Venucia charges ahead in China

BEIJING, China – Venucia, Dongfeng Nissan's local brand in China, has unveiled its fourth production model – the R30 – amid plans to increase sales by 50% this year.

The two-year old brand sold more than 100,000 units in 2013, a 152% increase from a year earlier.

Ren Yong, deputy managing director of Dongfeng Nissan, says the latest model will appeal to first-time buyers, especially those outside of China's biggest cities.

"Customers in the third- and fourth-tier cities appreciate affordable cars, but they must also be attractive," said Ren. "The car [R30] will be priced at less than 50,000 yuan ($8,000). In China, no other joint-venture auto manufacturer has an offer at this competitive price."

Venucia will increase the network of full-service dealerships from 160 to 180 this year and boost the total number of dealers to over 1,500 to support sales.

This year also marks an important milestone for the all-electric Venucia e30, which will go on sale ahead of schedule in September.

More than 300 units of the EV have been on trial with various government agencies and have racked up more than a 1 million kilometers on China's roads. Another 1,000 EVs will also be delivered to the Dalian government this year.

"China needs to solve its energy crunch, so the government is very keen on new energy and electric vehicles and promoting various measures," said Ren. "Consumers are also starting to be more interested in clean energy and EVs and the new driving experience that they offer. So there are opportunities in the market."

Nissan hopes the e30, which begins production at the Huadu plant in July, will help boost sales as it charges ahead in China.

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