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-   -   Datsun GO+ : Official Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/159595-datsun-go-official-review-6.html)

Not really. It's all about intelligent packaging and - I must say - the ugly Quanto does a good job of carrying 7 in <4 meters.

3rd row is more usable:


While the 2nd row is spacious:

A strange choice.......looks more like a product signed off from an international headquarters, by a committee, based on market survey reports and consultants' presentations. If I was the CEO, I would struggle to fault the decision. But would I buy it? Never. Would I recommend it to anyone? Never. Do I think it will succeed? No. But then, stranger things happen in the marketplace. We will know its fate well enough by June 2015.

Firstly with the GO selling 700 plus units in December 2014, Datsun must have had only one idea on their mind for the GO+ 'Bhikhari ko bhikh, jitni mile utni thik'.

Some of the blame for companies like these succeeding belong to us, end buyers also. We buy anything any company throws at us, look at Force Motors selling that junk called Gurkha, Skoda selling their vehicles with what they call parts prices and extortionist after sales service and now a third entry called Datsun.

Boycott these companies and see how they are forced to get their acts right

Quanto is in different league altogether. It has gone vertical and thus ample headroom is available, more so 3 pot diesel mill with 100 bhp at the tap is good to pull with loads of low end torque. Additionally it is operating at a different price point, One should not compare it with MSIL Eeco and Omni, which could be peers in the mind of Nissan while clearing Go+ for production.

Still none of us can call it a success for whatever sales / footfall it is able to generate for M & M. :D

Is Datsun in India selling the GO+ as a 5 or 7 seat vehicle? I don't see any way for anyone to sit on the so called third row seats. Why did they even bother fitting a seat? Oh I know why, we like to tell people, I have seven seats!

We've seen the trend a lot with single reverse lamps. With the GO+, I am surprised they included two lamps to illuminate the number plate. Should have been one considering the heights they've taken on cost cutting.

Looking at the tailpipe, I hope it is secured nice and good. Remember the days the Ambassador's tail pipe slung low to the ground cause the securing area below the rear seat had given way? Folks used to drive it around like that.


Oh no.

Now this is nice.

As mentioned, the MID is quite elaborate and offers more information than some pricier cars out there.

Wonder how they forgot to light up the ideal shifts points on the speedometer. Mileage lovers actually use these points. It also works better as the tachometer is not easy to read.

Another nice feature.

Am I seeing this right, the door pocket is not an integrated unit to the door pad cause you can see the ground through the gap and there appears to be a fastening clip visible.

The clubbed front seat is a bad idea. A child will surely be placed there.

As much as Datsun would want the GO+ to succeed, it is going to be a hard sell. Those interiors are going to be the first thing customers notice and few are going to like it. Not a nice way to GO.

Unfortunately not! I'd prefer to save myself the embarrassment. lol:

The location is Hrishikesh.

Beats me. Couldn't figure this out either.

That is exactly what we had suggested. The reply - Datsun isn't looking to be associated with the taxi market. Hence, no diesel is planned as of now. I overheard a conversation where Datsun was looking at the possibility of introducing an LPG/CNG variant but it wasn't officially revealed to me, so let's keep it at that.

What I fail to understand is that if the company entered an all new market, they could've done it with a little more premium vehicle first to build an image and then introduce the GO and other cars. Datsun isn't a Hyundai to pull off a small car in a completely new country - the Santro in 1998. Times are different now. Datsun's enter strategy seemed confused and now I am not sure in which direction are they heading. Plus, they entered / were introduced in India at a time when Nissan was already struggling in the market.

True that.

The Wagon R is 3,599 mm in length, hence, it will be easier to stretch its body shell by a few hundred mm and still remain under the sub-4m category. It would be that much harder and that much more cramped to accommodate an extra bench in cars from the Swift segment. An example of this is the Datsun GO+. Also, Maruti will get away with that little Wagon R+ or whatever it will be called because it is Maruti. For a newbie like Datsun it was always going to be a challenge to be accepted in the first place.

Auto enthusiasts might not give the GO+ a second look but for some people, the GO+ will be on their list of 'cars to consider for purchase'. With our review we hope that prospective buyers gets a clear and unbiased perspective about the car. And we do have BHPians and possibly even their relatives who own the Datsun GO (an equally unsafe car) :)

Honestly, I feel that Datsun wasn't successful enough in making the car NOT scream 'I'M CHEAP'. The exteriors actually began to appeal to me (minus the tiny wheels) after a point as the body shell feels like it was always designed to be this way; doesn't appear like an afterthought. However, look closer and the cheapness is evident. Enter the cabin of an Alto and the car feels like it tells you 'congrats, you've paid Rs.3L for this'; enter a Datsun and it tells you 'hah! you haven't paid enough to deserve any better'. That is the difference.

This car can be a good alternative for those looking to upgrade from an Omni to another people mover but are on a really tight budget. It sure is safer than the Omni, has adequate pep, good fuel efficiency, space-wise too it is very decent if looked at from a 5 seater perspective. I'm not sure how many first time buyers or Maruti 800 / Alto owners would consider this for their upgrade though.

Had a very interesting conversation with a group of colleagues at my office today. One among them, looking for a small car, was looking at a comparison of the Datsun Go, Hyundai Eon & Maruthi WagonR. While I agreed that the Wagon R is a slightly a step above the other two, my colleague was very much inclined towards the Datsun Go. When I asked him to have a look at our Team-BHP review, he said he had read it and he is Ok with it. Moreover, he had looked at the Go+ and was even more interested in the car, his simple reasoning being for a small price difference he is getting a bigger car. Even the last row bench (and I used that word loosely for lack of a better word) was acceptable for him saying the kids could sit there albeit a bit uncomfortable.
Bottom line for him was the car is cheaper by about 50k - 1L from its nearest competitor and that was reason enough for him to go for it. Clearly there is a section of the Indian population who are happy with Datsun's cars just as long as they are cheap to buy, can accommodate 4-5 people easily. Nothing else seem to matter to them. :Frustrati

Auto-rickshaws are a historical aberration. Not something introduced into the market in this day and age. Bringing them into the discussion is therefore arguing for the sake of it.

As for Tata Nano, I would feel much safer in a Nano than in a Datsun Go. I don't think the + on this one indicates any progress.

Review is perfect!!!
Car is imperfect.

Wait!!!
Common man is here. We would like to have this as an alternative for Omnis and auto rickshaws which haul 8 to 10 people. The base variant is perfect for Omni upgraders!!!.There is enough space to use it as a luggage carrier keeping the seats folded down.
Only one issue,people will never hear about it.
Call up any dealership of Nissan ,they will talk about Micra.
Ask about Go, "Sir you will not get power ,power windows,no good brakes etc." is the answer.
On another take,I am amused to see that the Datsun brand may be used by Nissan to get more footfalls and leads for their dealerships.
Who knows, they may sell a Terrano to a customer who asks for Go +.

My concern with the Datsun products are how they are lowering the already low safety parameters and safety consciousnesses we have here even further. With the Go (and the Go+) that 'connected' front seat which I am very sure they knew will be marketed as a 'child seat', is the first thing that concerned me on their attitude towards an Indian buyer.

Now with the Go+, as touched upon in the review, was quite concerned to see how close the rear window is to the head of someone sitting in the last row because of the non existent boot space. Because of the non-usability for adults more often than not, kids will be there in that seat. In addition considering the flimsy build of the car, I find this to be a very dangerous situation.

It is all very fine to call cars like the Omni or an auto dangerous, but these are vehicles that have been around for ever. Now with at least some increase in safety considerations by manufacturers (Standard Airbags across range from Toyota and VW is an example) It is disheartening to see a foreign manufacturer launching such cars which take the minimal safety bar lower. :(. You cannot take Indian buyers that much for granted.

EDIT: Thank you for the excellent review. As usual very detailed and well written.

I have rechecked the Official Review of Quanto which is done by you and the verdict if far from what you have given here as 'Good job'.
Even MnM claims it as 5+2 seater.

Despite all this noise about safety, all manufacturer's are selling their cars without any structural changes and there is no communication from the Govt either so life goes on as usual but yes Govt is getting more duty now.

Whoa! What a contraption! Well as expected BHPians are shocked beyond belief with this car which Datsun claims to be a 7 Seater.

This is like one of those cheap Bollywood movies slammed by critics. The producers and directors don't take note of the critics because they believe their target audience is different and not the elite.

Datsun has got it all wrong by thinking that the gullible Indian will buy their so called economical 7 seater car. There is indeed a market for such cars in the country. Probably some may even buy it without analyzing like we do on how dangerous it is for the last row occupants (If they manage to squeeze in).

I've seen people riding motorcycles with 4 kids in tow. Such people will find any car safer than a motorcycle and probably carry the whole town with them.

However the thing that goes against Datsun is that the target market they want to sell the car to doesn't trust a brand like Datsun.

We Indians are aspirational no matter what section of society we may belong to. We don't like to be seen in something which is perceived to be cheap. Ahem.. Tata Nano.

I pray that Maruti doesn't learn a thing from this and we have multitudes of unsafe cars coming on to roads.

Well, much as I would like to comment against the practicality of this vehicle, I really think this will sell (at least) better than the hatchback.
The reason has already been stated in a post above- a big car for the price of a hatchback.
Yes, it is not perfect. The last row is unsafe, impractical and uncomfortable. The interior quality is not something to talk about and there are glaring examples of sub standard finishes ( the half painted bonnet base for example).
However, if you put yourself in the position of a common car buyer in India, who feeds on programs on news channels and news paper supplements, you would start looking at the vehicle with a different perspective. The price at which this is being offered is really attractive- and all the shortcomings (except the 'ridiculing' attitude of Nissan towards passenger safety) can be forgiven. The car is spacious, looks upmarket and has reliable mechanicals. What more would that sort of a customer want?

I may be taking a slightly controversial approach here, but since our car market hasn't reached those high standards yet, I find the Datsun + fitting in the voids though shaky.

I had a recent opportunity to strike a conversation over a cup of road side chai in the wee hours with a Datsun owner who was passing by with his family, his previous car was a M800 and this car for him was a clear upgrade at a reasonable price. He sounded pretty happy and said he picked this car mainly for the price and all other competitors from other stables were not competitively priced, he had to wait for long before he could swap his M800 and was happy he got one that suits his needs, he sounded like a Datsun Privilege customer (if there was something like that :-)) when he said that and went on to state he could now do long distance trips at ease.
Of course I did not want to put him off balance with my disdain for Datsun's safety and let the conversation take its own course.

So there it is, I am sure though it may not be a number churner, this may be a car that could suit someones overall needs to the T. Anyways in a country where anything and everything sells without any regulatory body, no harm in adding the Datsun + and if Datsun has to go, a lot many products should not be sold either and if others stay, Datsun can stay too as another option.

To clarify, I have no interest in the Datsun nor will I recommend to anyone and honestly I think we should have vehicles built according to stringent standards but since we have so many substandard products in the market and overlook them, I feel till such time Datsun too should get a fair chance as for someone lower in the ladder, it could be the car that suits him for now.
I have decided that I'll stay away from a Datsun +, especially the last bench, even if I need to hitch a ride on the highway. :-)

Excellent review Tushar. Very detailed and to the point. After reading your review I don't think any prospective customer has anything new to look onto before buying this car. Few points that you've pointed out rightly:

1. No keyhole on the passenger side door and no remote key. This can be a problem for some people who has to park his car with driver side against he wall and passenger side door is the only way to get out. We still find this sort of circumstances in India.

2. LHS ORVM is not electrically adjustable, let alone foldable is another great inconvenience. They cannot excuse these in the name of cost cutting.

3. Third and most important is that they want to sale this car as a family mover with third row of seats. But from the looks of your review this car seems to have won the crown for having the most cramped third row seat in our market. This can not be a usp for this car.

Again excellent review.clap: And a good job with the Team-bhp number plate as well.