Report: Nissan planning two $10,000 cars for U.S.

Nissan apparently thinks America is ready for more $10,000 vehicles, and the Japanese automaker is gearing up to do something about it. Well, two somethings, really. Automotive News reports that Nissan's chairman for the Americas, Carlos Tavares, has gone on record with reporters at the Detroit Auto Show saying that Nissan is planning a pair of vehicles that will start out at around $10,000. AN reports that the vehicles will be based off of Nissan's new V platform, an architecture set to underpin the next-generation Nissan Micra subcompact (current model shown above), which is smaller than the Versa and not sold in the States.

Nissan already markets a sub-$10,000 Versa model in the U.S., although the value-priced subcompact comes without a radio or power windows. Tavares reportedly didn't want to speculate on equipment levels, adding "the only thing that we can tell you is that we will hold that price point."

Nissan will build the vehicles at an assembly plant in Mexico, and the plan is to build three V platform products for North- and South American markets, although only two of them will be for U.S. consumption. Tavares told reporters that a $10,000 price tag would be "about right," noting that "there are very few new cars sold at that price point in the United States."

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]