Nissan could sell $2,500 car in Europe and U.S.

The race to develop and sell ultra-inexpensive cars in India is on and Nissan is definitely a player. It's working on a car that the automaker expects to build and sell in the burgeoning country for just $2,500. But Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn believes such a car could also be sold in mature markets like the U.S., Europe and Canada. Acknowledging that additional components would be needed so that the car could meet various safety and emissions standards in the U.S. and Europe, Ghosn still believes such a car could cost as little as $3,000 in these export markets while offering customers the bare minimum in personal transport. Ghosn states, "You don't need anything in the car that is not needed by customers." We wonder what the difference is between what an Indian customer needs and a U.S. customer expects in a new car. We think there's probably quite a big disparity there, and a $3,000 car would have profit margins thinner than a slice of paper. Let's file this one under "We'll believe it when we see it."
[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]