2018 Datsun GO Review
Car Tested: 2018 Datsun GO; Road Test No. 1005; Test Location: Chennai
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 4.04 – 5.22 lakhs
With the new updates, the Datsun GO siblings feel more appealing
Nissan brought back the Datsun brand to life few years back and launched the GO and GO+ in India. The entry-level GO hatchback was launched in 2014 while the GO+, which is a compact 7-seater, was launched in early 2015. These Datsun siblings brought in decent sales for Nissan India with the hatchback being more popular. Now, the automaker has given both the cars a mid-life update which makes the overall package much better than before.
The exterior looks livened up and refreshed now
Exteriors – On the outside, both the cars come with minor changes but they really give a better appeal to the styling and the GO as well as GO+ look quite better now. At the front, both cars come with revised bumpers along with LED DRLs. 14-inch alloy wheels have been fitted too, while at the rear you now get a wiper which wasn’t present earlier. Along with this, both cars come with dual-tone roof rails. Colours common to both cars are Opal White, Ruby Red, Crystal Silver and Bronze Grey. The GO also comes with an exclusive Amber Orange colour while the GO+ gets an exclusive Sunstone Brown colour.
The dual tone dash on the GO+ looks pleasant
Interiors – The interiors have been given a heavy revision. The dashboard gets a new design which looks more appealing than the older cars. The GO gets a full black layout for the dash while the GO+ gets a dual-tone theme. Fit and finish has improved a lot and so has the quality of materials used in the cabin. The handbrake has been moved to its conventional location. The older GO came with only speakers and a port to mount your phone but now it gets a Blaupunkt touchscreen audio system with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, etc. Sound quality is just average though. The USB port has been placed a bit inconveniently below the centre console.
The rear seats have very limited leg space
The GO siblings finally come with a proper music system now
Datsun claims that the vehicles come with anti-fatigue seats but honestly the front seats are quite thin and they lack proper support for the under-thigh while support for the back is good. Also the centre console which houses the gear lever is very large and it keeps hitting the knee of the driver and front passenger which gets really annoying because leg space is already very less. The seats aren’t very wide though. The rear seats offer average comfort but knee room is limited, more so when there’s a tall passenger sitting upfront. The GO has enough boot space for a couple of small bags while the GO+ comes with a third row which again has extremely limited space and isn’t suited to full-size adults. With the third row up, boot space in the GO+ is very negligible but with the last row folded, the cargo capacity gets increased drastically.
No mechanical changes have been made to the GO and GO+
Performance – The Datsun GO siblings are powered by a 1.2-litre, 3-cyl, petrol engine which puts out 67 HP of power and 104 Nm of torque. The engine is pretty refined for a 3-cylinder car and offers decent enough punch for city driving. Low end isn’t very responsive but the engine has good grunt in the mid-range, continuing till the higher rev band. 0-100 km/hr is claimed to come up in 13.3 seconds. The ARAI-claimed fuel efficiency is 19.83 km/l but real life figures hover around the 14-15 km/l mark in city driving and around 16-17 km/l on highways. The 5-speed manual gearbox has slightly rubbery shifts but the clutch is very light. Another noteworthy thing is the exhaust note which sounds quite cool.
The GO doesn’t feel very stable at speeds above the ton
Driving Dynamics – The suspension set up on the GO is pliant for our roads. The ride isn’t very plush but it is comfy enough unless the roads get really bad. The suspension travel is long and the GO siblings have a significant amount of body roll, which feels even more pronounced in the GO+ and sudden lane changes aren’t confidence inspiring. The steering doesn’t provide much feedback and is kind of vague. Braking performance is also pretty average and pedal doesn’t have a sharp bite.
2 airbags and ABS with EBD are now standard which is a good move
Safety & After Sales – The Datsun GO received a 0-star rating in NCAP crash tests but thankfully now both the cars are offered with dual front airbags on all variants and also ABS with EBD and Brake Assist. However, it remains to be seen how the updated cars fare in crash tests. In terms of sales and service, Nissan’s network isn’t as expansive as its rivals and this is a hindrance for potential customers of the brand.
Customers have a lot of options at this price point
Verdict – The Datsun GO siblings feel better than before now but there is still a lot of room for improvement. If you really need a 7-seater on a tight budget, the GO+ is the only choice in the market but if you just need a regular hatchback, the GO is a decent proposition if the car will be used strictly within the city. Hyundai is going to launch the all new Santro very soon and this is one car that is likely to have an upper hand over the GO. Cars like the Tata Tiago also make for a good choice, if you can stretch your budget slightly.
Nissan’s sales and service network can’t match up to its rivals
What’s Cool
* Exteriors and interiors look much better now
* Fuel efficiency on both the cars is good
* The engine offers good performance for daily usage
What’s Not So Cool
* Handling isn’t great, steering feels vague
* Very limited space in the cabin
Alternatives: Maruti Alto K10, Renault Kwid, Maruti Wagon R
Will you buy a GO over the Alto, Kwid and Wagon R?
Further Reading –
2015 Datsun GO+ Review
2014 Datsun GO Review
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