[i74js]

After Triber, the market will desire more from co-brother brands. Though introduction of CVT is a good move, it may not help sales as private buyers will expect certain level of finesse in the product and CVT alone may not be able to make it a compelling preposition for them.

I would much rather spend money on Triber if Renault is able to borrow CVT unit from Nissan and plonk it in Triber. It will become a complete budget family mover !

[ani_meher]

Originally Posted by Nalin1

Even Lord Indra's Airavata will not return more than 9 or 10 in Bangalore traffic !

Off topic, but Airavata being an elephant is not expected to give better mileage in the first place

[blackwasp]

Here is a quick drive report of the Datsun Go / Go+ CVT.

Exterior:

There have been no changes to the Datsun Go since last year's facelift. Further, there is no distinguishing element for the CVT variant. The Datsun Go gets a hexagonal grille with chrome border, trapezoidal airdam down below and vertical DRLs in black pods. The design is inoffensive and neutral:


The rear too is neutral and gets a CVT badge on the left, the name badging on the right and a chrome stripe on the bottom of the tailgate. Four parking sensors are standard and the middle two ones sit lower than the outer ones. The Go also gets a chrome-tipped exhaust and a spoiler has also been offered:


14-inch alloys shod in 165/70 rubber look nice. The car appears bigger than the segment it is in. Doors have black bits towards the bottom. The roof rails are only for show and there is a sticker on them to not load anything:


Measuring 3,788 mm in length, 1,636 mm in width and 1,507 mm in height, along with a 2,450 mm wheelbase, it has the longest length and wheelbase amongst competition. The ground clearance is rated at 180 mm and the luggage space is 265 litres:


Go+ also gets the same treatment on the outside. I loved this shade of blue; looks much better in person too!


The Go+ measures 3,995 mm long, 1,636 mm wide and 1,507 mm tall. The wheelbase is unchanged at 2,450 mm but it has a 347-litre boot space with the 3rd row seats folded:


The rear is also similar to the Go. The bumper gets black inserts and the number plate is now housed in the tail gate rather than the bumper:


Interior:

All-black interiors get silver inserts. The materials used are budget grade hard plastics but it is well put together. I didn't hear any rattles in my test drive. The facelift gets a conventionally placed handbrake lever, compared to the twist and pull of the first Go:


T and T(O) variants get an instrument cluster with an analogue tachometer on the left. The dials are clear to read the fake carbon fibre design looks good. On the right is a digital MID and the warning lights:


Current gear is displayed on the left side. The top gets a clock while the lower portion displays the odo. To the right is the digital fuel gauge. Notice the Sport and traction control OFF lights (more on that later). MID gets two trip meters, average speed and engine running time:


Apart from dual airbags and ABD with EBD, the Datsun Go and Go+ CVT gets the Vehicle Dynamic Control as well:


A look at the centre fascia. The 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system is placed below the AC vents and above the AC controls:


It gets Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Here is the Apple CarPlay in action:


Gear lever is placed at the right position and is ergonomic to use. It gets grey plastic at the top and a chrome unlock button on the side:


Conventional P-R-N-D-L shift pattern. The L mode is to be used for steeper climbs and when coming down hills. Notice the shift lock at the top (to be used in case the transmission is stuck in P and the car needs to be towed):


Chrome button is good to use and has good feedback as well. It needs to be depressed when moving from N to R or when going into or out of P:


Press this small black button to engage / disengage the sports mode:


The Go gets all-black interiors with black fabric seats. Our test car had these red+black art leather covers:


The pedal area looks cramped but didn’t pose a problem to me (I wear size 10 shoes). The brake pedal is larger:


Despite the lack of a dead pedal, I found it comfortable to rest my idle foot like this. In an automatic, it is even more critical as your left leg is idle:


The Go+ gets an ebony and black theme. I preferred the Go's all-black design instead:


The Go+ had these silver and black seat covers. They are available as part of official accessories:


Driving the 1.2L Petrol CVT:

1.2L, 3-cylinder unit puts out 76 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 104 Nm @ 4,400 rpm:


The Go / Go+ CVT is powered by a 1,198 cc, triple cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that puts out 76 BHP @ 6,000 rpm and 104 Nm @ 4,400 rpm. This is the same tune as that of the Micra. The manual transmission variants continue to get the lower state of tune (67 BHP & 104 Nm). Thanks to the low kerb weight of 913 / 950 kg, the power-to-weight ratios are 83 & 80 BHP / ton, while the torque-to-weight numbers are 114 & 108 Nm / ton for the Go and Go+ respectively.

The CVT gearbox is the same one first introduced on the Sunny and later offered on the Micra. In one sentence, I can describe the gearbox as *butter smooth* in the city with an easy and jerk-free experience. It is much, much better than the AMT gearboxes that are offered by rivals. A new car buyer or someone who's buying this car as a beater will appreciate the transmission even more.

Release the brake and the car moves off with a smooth motion. With no input to the A-pedal, the car moves at ~7 km/h. With light pressure maintained on the accelerator, it is a boon to drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic conditions. The steering is feather light and the engine has sufficient grunt for urban commuting. CVTs usually deliver power in a linear manner & the Go / Go+ is no different. The Go is easy to point in and out of traffic gaps, and parking is only made easier by its small footprint. That said the Go+ doesn't feel too big as well. Remember, it's a 1.2L petrol mated to a CVT. The engine doesn't have punchy torque at low rpms and the power delivery remains suited to a sedate driving style only.

The Nissan CVT comes with 2 modes of operation - the mileage-optimized 'Normal' mode, and the comparatively free spirited 'Sports' mode. Shift between the two on the fly, via a small button you press with the left thumb. Sports mode, when engaged, is indicated on the dash. The shifter is a simple P-R-N-D-L stick. The "L" position keeps the belt in the 'low gear' range (for steep inclines, declines etc.).

In Normal mode, things are slow - the car moves off the line slowly, the instant go (relatively) is missing and it is more tuned for the economy rather than anything else. The CVT tries to upshift to the highest possible ratio as soon as possible. This means when you lift off the accelerator even for a moment, you will find that the gearbox has already gone to the next step. Even pressing the accelerator all the way to the floor doesn't make a difference. The car takes its own sweet time to pick up the engine rpm and hence the speed. Don't expect an immediate surge on 'kick down' either. In city conditions, the Go /Go+ CVT was acceptable with the Normal mode in terms of performance and the shifts were totally jolt-free. Just a day before the drive, I had driven a friend's Alto AMT and let me tell you, the CVT was a revelation infront of that.

In Sports mode, things are slightly better. The tune is slightly aggressive but the trade off is the fuel economy. The car feels much better off the line too and the Sports mode keeps the engine at a higher rpm. However, the difference is only felt upto 70-75 km/h. Above that, there is not much of a difference between Normal and Sports mode.

Out on the highway, overtaking slow traffic is manageable but you have to really plan overtaking moves on fast highways. The CVT responds best to mild accelerator input and this must be kept in mind. Post 80 km/h, the car feels out of its zone. There is no sudden go and the lag due to the rubber band effect is much more prominent. The rpm increases, but there is no corresponding increase on the speedo needle. At higher rpms, the engine feels strained and you can hear the typical 3-cylinder thrum. Us enthusiasts might like the note, but its a no go for the aam junta. The Datsun Go can cruise on the highway at 100 km/h with the engine turning over at 2,250 rpm.

On the NVH front, things are well-controlled at city speeds. The engine gets louder post 4,500 rpm and tyre & wind noise is not prominent upto 90 km/h.

The ARAI certified fuel numbers are 20.07 km/l and 19.41 km/l for the Go and Go+ respectively. On my test drive, over a mix of city and highway conditions, the car displayed the figure of 13.5 km/l on the MID. That said, I request the owners of the car to provide us the real world fuel economy numbers.

Disclaimer : Datsun invited Team-BHP for the Go / Go+ test-drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

[Nazaar25]

Datsun took a right decision by offering CVT. CVTs are way more smoother than AMTs and are better suited to small cars which are not meant to be driven hard.

Vehicle Dynamic Control

Traction control offered in this category of car is just WOW!

[Rajeevraj]

Although it won't set any sales chart on fire, a CVT on an entry level car is great. Good to see something other than AMT in this price range. The traction control is a welcome addition too.

[SoumenD]

Thanks for the review blackswap. It's a bold step to provide CVT in this segment and kudos to Datsun/Nissan for trying this out. I haven't experienced their 1.2L engine yet but can vouch for CVT's relevance in our city conditions. After using it for last 5 months in my Jazz CVT, I guess this comes closest to AMT's fuel economy figures with added advantage of smoothness. Headnods in AMTs are really irritating.

However the tradeoff is the rubberband effect if you go pedal-to-metal and more importantly(for the segment) the upfront cost for CVTs. Not sure how this would fare in the segment where Datsuns are placed. Never the less full marks in my books to Datsun for providing a 'REAL' differentiator in that segment

[Durango Dude]

https://youtu.be/zKYsDmsOE6A

ACI review of the Go CVT.

[Beast_of_Burden]

After 4 years of Jazz CVT ownership, and getting used to the CVT's character it's probably the best gearbox for dense urban traffic and poor road conditions. The CVT is not slow per se off the blocks as it masks acceleration. In any event the 1.2 L has no sporting pretensions, it is a merely adequate engine in the Jazz. This Datsun should also feel perfectly adequate with it's 1.2L. I had to unlearn the tendency to rev it out and just give gentle throttle inputs and let it glide. As a consequence the stress of driving in our urban conditions is reduced. This is a quality of the CVT that is perceived only after a few years of ownership! It won't impress.

On the highway if you are an enthusiastic right lane driver, don't buy the CVT. Maybe CVT with a bigger engine to work with feels better but I have no experience with something like the City CVT.

On an enthusiast website like this, CVT gets the bad rap but that is not the whole story, just saying. Most enthusiasts wouldn't even consider something like this Datsun highway worthy for that matter. In utilitarian cars primarily meant for the urban grind, CVT is very very good.

[Djay]

Kudos to Nissan/Datsun for introducing the CVT in this class of cars, inspite of low sales!! CVTs are not just much smoother, they have also proven to be much more reliable than AMTs in our traffic conditions. After driving both extensively, I would put my money on a CVT hands down. The mileage numbers are also decent and only slightly lower than AMTs, but way better than TCs.

Hoping Datsun prices the Go aggressively! A hatch with a CVT for 5.5-6 lakhs would be amazing. And really praying they market this very well and manage to pull in buyers. I would say the Go would then be the best automatic option under 7 lakhs.

[Highh5]

Finally we have a short and crisp Datsun facelift review along with CVT transmission. I highly appreciate Nissan's effort in spite of the fact that there sales are absymally low. I think they should now bought Datsun CSUV (crossover) which should be priced in Triber territory.
I checked that car on their Indonesian website and I think that can lease a new life in Datsun brand and will give the necessary breather to Nissan.

[gops2009]

Kudos for the crisp review Blackwasp, introduction of CVT and Traction control in this segment is a heartening move and we could expect competition to follow as well.
I recall that a couple of years back , Datsun GO had fared disastrously in crash tests and structural strength was really bad. Has Datsun done something on that front as well subsequently?

[Highh5]

Originally Posted by gops2009

Kudos for the crisp review Blackwasp, introduction of CVT and Traction control in this segment is a heartening move and we could expect competition to follow as well.
I recall that a couple of years back , Datsun GO had fared disastrously in crash tests and structural strength was really bad. Has Datsun done something on that front as well subsequently?

As far as i know, this particular Datsun facelift can with stand upcoming crash tests. They have beefed up the car with required structural strengthening which adds up 40 kg to the weight of the car.

[headbanger]

Originally Posted by Highh5

As far as i know, this particular Datsun facelift can with stand upcoming crash tests. They have beefed up the car with required structural strengthening which adds up 40 kg to the weight of the car.

That extra 40 kg is due to the gearbox. ACI review shared above mentions that.

[Highh5]

Originally Posted by headbanger

That extra 40 kg is due to the gearbox. ACI review shared above mentions that.

Even i got to know about it from ACI review. Refer the below screenshot.

[fhdowntheline]

As someone who has owned the Micra CVT before, I can vouch for the following:
i) In city conditions, 0-40, 40-70kph, steep parking lots, flyover ramps , there is absolutely no problem. In fact, you will thank your choice of AT (CVT) here over AMT/manual.
ii) On single lane state highways, you have to be a bit careful trying to overtake that slow moving truck. If you try to push it from 40-80, you will be stuck very badly. It isn't lack of speed per-se, its the perceptible lack of urgency of transmission.
iii) On fast multilane highways, you will be able to at-least keep up with equivalent 1.2 non-turbo manual petrol cars (read Maruti/Hyundai). In fact on the ghat stretches, you will be able to pull ahead of them rather well.

The engine/transmission itself is pretty reliable, never had a single issue over the 3+ years of ownership. In fact, I never really had any A.S.S issues with Nissan at all.