Report:
P.Tharyan; Photography: Mohd. Nasir
The
Datsun Go, when I first drove it, excited me because of its several features
and its cosy seat arrangement, especially in the front. It is an ideal car in
the entry level segment. The Go+ is a bigger car on the same platform. It’s a
compact sub 4-metre MPV that can accommodate seven people in a combination of
adults and kids. I am sure this would excite the middle class in the country,
yearning to buy an affordable car that can accommodate their not-so-small
family and loads of luggage. It comes into the segment of compact MPV which
does not exist in India. Every other car that labels itself as an MPV or an MUV
in the country is in the price range that may be a tad expensive for the real
middle class of the country. The Datsun Go+, to my understanding, may not be
that expensive as compared to the others of its kind.
There
is no point comparing this car to the Ertiga or the Mobilio or the Innova. This
one’s different. The car has been innovatively designed to accommodate more
people and yet drive smoothly. I had the opportunity to drive this car some
great distance from the Dehradun airport to our base camp in Rishikesh in
Uttarakhand. For someone who is spoilt to the hilt with loads of electronic
features of all kinds in a car, the Datsun Go+ may prove to be a wee bit
disappointing. But where this vehicle will score would be on the practicality
front. It offers great storage space (with the last two seats folded there is
ample storage), a good driving experience, good styling and solid performance.

As
I drove from the airport to the base camp on the banks of the river Ganges, we
passed through good roads, bad roads, extremely rough patches and solid sand.
The car stood its ground on every terrain. A 67bhp engine output may not sound
all powerful, but surprisingly the car does deliver significantly at different
gear levels. Coupled with that, a peak torque of 104 Nm is more than adequate
for the vehicle to take on any rugged journey.
Though
it is a sub-4 metre car, it really does look much longer. Since it has been
built on the Datsun Go platform, it has been extended to accommodate more
passengers and luggage area. Hence, it gets the ‘+’ tag now. The extended area
for the last two occupants may not be large to accommodate tow burly adults,
but it’s more for those little kids who can keep themselves entertained with
their tabs and digital games. Safety belts too are provided for them to keep
them safe.
The
‘+’ also has the same D-cut grille like its little brother. The large full
integrated three dimensional head light merges aesthetically with the sculpted
bonnet. This translates into a strong shoulder line that begins its journey
from the front of the car and continues to the rear of the car. The car may be
a compact one, but it has a decent ground clearance at 170mm, giving it a tall
boy feel.

The
interiors too are appealing in a subtle way. The three spoke steering wheel,
the white and blue coloured large speedometer, a digital tachometer, gear shift
guide and fuel computer, etc are just the right features for this car. Just a
couple of more features would have simply brought about more comfort to the
driver. These include an ORVM toggle for adjusting the mirrors from inside,
both the front door window pane controls on the driver seat, and definitely a
volume control knob on the steering wheel.
But
then driving comfort is enhanced by electric power steering, low turning radius
of 4.6m, soft suspensions, well designed seats, leather feel cabin material,
Intelligent Wiping System, a unique mobile docking station and not to forget, a
solid presence on the road. As for the mobile docking system, this in reality
proves really good as your smartphone can enable to driver to access satellite
navigation, hands free telephone, USB charger, music player, radio….all this by
simply syncing the smart phone with the car. The smart phone can be fixed into
a holder in the centre of the dashboard.
And
just when you thought this compact MPV is too simple to write home about, you
realise it even has Follow Me Home lights.
Now
with so many unique features, comfortable sitting and storing space, solid road
presence and a great mileage to boot, why should this car not be a fun car?
It’s simply Fun on the Go!
|
Engine
|
Transmission
|
Max Power
|
Max Torque
|
Mileage
|
1198 cc DOHC 12
valves, 3 cylinder petrol
|
5
Forward + 1 Reverse
|
67bhp @ 5000rpm
|
104Nm @ 4000 rpm
|
20.62 kmpl
|
Suspension Front/Rear
|
Brakes Front/ Rear
|
Fuel tank capacity
|
Tyres: Front/ Rear
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Price
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McPherson Strut with
suspension member and double pivot lower arm/ H-type torsion beam with high
performance linear damper
|
Ventilated Disc / Drum
|
35 litres
|
155/70R13 +
Tubeless
|
NA
|