Datsun Redigo review, test drive

The Redigo is Datsun’s fresh stab at the budget end of the car market. We drive this all-new hatchback developed specifically for the Indian market.

Published on May 13, 2016 02:50:00 PM

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Datsun says the Redigo has best-in-class rear seat space, and sitting in the rear seat, it seems the carmaker could be right. Good use has been made of the available vertical space, and though the seatback is a bit upright, the space here is pretty great. Head room is fantastic, knee room is more than sufficient and surprisingly, there’s decent thigh support thanks to the tall seating position. The high ground clearance also ensures you can walk into the car, rather than dropping down into it. The seat, however, is quite flat (as are most in this class), so don’t expect a lot of lateral support, and the narrow width of the body ensures that three-abreast seating is an occasional luxury.

The front seats are surprisingly comfortable considering how slim they are. You’re perched high enough to get a good view out and here too, there’s a good amount of thigh support. There’s a bit of side bolstering too which keeps you nice and snug. As is par for the class, there’s no height adjustment here, nor is there steering wheel adjustment of any sort but the fixed steering position has been finely set to suit the average height of Indian drivers. What’s more impressive than the actual space is the sensation of space that comes from the airy cabin and its large windows. That said, the thick C-pillar creates quite a large blind spot while reversing.

The 222-litre boot volume is not class leading (the Kwid has an astonishing 300), but it’s quite a decent amount in real-world usage. The only trouble is that the loading lip is really high and the aperture really narrow, so you’ll have to heave your luggage up and over to load it in. The backrest of the rear seat can be folded down as a single piece for a lot more luggage room. The Redigo gets a parcel tray which is nice and practical but the way it's bolted to the body obstructs the loading bay.