Datsun Go review, test drive

The centre console is well-styled but bare bones – it has air-con vents from the Micra Active, an aux-in audio input with a phone/iPod holder next to it and a USB charging point; but you don’t get a radio or a CD player. The gear lever and pull-type handbrake sprout out of the centre console to make place for the bench-style front seats. Knowing how we here in India try to squeeze as many people into a car, Datsun has cleverly provided a wide left seat; but there is no seatbelt provided, so we wouldn’t recommend using it for anything other than a small bag.

The fit and finish is not bad – there’s lots of grey plastics and the dashboard may look quite unexciting – but there’s no faulting the panel lines and the surprising heft with which the switches and stalks work; the stalks are, after all, from the Micra. There is quite a lot of cost cutting in here – some not so obvious, some annoying. Even though the Go gets front power windows, the driver has a switch only on his side, and the rear windows are manual. There's also no internal window adjustors, so you'll have to physically push each mirror into the correct position with your fingertips before you set off. Then there’s the bare metal adjuster for the seat’s fore and aft movement, a rear windshield that looks like its missing beading on the inside, and rear seatbelts that don’t automatically retract; although Datsun says they will hold you back like normal seatbelts in the event of an accident. The dashboard also varies in thickness, in the interest of weight reduction.

There is, however, a lot of space on the inside. Clever management of space – the dash-mounted gearlever and the slim seats – makes it quite an airy cabin. Indians love storage space and there’s an indent on top of the dash to keep loose stuff, the glovebox is big and there’s space under the steering column near the driver’s knees to keep stuff too. Add to this the big door pockets on the front doors and you’ll find you don’t need much more space. The only problem is that the Go gets a lid-less glovebox (cost cutting again) and there are no other closed storage spaces in the cabin. 

Datsun says the Go’s seats have been designed using technology from Nissan’s luxury brand Infiniti, for optimal spinal comfort. The front seats, though basic, are decently supportive, except at the shoulders where they feel a touch too narrow. The rear seats have quite a lot of legroom and there’s even more space than in the Eon and the Alto 800, though taller passengers will find the rear headroom just a tad tight. The seat itself is quite flat, the squab is short, there aren’t many contours and the fixed rear headrests don’t offer much neck support. The view forward is limited as well, thanks to the unusual bench seat in front, so it’s a sitting position reminiscent of a HM Ambassador. The boot, however, is a fair bit bigger than its competition and it’s well shaped, but there’s no parcel shelf. The loading lip is high, though, and the boot floor is low, so you’ll have to lift your luggage over and into the boot.

Other irritants include the hatch that doesn’t have a key lock, so you have to open the car and unlock the boot from the internal boot release next to the driver’s seat every time you want access. And, while we are at it, the single horn isn’t loud enough either.

Still, the Go should prove to be quite a cheap, easy-to-own car. Datsun says that top-end variants of the Go will come in at below Rs 4 lakh and the base variants will start at around Rs 3.2 lakh. Datsun will also offer a two year/unlimited kilometre comprehensive warranty when the Go goes on sale later this month. The manufacturer claims an ARAI fuel efficiency figure of 20.6kpl. The Go will be sold through Nissan dealerships (Nissan owns Datsun, remember) and where there are no Nissan dealerships, Datsun plans to set up its own. 

For now though, the Go has a peppy engine, spacious interiors and is easy to drive. And when you think about how much it will cost, it seems like a lot of car for the money.

More on the new Datsun Go hatchback