Datsun GO+ : Official Review

[HAL 9000]

The Datsun GO+ has been launched in India at a price of between Rs. 3.80 - 4.61 lakhs (ex-Delhi).

What you'll like:

• Neutral, inoffensive styling that will please all & offend none. Rear doesn't look like an afterthought
• Practicality of a station wagon at the price & size of a B2 hatchback
• 1.2L engine offers adequate driveability, pep & fuel economy
• Compliant urban ride quality
• Light driving controls, small turning radius & compact footprint make it well suited to the city
• Features such as follow me home headlamps, full MID & speed-sensitive wipers
• Usable as a 5-seater with an accommodating 347 liter boot

What you won't:

• Unusable 3rd row of seats; not a 7-seater! Ingress & egress are tricky too
• Cost cutting is obvious, inside-out
• Very noisy. Overall NVH levels are poor
• Light and flimsy build quality raises safety concerns
• Awful 155 mm Strada brand tyres lock easily. No ABS on any variant
• Datsun still lacks brand recall in India. Also, Nissan's after-sales service network is substandard
• Missing essentials (rear wash & wipe, glovebox lid, retractable rear seatbelts, ORVM adjustment stalks, day/night IRVM, proper head-unit)

Prefix the word 'compact' to any body type these days, and it will sell.

Compact SUVs are eating into the sales of C-segment saloons, while compact sedans fight it out with B-segment hatchbacks & 4+ meter sedans.

However, one thing that doesn't seem to shrink is the size of the average Indian family.

The Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) has been a mainstay for joint families since a while. With larger families looking to travel without spending too much money, Datsun sees an opportunity to top the GO hatchback with the GO+ compact MPV.

Since the Datsun brand's revival in March 2014, it has launched 4 models (GO, GO+, mi-Do & on-Do) across 4 markets (India, Indonesia, South Africa & Russia) and started production at 3 plants in 3 countries (India, Indonesia & Russia).

The GO+ MPV made its global debut at the 2013 Indonesian Motor Show.

The Indonesian market has a strong affinity for people carriers, and the GO+ was the first model to be produced at Nissan’s new plant in Purwakarta - Indonesia.

Closer home, production of the GO+ has already begun at the Renault-Nissan factory in Oragadam - Chennai, which has a total capacity of 4 lakh units annually.

We feel that Datsun missed an opportunity by not offering a diesel. This could have been a great differentiator and would definitely attract more customers to the showroom.

The GO is a larger alternative to small hatchbacks such as the Maruti Alto and Hyundai Eon. The GO+, on the other hand, is a compact alternative to larger MPVs.

Despite the fact that the two models are similar in most ways, their positioning will be poles apart.

On paper, the closest rivals of the GO+ are the Maruti Eeco & Tata Venture.

However, the GO+ is more of an 'estate / station wagon' than 'MPV'. It wouldn't be out of place to call it a 5 seater with a large boot (vis a vis a proper 7-seater MPV).

In fact, the GO+ brochure itself says the car features an "extended, squared off, estate car-like styling."


http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/159595-datsun-go-official-review.html

 

[kripstoe]

Is this the bigger version of the one that got a zero star safety rating? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRzh8uLA1tM

 

[HAL 9000]

Is this the bigger version of the one that got a zero star safety rating?

Indeed , it is just a '7-seater' MPV variant of the hatchback GO platform.

Exterior:

On the outside, the GO+ is evidently a variation of the GO.

Look at the face from down below and there's nothing to differentiate the duo. You get the same D-cut chrome surround grill with a black honeycomb mesh.

The grill itself is partially clad in a Roman numeral '1' shape, while the air dam is also partly covered to the left.

The fascia features a familiar set of sweptback headlamps, with silver accents that garnish the headlamp and indicator housing.

The bonnet lines move from the upper corners of the front grill towards the A-pillar. The bonnet itself is quite heavy and feels solid.

While the wide windshield will provide a good view to the driver, the plastic panel underneath is too small to cover its base and gaps are present all over.

It comes with the same double arm, single blade wiper as the GO (actually sweeps a big portion of the windshield). There is also a single washer nozzle which ejects 3 water spouts.

The side profile is where the GO+'s inner wagon becomes evident. As an MPV, the GO+ doesn't have a large footprint. Yes, it is a small car.

Despite being a 7-seater, the only difference between the GO and GO+ is the additional 210 mm of length. The width and wheelbase are the same.

Interior:

Save for the addition of the 3rd row seat, the interiors of the GO+ are identical to the GO hatchback.

The driving position doesn't feel any different from the GO hatchback. Like a station wagon, you won't really be aware of the extension at the back unless you're reversing.

 

[KleinBoontjie]

Is this the bigger version of the one that got a zero star safety rating? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRzh8uLA1tM

Yeah, NCAP actually asked, or was it 'pleaded', them to take the care of the market