Chennai, Jun 8 (IANS): Japan's Nissan Motor Company plans to achieve a 5 per cent market share by 2022 launching new models every six months, targeting the under Rs.10 lakh car segment and tapping the rural market, said an official of the firm's India operations.

"The new models would be under both Nissan and Datsun models and the company would soon bring to India its electric vehicle Leaf 2 and also launch a sports utility vehicle (SUV)," Thomas Kuehl, President, Nissan India Operations told the media here late Wednesday.

The new models would be launched from the ensuing festival season, he said.

Queried about the 5 per cent market share goal post getting shifted to 2022 from the earlier target of 2020, Kuehl said the current target is realistic and achievable.

When pointed out that Japanese and Korean car companies have established market leadership (Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor) or a niche (Toyota Kirloskar in SUVs) in the Indian market and new competition emerging from Kia Motors, Kuehl said it is the global strategy of Hyundai and Kia to be there together in the major car markets.

"Our market share now is 1.6 per cent and over the next 12-18 months we will add one more per cent. We will tap into the segments were we are not present now," Kuehl said.

According to the official, the company would tap the rural market with its Datsun cars targeted at the below Rs 10 lakh segment.

On the launch of electric vehicle Leaf 2, Kuehl said the model would come to India this fiscal.

He said the model would be homologated in India and would be available for the public to experience the technology.

Kuehl said Nissan is in India for the long run and the focus will be first on the domestic market and then the export markets.