The Datsun Redi-GO has been launched in India at a price of between Rs. 2.39 - 3.34 lakhs (ex -Delhi).
What you'll like:
• Funky styling! Looks great for an entry-level hatchback
• Value-for-money pricing. Starts lower than the Maruti Alto
• 799 cc petrol has good driveability & sufficient pep for the city. Fuel-efficient too
• 185 mm of ground clearance! Suspension's behaviour is well-suited to a city hatchback
• Tallboy interior offers high seating, supportive seats, decent space & a powerful air-conditioner
• 222 litre boot is more accommodating than the Alto's (177 litres)
• Warranty can be extended to 5 years / unlimited kms
• Equipment in a budget car (driver's airbag, DRLs, full MID, ICE remote & more)
What you won't:
• The superior Renault Kwid is priced only slightly higher
• 3-cylinder engine vibrates excessively (especially when idling) & sounds unpleasant (as the revvs climb)
• Mediocre highway performance & behaviour. Best driven <100 km/h
• Body-coloured metal inside the cabin looks really bad
• Missing essentials (internally adjustable ORVMs, central locking, keyless entry, retractable rear seatbelts)
• Cost cutting is evident in some areas (single wiper, 3 lugnut wheels, small 28L tank etc.)
• No 1.0L engine variant like the Alto K10 & Eon 1.0
• Nissan-Datsun's dealer & after-sales network is far weaker than that of Maruti or Hyundai
Brand Datsun was reincarnated in 2013, only for developing markets (primarily India and Russia). They sell 4 cars internationally (GO, GO+, on-DO and the mi-DO), with India getting the first two and now, the Redi-GO. All 3 cars so far have the “GO” nomenclature.
The GO failed to make an impact in the market, despite its low pricing and decent on-paper specs. Datsun realised that cheap, bare bones cars don't sell in India. The excessive cost cutting, poor build quality and unfamiliar brand found no takers in India.
The terrible Global NCAP crash test scores and their specific suggestion to withdraw the car made matters worse. It was a forgettable start for Datsun India.
Back to the drawing board & here is strategy v2.0. Better styling, more amenities & an effort to conceal the cost cutting as much as possible.
The Redi-GO shares its CMF-A platform with the successful Renault Kwid. Their mechanicals are more or less the same (including the engine), yet the two are different.
While the Kwid looks like a scaled down tiny SUV, the Redi-GO is designed as an urban car with a tallboy design. The 185 mm of ground clearance is impressive and you can bet that Datsun will use it as a selling point.
