[HammerHead]

Excellent review. Don't you think if it was launched under 'Nissan' branding it could have added some weight to the image of this car? I mean Datsun, who? Targeted buyers must have hardly heard of Datsun!

[misquitas]

Originally Posted by jessie007

A great comprehensive review - a standard routine now on Team-BHP. I was reading through the review, and couldn't help comparing it with the Nano. Was considering it as a third car in the family for next year. In the Datsun Go, A/C is there only in the middle 'A' variant and upwards, and only the top-end 'T' variant has power steering, power windows and mobile input for music, not to forget an awkward hand-brake (esp. for female drivers) in all variants.

The top-end 'T' variant of Datsun Go will come to around 4 lakhs on-road Delhi. If one doesn't need much boot space and running is limited to short trips within the city, Nano Twist XT at around Rs 2.5 lakhs on-road Delhi is fully loaded with all these features (A/C, power steering, power windows, remote locking, MID with Distance to Empty & average display) plus a bluetooth enabled full-fledged music system. No to forget a regular hand-brake and covered glove-box.

Quite agree. It is indeed a disappointment that the Datsun Go features a power steering only in the topmost "T" model. In other words, a buyer aspiring to have the basic PS/AC features will have no option other than the "T" model.

As a second/third car for the family, the fully loaded Nano Twist XT makes far better sense.

I suppose the Datsun Go will appeal primarily to the Taxi segment, as they would not mind bigger cabin (and a heavier non-PS steering) at a cheaper cost.

Then again, there are so many accessories/fitments (better music system, retractable rear seat belts, internal adjustable L/R mirrors, etc.) to be added to make the Go a "proper" car. In the final analysis, the on-road price of the Go could well reach Rs 4.5 lakh, thereby negating the price advantage in the first place.

[DCEite]

Great review there, BBlost and Parry!

Same cannot be said about the car though, IMO this should go down as one of the worst new car launch in decades.

One could have accepted the cost cutting in build - given the price tag. But things like weird Handbrake design, non-covered glove box(even Nano provides a cover now!), crap ICE, choppy gearshift and ergonomic flaws, tyres, and most importantly -absense of safety features even as Option..just not acceptable.

This car has failure written all over it.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by bblost

What really gets my goat is the lack of any kind of internal adjustment for the wing mirrors. To adjust the ORVMs, you have to roll the window down, stretch and move the mirror with your finger.

I do the same thing in my 8 lakh rupee Honda Amaze EX variant!
I do hope they have provided an ORVM on the left in the cheaper variants.
Lack of power steering in the base & mid variant is also disappointing.
Also what fuel efficiency did you guys manage during your drive?

[bblost]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Originally Posted by Deep Blue

Doesnt the music system play off a pen drive ? It would be a pain to dock the mobile each time and connect the aux cable.

No, it only plays off as an AUX input. The USB port is for charging only.

Rear seat would be hot with the connect seats blocking AC air flow.

We drove on a slightly cooler day. There were no complaints by people sitting in the rear seat.

Originally Posted by puchoo

Tyres really needed to be bigger , the space in the rear wheel area is an eyesore , simply too much.

But that area does fill up when driven over rough terrain. There is a picture of this in the review.

Originally Posted by PPS

Also what fuel efficiency did you guys manage during your drive?

The MID kept showing a value between 13-14 kmpl.

In a very unscientific test we reset the MID and drove for about 10 kms on the ORR keeping our speed between 70 and 90 kmph.
The MID settled at a decent 23 kmpl by the time we got bored of doing this.

[kiku007]

Another Evalia in the making. Period.

[blacksport]

Originally Posted by bblost

In a very unscientific test we reset the MID and drove for about 10 kms on the ORR keeping our speed between 70 and 90 kmph.
The MID settled at a decent 23 kmpl by the time we got bored of doing this.

I do the same mileage test occasionally on the ecity elevated flyover (9.8kms) in my 1.5P ecosport. AC off, 80kmph. By the time i touch down at the toll booth the MID would be showing 21-22kmpl. Ecosport weighs 1.3 tonnes, so 23kmpl from a 1.2L engine pulling a 800kg car is hardly interesting.


Sent from my iPad using Team-BHP

[charanreddy]

After sales network permitting, I have a feeling this car will do well in the rural areas and 2 & 3 tier towns as well, primarily due to the space factor and the flexibility to carry one additional passenger. I have personally seen demand for the Indica's and Indigo's just because of the space on offer in these areas.

Also, This could pose a risk as there is very little traffic policing in the rural areas and containing the 6th passenger will be non-existent.

[chennai-indian]

Excellent review as always. However, I feel the "Go" will soon be a "Goner" !!. Another disaster in the making -first Nissan, now Datsun and just Renault escaping by the skin of its teeth because of Duster. A substandard car with over-inflated price - Tata Nano feels all the more "premium" and VFM now compared to Go

[supremeBaleno]

Looks like our community overall finds the Go utterly lacking, with cost-cutting being the main gripe. Given that cars we rave about on the forum are usually flops in the market and vice-versa, maybe this might end up a seller.

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

This launch once again proves how backwards our country is in terms of vehicle safety parameters. These guys have gone and omitted the Fog lamps and look at that head restraint, it is more of a head breaker in case of a crash. Forget the ABS, EBD, etc.

I believe many cars out there provide integrated head-restraints, so is that really a big deal ? And fog lamps ? If I am right, what we usually get are driving-lamps, not actual "fog" lamps. Definitely good to have, but is it really a deal-breaker for most folks out there ? And it is not like airbags/ABS/EBD are standard fitment on other cars in the Go's range or even a segment higher. So blaming the Go for lack of safety features seems incorrect.

P.S.: I am not a Datsun/Nissan fan - just pointed out some obvious stuff.

[needforspeed88]

1] Never advertize the car as a CHEAP car. Nano is still trying desperately to come out of the cheap moniker.

2] Even the lowly Nano had to come up with Powersteering version. The lower versions of Go are pointless for majority of customers as only the top variant has powersteering.

3] All these foreign companies think as long as something is cheap people will buy it. This car had great potential do well had they not cut corners for basic creature comforts. Stereo is not available even in the top end variant, internally adjustable rear view mirrors are not present, adjustable seat-belts are not present at the back.

4] Indian customers look at VALUE and not CHEAP. Indian customers are looking for value for money and not at a barebone product which lacks the features which were present in cars sold a decade back.

5] The panel gaps are an eyesore. I know in this segment you cannot expect immaculate shut lines but if this is the quality in their demo cars just imagine what the quality is going to be in mass produced cars.

5] What could have been a great product has been reduced to a product which comes up short on several crucial everyday parameters.

6] Yes space is a very important criteria but it cannot compensate for the lack of essential features.

7] The customers would have had no qualms about paying 15-20k extra for a much more feature rich product.

8] Gone are the days when Indian customers did not have a choice. Today the customer is the king. Renault needed to know that you simply cannot sell a product by resorting to extreme cost cutting to under cut the competitors.

9] The After sales and Service of Maruti and Hyundai is so vast that Renault will have a massive task of convincing the customers to chose a barebone product in place of more feature laden products backed by excellent after sales and service support.

[MaxTorque]

Great review. The GO looks like a product which is build to a cost. Nissan should have offered some of the basic features in the top end variants. Being it is a Japanese company, I expected Nissan will offer safety features in higher variants. With limited dealership penetration, I think competition need not to worry much.

[TheARUN]

I'm disappointed with the 'Go'

When I was growing up the MD of the Company that my Dad worked in used to use a Datsun. It was in the late 70s and early 80s. The station wagon Datsun was quite a superstar in the town. Legend has it that it used to do Bangalore runs which was 480 kilometres one way in 6 hours flat, in those days of single lane roads

Coming with that high expectation, I cannot stomach the 'Go'
- I love the styling, there is no problem with the looks
- I hate the thin metal the whole car is made of
- The cheap seats
- Using your mobile as the stereo system
- Long front seat
- Rear seatbelts that do not withdraw into their covers
- The 3 cylinder petrol engine

I could go on and on

Datsun has missed it here, they have over-priced the car, with all this cost-cutting they should have aimed for a Nano par pricing, feature-wise, it does not compare to an Eon though it is priced the same, I mean the interiors of the Eon and the whole touch and feel

Feel let down by Carlos Gohsn, I had so much expectations about him reading the market right, he has gone down in my eyes after this launch

[Soumyajit9]

I am totally flummoxed, shocked at this car.
Do you even call that a car at that price ?
I would buy a Nano with those features.
Given a different engine option, I would pick up an Alto or a Santro any day, but never a Go.

[Anand3553]

Great review bblost . My feeling is that the Go is not going to make any change in the Indian car scene. We might see a few of them in the urban areas but that’s all about it.

The Go does not have anything that makes it standout and be noticed. It does not offer anything tempting to lure the customers away from the Altos. If any brand wants to overcome the towering market presence of Maruti in this segment, they will have to do something out of the box and surprise the customers.

--> The urban customers who are considering a low cost city car (secondary) already has the Nano but there could be a few who will experiment with the Go. I believe those would be the only customers for the Go.

--> The rural customers more often than not would not have even heard about Datsun and we are talking about such a brand pitching against the mighty Maruti and the result is anyone’s guess. Against all odds if Datsun manages an orgasmic effort to turn the tables in the rural India, it is going to take years and the Indian automobile industry is too dynamic for that to be practical.

--> The next is the taxi market in which the most important things are interior space, mileage, spare parts availability and service. Space and mileage – Already offered by Indica or even Etios Liva for that matter and mind that Toyota with all its glory failed to succeed. Spare parts and ease of service – Anyone other than Nissan does better (No offense to the owners)and we will have to wait and see about Datsun. Even if Datsun wants to excel in this, it will take years

For me the fate of ‘Go’ is decided. If anything, it can be perceived as the first step in Datsun’s emergence and Nissan’s resurrection in India.