Datsun Go review, road test

Nissan has resurrected its brand Datsun, which was phased out in 1981. And for India, the carmaker has positioned the brand at the budget end of the spectrum. Its first car, the made-for-India Go, has just gone on sale. Datsun’s ‘go local’ approach is in sharp contrast to parent brand Nissan, whose range of cars is designed to cater to a global audience.

And while the Nissan range starts with the Micra Active, Datsun will have two hatchbacks occupying the big-volumes space below it. A smaller, even more affordable hatchback is in development, but for now let’s focus our attention on the Go. Clearly Datsun has delivered on its promise of affordable pricing, with the range starting at an incredibly low Rs 3.12 lakh and topping out at Rs 3.69 lakh. When Datsun said the Go would cost less than Rs 4 lakh, we didn’t think it would be so much less!

The Datsun Go may be a car tailor-made for Indian requirements, but that also means it’s not quite built to global standards. So the question is, do you get enough for your money, or does the low price tag come at the expense of performance, refinement and safety?