Soon, South Africa Will Get Made-in-India Datsun GO, GO+ CVT

• India one of our key manufacturing hubs in the world, says Renault-Nissan CEO.
• The two models are built at Renault-Nissan’s production plant at Oragadam, Chennai.
• Since 2010, 880,000 Nissan cars have been exported from India.

While we wait for the announcement of a comprehensive recovery plan from Nissan Motor Company, Renault-Nissan Alliance India Private Limited (RNAIPL) has begun exporting the CVT variants of the Datsun GO and GO+. South Africa is the first country to receive shipment of the two models. The company had started deliveries of the two automatic variants in India on October 11. The GO hatchback and GO+ MPV are priced higher than the manual variants, and cost between Rs 5.94 lakh and 6.80 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).  

The Datsun’s GO and GO+ are manufactured at the Renault Nissan Alliance India Pvt. Ltd (RNAIPL) plant in Oragadam, Chennai. It has an annual capacity to produce 4.8 lakh vehicles. 

“Exports form a key strategic pillar of our India operations,” the Managing Director and CEO of RNAIPL, Biju Balendran, was quoted as saying. The two models are not volume sellers in India, with the GO and GO+ selling under 300 units each every month since April this year. However, the models are more popular in South Africa, with 678 Datsun GO sales in August 2019. In comparison, 205 GOs were sold in India during that month. 

Get latest updates on
the automobile community

Login Now

Datsun’s GO and GO+ CVTs are unique in their segment because other vehicles come with automated manual transmissions (AMTs). However, the smoothness of power delivery comes at a high cost for these budget models. The difference between the automatic and manual versions of the two cars can be anywhere from Rs 86,000 for the GO+ to over Rs 1 lakh for the GO hatchback.

Press Release:

Made in India Datsun GO CVT & GO+ CVT reach South Africa

Renault-Nissan Plant in Chennai continues to contribute to the Indian economy through ramping up exports

Nissan has exported over 880,000 cars from India since 2010

NEW DELHI, India (November 8, 2019) – Nissan India announced the start of exports of the Datsun GO CVT & GO+ CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) to South Africa from its alliance plant, Renault Nissan Alliance India Pvt. Ltd (RNAIPL) in Oragadam, Chennai. With the annual capacity of 4,80,000 units, the vehicles manufactured at this state-of-the-art manufacturing facility are well accepted in India and global.

The milestone confirms Nissan’s position as a major contributor to ‘make in India’ the government’s multi-sector programme encouraging local production and investment. Since beginning operations in India in 2010, Nissan has exported over 880,000 cars from the country, establishing the plant as a major hub for overseas markets.

Commenting on the milestone, Biju Balendran, Managing Director & CEO, RNAIPL, said, “Our recently introduced Datsun GO & GO+ equipped with CVT have been receiving positive response from customers in India. Now, we are proud to export these versions to South Africa. Exports form a key strategic pillar of our India operations, helps grow the local economy and is a firm affirmation of Nissan’s commitment towards building India as one of its key manufacturing hubs globally.”

Nissan exports the Datsun GO & GO+ models to South Africa, Sub Saharan countries and Nepal.

The new Datsun GO & GO+ with CVT are high on technology and offer better control on road. Both models offer smoother shifting of gears and better city, highway and hill driving. It also includes a sports mode which is yet another first for the most affordable CVT offerings in the segment. This mode enhances the overall driving experience with more power during overtaking. Unlike other automatic transmission technologies, there is no lag while accelerating providing better control. With improved insulation, the Datsun GO CVT & GO+ CVT produce low engine noise in the cabin, even during high acceleration.

The interior design of Datsun GO & GO+ are fitted with a premium instrument panel, seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system equipped with voice recognition and Android Auto/Apple Car Play.