Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

The first Datsun on-DO officially rolled off the production line Monday July 14 at AvtoVAZ’s historic Togliatti plant, a keystone event for the brand in the Russian car market.

Debuting in April in Moscow, the Datsun on-DO is a 4-door, 5-seat family sedan intended for first-time, new-car buyers in Russia’s growing market, as well as an alternative to domestic makes and used cars.

Media, plant workers and executives of Datsun and AvtoVAZ gathered at one of Europe’s biggest plants, where Datsun joins Alliance car production alongside Nissan, Renault and LADA brand models.

The 15-year Alliance provides a modern standard of quality, said Vincent Cobee, Datsun’s global head.

“The benefits of developing a car with AvtoVAZ here are many,” said Cobee. “This is the largest car plant in the world – 5km by 3km, a million-car capacity. This is also the best knowledge of the local Russian requirements.”

“What did we bring to this? We brought technical expertise; we brought quality processes; we brought manufacturing know-how. And we learned a lot about collaborating with AvtoVAZ. For Datsun, we learned a lot about how to make a car adapted to local roads, which would be at an affordable price, and which would also be very, very durable.”

Infused with Japanese craftsmanship through design, Datsun’s on-DO reflects the manufacturing spirit of monozukuri, and AvtoVAZ President Bo Andersson marked the symbolic moment in the cross-culture Alliance with a traditional kick-off gesture.

The on-DO is a modern sedan with a 1.6-liter engine, crossover-grade ground-clearance for Russian roads, and a spacious trunk, priced at about 329,000 rubles ($9,500).

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