable and sustainable growth within India, and Micra’s success is only the first step in realising our potential within this market.
“Chennai is also crucial in terms of manufacturing high-volume, high-quality products for export to many world markets. With the continued strong support of the Tamil Nadu government, I hope that the facility will develop into one of Nissan’s most important production hubs.”
