Datsun redi GO Overview

Datsun redi-GO was launched around a couple of years with a strong value proposition aiming to lure the young buyers in emerging markets like India. At its launch, a three cylinder 800cc i-SAT engine promised a decent performance with good fuel efficiency. A more powerful 1.0L engine was introduced later in July 2017, at the upper end of the range to satisfy more demanding customers asking for a peppier street performance. Within a short period of 20 months of its existence, Datsun redi-GO offered many big and small improvements in the car. And the latest addition to the list is an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) mated to the 1.0L engine. Does it now qualify to be your favourite everyday city car? Read on to find out while we share our experience on Datsun rediGo AMT from a recent pre-launch test drive.Check for Datsun redi GO price in Ahmedabad at Autozhop.

Datsun redi GO Exterior & Look

The redi-GO’s design is completely different from the Kwid, unlike Renault-Nissan’s previous offerings that were ‘badge-engineered’. The redi-GO looks nothing like the Kwid which works in its favour. In fact, it looks pretty much unlike any other car in its class. Datsun has managed to make it look as close to the concept as possible, which means the redi-GO looks a lot more modern than its rivals. The edgy design, especially the front-end with the sloping hood that extends into the hexagonal grille gives it a youthful appeal. The headlights looks nice too, especially with their split design. Same cannot be said about the tiny LED DRLs though, since they are barely noticeable.

The front three-quarter is the most appealing angle to look at the redi-GO, especially thanks to the sharp cut that runs from the front door right up to the tail lights. The design of the tail gate is again unique, but I didn’t quite like the way the taillights have been designed. On the whole, it is a car that looks eye-catching, especially in that bright shade of green.

Datsun redi GO Interior & Comfort

While the Datsun redi-GO was launched with an all grey interior, it has now been updated and all versions get sporty black interiors. The dashboard itself is well contoured though and not like the earlier plain jane slabs of plastic that you got on the Go and Go+. You also get a smart looking gloss black centre console. The infotainment setup comprises a USB and AUX input but no Bluetooth connection, which means you cannot connect your phone to the car wirelessly to play music or take and make phone calls. Storage space, too, could have been better with just one large and another smaller cupholder. The door pads also get limited storage and the glovebox is sufficient to carry your vehicle documents and some other knick-knacks.

The new redi-GO also offers a lot of space in the back seat in terms of knee room and head room but shoulder room for three people is not adequate and it could get quite cramped. The seats themselves are quite comfortable, though, with enough lumbar and under thigh support. There is no folding handrest or adjustable headrests at the backIn terms of the front seats, although they are decently comfortable overall with the exception of being quite narrow on the top half, the distance between the steering wheel and the seats aren’t large enough for drivers 6ft and above since the seats do not slide as far back as they should ideally. Of course, most Indian men have an average height of around 5’8’ so this shouldn’t be a problem to them. On the whole, though, the redi-GO is more spacious than the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 and about as spacious as the Renault Kwid.

Datsun redi GO Engine & Transmission

The redi-GO shares its engine and transmission with the Renault Kwid. Sitting in the hood is the same 3-cylinder, 799cc petrol engine which churns out 54 PS of power at 5678 RPM and 72 NM twisting force at 4386 RPM. Datsun claims they have tuned the engine to extract more juice from the engine as compared to the Kwid. There isn’t much power to play with in the lower end of the rev band and you really have to accelerate hard to get going, however this engine offers a strong mid and high range. Keep the revs in the mid to high range and you will be able to extract good power from the engine. 3-cylinder engines do have some inherent vibration. The doors and steering have some amount of vibration on idle but it disappears once you step on the gas. To know more info on Datsun redi GO check Icassp2003

The 5-speed manual transmission offers smooth shifts with evenly spaced out ratios. The first gear tops out at around 40 km/hr, the second just under 80 km/hr while the third will get you doing about 110 km/hr before hitting the rev-limiter. After this the engine loses steam as it has already passed its peak output. Datsun claims that the redi-GO will hit the ton from zero in 15.98 seconds, which isn’t bad for a car in this price bracket. Power feels adequate most of the times but there are times when you would have liked more grunt from the engine. Though a 1-litre engine would have been ideal, Datsun went for the 0.8-litre considering cost and fuel economy.

However, Datsun has said that they will get something new every 6 months and we reckon that it will be eventually getting a 1-litre engine and an AMT. The ARAI certified fuel economy for the redi-GO is 25.27 km/l, which is marginally better than the Kwid. This may be owing to the fact that the redi-GO is marginally shorter (by about, 30 mm) and approximately 25 kgs lighter than its French cousin. We reckon that in the routine driving cycle, one should be able to extract around 15-16 km/l, which is quite respectable.

Datsun redi GO Ride & Handling

The Redigo’s electrically powered steering (EPS) is light, but feels lifeless. There’s little feedback on offer and even at higher speeds, the EPS remains inconsistent and vague. On the flip side, its 4.7m turning radius makes this car extremely easy to manoeuvre in the city and makes tight parking a breeze.What stands out though is the Redigo’s ride quality. The suspension tune is spot on and it does a great job of absorbing road imperfections and smaller bumps. Even the larger bumps are discarded in a very mature manner. Pitching and bobbing at high speeds are well controlled too. This little Datsun has a slightly stiff suspension setup to counter the car’s higher body roll, yet on sweeping curves its tall stance does lead to the inevitable top heaviness although it isn’t excessive. Show the car a set of corners or fast curves and it feels outside its comfort zone.

Its feather-light weight shows its weakness on the highway where the car feels flighty at speeds beyond 80kph. High-speed stability isn’t really confidence-inspiring and crosswinds only add to its nervousness.The car is best suited for city commuting. Thanks to its 185mm ground clearance, shorter wheelbase and slightly stiffened suspension, it should clear tall speed breakers and deep potholes with ease.

Datsun redi GO Braking & Safety

The top-end variant of New Datsun Redi-GO features driver side airbags as well, which makes for a very good offer in this segment. Along with this, the car gets disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear to give the driver a confident drive.

Datsun redi GO Cost in Ahmedabad

Datsun Redi GO On Road Price is 2,89,290/- and Ex-showroom Price is 2,58,300/- in Ahmedabad. Datsun Redi GO comes in 8 colours, namely Red Sport,Lime,White,Grey,Grey Gold,Ruby,Silver,Silver Gold. Datsun Redi GO comes with FWD with 799 CC Displacement and 3 Cylinders with Maximum Power 53 bhp@5678 rpm and Peak Torque 72 Nm@4386 rpm DRIVE TRAIN FWD and reaches 100 KMPH at N/A . Datsun Redi GO comes with Manual Transmission with FWD .

Datsun redi GO Conclusion

Expect the launch to happen within 2 months of the official unveiling of the car on 14th April. This baby Datsun surely will be able to pull some crowd because of its fresh new styling and aggressive pricing. This new budget car will obviously set new standards because it underpins the same platform and is powered by the same engine of the KWID but will be positioned lower than the former.