Datsun redi-GO Detailed Review

[Roshun]

The Datsun redi-GO “Urban Cross” hatchback is the brand’s third offering in the Indian market in almost as many years after the Go and Go Plus. The redi-Go competes in a segment lower, going after the very popular Maruti Alto 800 as an entry level hatchback. It also has its cousin from Renault, the Kwid, to contend with as well as the Hyundai Eon. It’s really a brave move by Datsun to get into a segment that sees very high volumes, and which is very price conscious – a difference of a few thousand rupees and a feature or two can make or break a buying decision here.

UPDATE: The Datsun redi-Go has been launched at a price of Rs. 2,38,900 to Rs. 3,34,399 ex-showroom Delhi

The Datsun redi-Go comes in five variants. D, A, T, T(O) and S

Variant-wise prices of the Datsun redi-GO
Datsun redi-GO D: Rs. 2,38,900
Datsun redi-GO A: Rs. 2,82,649
Datsun redi-GO T: Rs. 3,09,149
Datsun redi-GO T(O): Rs. 3,19,399
Datsun redi-GO S: Rs. 3,34,399

A few days ago, NikilSJ and I were invited to Kolkata to check out the new Datsun redi-Go. I was surprised with both the car and the city – as my expectations of both were quite different. The choice of venue to drive the car was interesting, considering the redi-GO is primarily meant to be a city car, pretty well suited to a city like Kolkata, a city where the sun rises early, but the city wakes up later, allowing for some good early morning drives and photo ops.
Before we get into the details of the Datsun redi-Go, let me quickly summarize it for you.

Datsun redi-GO at EcoPark, Kolkata:

What I like about the Datsun redi-GO

• Tall boy cabin feels airy, offers good visibility for the driver.
• Excellent air conditioner, good air flow for rear-seat occupants too.
• “Urban Cross” looks are refreshing.
• Ground clearance of 185 mm is best in segment.
• Good ride quality over most surfaces.
• Decent sound insulation and refinement in cabin.
• Seats offer very good back support, despite being slim.
• MID offers a tachometer, average consumption, gear shift indicator, instant fuel economy, fuel gauge, trip meter and odometer.

What I don’t like about the Datsun redi-GO

• “Built-to-a-cost” is very obvious with exposed sheet metal in the cabin, not covered by trim (Datsun says accessory packs are available to cover up exposed bits)
• Thin sheet metal – ORVMs actually wiggle when you close the front power windows and they reach the upper limit. Door pads also move.
• Despite Datsun claiming best-in-class rear seat legroom, squeezing three in there is tough
• DRLs are a joke. They are barely visible in daylight.
• Single wiper leaves large unwiped area.
• Engine lacks punch especially for overtaking despite having the best power-to-weight figures in segment on paper. (Datsun also claims fastest-in-segment 0-100 acceleration time in segment of 15.98 seconds, which we need to ratify)

Who should consider picking up a Datsun redi-GO
If you want a tall boy car that has more space and better performance than the popular Maruti Alto 800 can offer within a budget of Rs. 2.5 lakh to Rs. 3.5 lakh, you could consider the Datsun redi-Go. The ride quality is really good and its compact dimensions make it really easy to drive through city traffic. The good fuel efficiency and excellent air-conditioner are added bonuses. It is a good first car for those upgrading from a two-wheeler. It’s a good second car for those who want something compact to use in the city. The only thing is you will be torn between the Renault Kwid and the Datsun redi-Go – it’s a very tough choice between the two. (See comparison chart below)

Datsun redi-GO at St. Paul's Cathedral, Kolkata

Datsun redi-GO at Victoria Memorial, Kolkata:

Datsun redi-GO at Princep Gardens, Kolkata:

Datsun redi-GO in the lime and ruby colours:

See how the Datsun redi-Go specifications compare with its main rivals:

Also see: Unveiling of the Datsun redi-GO.

[Roshun]

Datsun redi-GO Design and Styling

Exteriors
The Datsun redi-Go is quite radically styled. It stays true to the concept that was showcased at the 2014 Auto Expo in New Delhi. The tall boy design, good ground clearance and cuts and creases add to the character of it being an urban crossover. It’s fresh and muscular, yet very compact. It shares its platform with the Renault Kwid – the CMF-A or common module family platform. But these two cars have very little in common besides the engine and mechanical bits. The front is dominated by the Datsun trademark grille, flanked by large headlamps that have a pretty good light output. The top-end variant that we were driving has daytime running lamps (DRLs) in place of fog lamps, but they are barely visible in daylight!

When viewed from the side it seems as if two cars have been spliced together one on top of the other with the top half flowing smoothly, while the lower half has a pretty muscular look to it with a deep crease running across the side and rising to meet the tail lamps set rather high on the rear of the vehicle. The wheels are pushed to all four corners, with barely any overhang, giving this car a 26.8 degree approach and 58.6 degree departure angle, combined with a ground clearance of 185 mm, which should help it tackle any sort of road.

The trademark Datsun grille dominates the front. Daytime running lights take the place of fog lamps, but are not really visible (they are on in this photo below):

A closer look at the daytime running lights. Above the right side one, notice the exposed towing-eye hole. Other cars usually have a plastic cap covering this. Also notice the AC condenser being clearly exposed under the bumper.

The side-swept headlamps have a pretty good light output. Indicator is towards the inner portion of the light. Parking lamps are within the headlamp unit only.

The large hexagonal Datsun grille takes pride of place on the nose. It has large hexagonal honey-comb pattern slats. The AC condenser is quite clearly visible through the grille. The chrome around the edges is just the right amount. Not too flashy.

Viewed in profile, you can see the muscular stance that Datsun has tried to give the redi-GO. The top half has a smooth flowing design, while the lower portion is chunky and muscular, which adds to that "Urban Cross" look.

The Datsun redi-Go comes shod with 155/80 R13 tyres, which add to its tallboy looks. All variants only get steel wheels. This has a full hub cap.

The redi-GO also gets only three lug nuts per wheel, just like the Renault Kwid and the Tata Nano. This is an area of cost saving - four nuts per car saved! A few grams in weight and a few rupees in cash.

The outside rear view mirrors are only manually adjustable from outside. They do not have any internal toggle to adjust them. The field of view (195 mm wide mirrors) is quite good.

Door handles are the simple lift up type, in body colour on this top-end variant. There is no key access from the passenger's side. There is no central locking available either. It can be fitted as an accessory.

The fuel lid is located on the right side of the car. It can be opened by pulling the lever on the floor next to the driver's seat. The tank can hold 28 litres of fuel.

The Datsun redi-Go comes with a large single wiper and a twin-hole nozzle windshield washer. The wiper does NOT turn on automatically when the windshield washer is pulled. It has to be operated separately. The wiper also leaves a large unwiped area as it stops way short of reaching the end of the glass on the driver's side. Notice that stream of water trickling down, that's the limit of the wiper. If you are following a truck in rainy weather and you get a lot of road spray, that area is going to become a blind spot.

The rear of the redi-Go looks quite muscular. The tail-lamps are set about 1,200 mm from the ground, meaning they are pretty high up and visible from a distance. There's subtle use of chrome on the boot lip. The boot can only be opened from inside by pulling the lever near the driver's seat. There is no separate key for external access. The lower black skid plate portion can be also had in silver (sold as an accessory). And you also get a chrome tail-pipe finisher.

The Datsun badge takes pride of place on the boot lid. It has the classic Datsun U-shaped design element (also seen on the Go) below it. The redi-Go badge sits on the bottom right of the boot lid, while there is no variant badging at the moment on the test cars. The left side tail-lamp has the only functional reverse lamp. The right side one is a dummy. Look closely and you will notice the Nissan badging on the tail-lamps - make no mistake about this car's parentage.

A look at the underbody of the Datsun redi-Go. Notice the lack of an engine shield. The black plastic part you see in this photo is the plastic oil sump - part of the weight savings and cost savings on this car. The engine weighs only 57 Kg!

And a quick look at the underbody of the car from the rear. The thick H-beam rear suspension is clearly visible. No dangling bits on this car. Finish could have been better.

A parting shot, before we dive into the interiors of the car - rear three quarter, looks quite muscular in this angle.

Interior detailing and features in next post...

[Roshun]

Datsun redi-GO Design and Styling

Interiors

Step into the Datsun redi-Go and you will be greeted by doors that open nice and wide in a stepped manner. They also close quite firmly, with a thwack. The interiors are done up in two-tone beige, a darker tone for the dashboard and a lighter one for the door pads. The steering wheel is chunky and feels good to hold. However, you will soon notice some pretty obvious “naked” areas in the cabin. The front door pockets for example are really slim, and there is exposed metal behind it. The rear doors don’t have a quarter glass, but instead that area is again exposed metal not covered by plastic trim.

The dashboard itself though is nicely designed, with a slight driver orientation to the centre console. There are three adjustable round AC vents – two for the driver and one of the passenger, and a large triangular central vent that can’t be adjusted or closed, which throws nearly 50 percent of the cold air directly towards the rear. Great for rear seat passengers, but a bit annoying for the front passenger.

Storage spaces include a tiny glove box that can barely hold the owners’ manual, a shallow shelf above it, another small shelf below the AC controls, two slim door pockets that can hold a cleaning cloth or a few papers, a centre floor console that has a large cup holder and bottle holder and a plastic tray under the handbrake between the seats for some knick-knacks. Rear seat passengers don’t get any storage space other than the thick parcel shelf behind the rear seat.

The boot can hold 222 litres of luggage, but it has a high loading lip, so getting luggage in there is a bit of a bother. Also the parcel shelf in this top-end variant is bolted to the chassis with solid metal brackets. So, even if you fold the seat back down almost flat, you still have to struggle to load stuff, unless you take out your tool kit and unbolt the parcel tray!

The dashboard is nicely designed and looks good. Plastic quality is decent. It is of the hard-wearing type. The dash is in a darker colour compared to the door pads. The centre console with the music system has a piano black finish, while the round AC vents (except for that triangular one) are matt black. There are a few silver accents on the steering, around the power-window switches and around the AC vents.

Front door pads have inadequate plastic trim. Notice the exposed metal behind the slim door pocket. Also, this variant is the top-end one, so it gets power windows in front. There's a plastic cap to cover the hole where window winders would usually go.

There is good sound insulation on the Datsun redi-Go thanks to proper rubber beading on the door...

...and thicker beading also used on the inner door frame. This effectively cuts out road noise and wind noise to quite an extent.

Rear doors get manual window winders. There are no door pockets for rear seat passengers.

Rear window goes down nearly 85 percent of the way. The window is large and airy.

Front and rear seats get fixed head rests. The seats themselves are pretty comfortable and support your back quite well.

All doors get standard pull up type door locks. No central locking. The front gets fixed inertia-reel type seat belts. Notice the lack of plastic trim on the pillars.

The rear gets non-retractable seat belts - two three point ones, and one lap belt in the centre. Notice the lack of cladding on the door. This is one area that definitely needs covering up.

Our test cars had these back-lit scuff plates with redi-Go branding on them. These I'm sure are part of the accessory pack that Datsun will sell with the redi-GO.

The 222 litre boot in the redi-Go is decent enough for medium sized bags. However, because of the large loading lip, you have to lift your luggage into the boot. Also the rear suspension eats into boot space.

The parcel tray is made of thick plastic and is very durable. But it's difficult to remove. So even if you fold the single-piece rear seatback down, you can't really shove in luggage very easily unless...

... you take your tool kit out and remove these solid steel brackets that are holding the parcel tray in place!

The regular size spare wheel is located under the boot floor. It has a soft covering only. Tool kit also packed in here.

The cabin is spacious enough. Datsun has restricted the rearward movement of the front seats a bit, so that legroom is freed up for the rear seat passenger. It claims a segment-best knee room of 542 mm. Here you can see the space I have with the driver's seat adjusted for my height (5 ft 8 inch). Headroom is also adequate.

And here's the minimum legroom anyone would get with the front seat pushed all the way back. My knees just about touch the front seat. Under thigh support is also pretty decent. Overall, I do like the seat comfort that this car provides.

The rear is decent for two passengers. The third would have to really squeeze into the centre, and won't have any place for his / her feet. Notice how Datsun has kept even the use of seat fabric to a minimum. It's all about cost.

Another quick look at the sweeping dashboard, before we dive into the details of features and comfort on the Datsun redi-GO.

Next post > Features and Comfort

[Roshun]

Datsun redi-Go Comfort and Features

There’s really not much to highlight in terms of features, as the Datsun redi-Go is an entry level car. Still, it does have some thoughtful touches, which others in the segment don’t get. For instance, it has the most comprehensive multi-information display among all. It also has a tachometer. The infotainment system it comes with has CD, USB, Aux and Radio playing capability, but does not have Bluetooth (a feature many customers look for these days). Considering it’s a standard single-DIN size, it would be easily swappable. It gets a single cabin light, operated only from the driver’s door. Grab handles don’t have coat hooks. Interior mirror is rather small in size and is not a day/night mirror. There is no central locking offered as standard, but it’s part of the accessory pack sold by dealers.

The air-conditioning is something worth talking about. It works pretty well in 38 degree humid Kolkata weather. There is no noticeable drag on the engine too when the compressor is switched on, unlike the Maruti Alto 800, where you can really feel the load. The 89 cc compressor that the redi-GO uses is the largest in its class and hence the superior cooling. Also, that triangular AC vent in the centre – although non-adjustable – really throws a good blast of cold air towards the rear passengers.

The top-end variant of the redi-GO gets front power windows, with the switches just in front of the gear lever. When you operate them, there is noticeable movement in the door pads, and when it hits its upper limit, the outside mirrors actually move out with the impact! Blame that on thin sheet metal used in the doors.

The top-end variant gets a single driver’s airbag as the sole piece of safety equipment. There is no ABS on offer. It gets only two-speed wipers with a mist function. No intermittent wipe. Headlight level adjustment is the manual cable-operated type.

The gear shift has the European pattern, with reverse up next to first. It has a pull up lock ring to prevent accidentally shifting into reverse.

The hand brake is located in the conventional position, unlike the Datsun Go and Go Plus that have a pull-type handbrake on the dashboard. There's a tray beneath the handbrake to keep small knick-knacks.

The interior rear view mirror is not the day-night type. It is also rather small in size, restricting rear view.

Headliner seems quite durable. No vanity mirrors on either sunvisor and there's only a single cabin lamp, with the light turning on only when the driver's door is open. There are no switches on the other doors.

A bottle holder and a cup holder located right in front of the gear lever are pretty convenient to use. The front power window switches are also located on the centre console.

The glove box is pretty tiny and can only hold the owner's manual and a few papers perhaps.

There's a small shelf just above the glove box where you can keep your mobile phone or spectacles.

Another small shelf just below the AC panel, right next to the sole 12 volt charging point in the car - a spot to charge your mobile phone.

The OBD port is located just below the glove box. The fuse box is also here, but has been left exposed. There's also a mess of wires in the passenger footwell. Hopefully production-ready cars would have this covered up. Not sure if this was just the case on all the test cars.

The centre console has a standard single-DIN music system. This system can play CD, USB, Radio and Aux inputs. It does not have Bluetooth.

The AC controls are fairly basic and self-explanatory. Air throw from that central vent is good. The other circular vents (as seen first on the Nissan Micra) are adjustable.

And the three front vents (two for the driver and one for the passenger) can be fully closed when not in use. The centre vent though stays open. If the rear seat passenger wants the AC more than the front occupants, close all three front vents and air just blasts through the centre vent to the rear.

The single-DIN audio system also comes with a remote control. It's not very easy to use though and you would be better off just turning the knobs on the system.

Sound quality from the two speakers in the front doors is quite average. Audiophiles can splurge a little and upgrade both the headunit and speakers in this car.

Fuel lid and boot hatch can only be opened from inside, by pulling these levers near the driver's seat.

A view of the driver's footwell. Six-footers will have trouble with their knees fouling with the dashboard, as the front seat doesn't go too far back. Pedals are evenly spaced out. Bonnet opening knob is also visible to the right of the accelerator in this photo. Lot of exposed wiring visible. Accelerator is a drive-by-wire type pedal, not a cable type.

Headlamp levelling switch has just two positions - high and low on it. It's a cable type switch, not electronic.

The redi-Go gets conventional right-hand drive controls. Left hand stalk controls the wipers (mist, off, low, high) and windshield washer. Right hand stalk is for the park lamps, headlamps and turn indicators. The top-end variant comes with a single driver's airbag. Ignition key is fairly slim. The steering is non adjustable - no height or reach adjustment.

Instrumentation is fairly basic. The large speedometer is calibrated till 180 kmph. The car can reach a claimed top-speed of 140 kmph, although we couldn't get beyond 100 kmph during our test drive as the roads didn't permit it.

A look at the various functions of the MID. It has a tachometer and fuel gauge. The display can toggle between instant fuel consumption, average fuel consumption, distance to empty, odometer, tripmeter and it also shows you when to shift gears - either up or down, although that display is so tiny I don't think any driver would be looking at that!

So what does it feel like to drive the Datsun redi-GO?
Engine, Performance and Handling in NEXT POST >

[Roshun]

Datsun redi-GO Engine, Performance and Handling

The Datsun redi-GO shares its mechanicals with its cousin the Renault Kwid. It is powered by the same 3-cylinder, 799 cc petrol engine that puts out 54PS of power at 5678 rpm and 72 Nm of torque at 4368 rpm. Those figures are better than its biggest rival the Maruti Suzuki Alto 800, which makes just 48PS of power and 69 Nm of torque. And with the redi-GO’s ultra-light kerb weight of just 645 Kg (making it the lightest car in India right now), it has a pretty good power to weight ratio of 83 bhp per ton.

However, that engine hasn’t been tuned for power. It’s tuned for fuel efficiency, with the redi-GO giving a claimed 25.17 kmpl. That’s one of the best in the petrol segment so far, just a fraction behind the Tata Nano. During our drive of around 60 odd km totally, the car showed an average figure of 15.4 kmpl on the MID (after resetting it for normal driving).

Start up the redi-GO and you can hear the familiar thrum of a three-cylinder petrol motor. The car sounds a bit gruff when revved and is happy just operating at around 3500-4500 rpm. Some vibrations can be felt at idle, but rev it up a bit and they disappear. The clutch has a fairly long travel and you do need to feed in a bit of throttle to prevent it from stalling, when starting out.

The gearshift is a bit notchy, but slots in surely. You can’t really shift fast with it. It’s not a problem if you are not in a hurry. Although Datsun claims a 0-100 kmph time of 15.98 seconds, the car does require you to downshift and rev to get it to move. It does not feel as fast. The good thing though is that the AC compressor has no effect really on engine power. Switching on or switching off the AC does not slow the engine down, like it does in the Maruti Alto.

The steering is pretty light at parking speeds and weighs up a bit once you get past 40 kmph. However, there’s a bit of a vague feeling to it – it does not feel precise. You do find yourself manually correcting the wheel after a sharp turn, instead of it quickly returning to centre like other cars do. That said, body roll is fairly well contained, but it’s not really a car you would want to go throwing around corners. This car is built to a purpose – for comfortable city commuting and on that task it performs pretty well. Ride quality is good and you don’t feel small bumps in the cabin much. With four on board, the ride is almost flat.

Datsun claims the best-in-class braking distance of 32.3 metres to come to a stop from 100 kmph as compared to 34 metres for the Alto and 33 metres for the Renault Kwid. Again we have not been able to ratify that claim yet (wait for our scientific car testing for that). The brakes, however, don’t feel confidence inspiring. They are not progressive and since this car doesn’t have ABS, it does lock up suddenly on hard braking. It takes a little bit of getting used to, before you find the right amount of pressure to step on the brakes.

Overall, the car is well suited to the standard city commute, with good ride quality and did I mention that excellent air conditioner?

Cladding under the bonnet helps in sound insulation. There's similar cladding inside the boot hatch too. That's something I didn't expect given the bare panels elsewhere. (The Honda City's boot / Hyundai Creta's bonnet are a couple of parts in higher segment cars that don't have this insulation!)

The air intake is in the engine bay itself (sucking in warm air). The intake manifold is made of plastic, and so is the oil sump, part of the weight savings for this 57 Kg engine.

The windshield washer filler cap is located in the plastic cowl just below the wiper and accessible from the engine bay. Also notice the complex mechanism to pull out the oil dipstick to check oil levels. Not a very user friendly design.

The Datsun redi-GO has a pretty small brake booster, running DOT 4 brake fluid. Braking feel is something that you need to get used to in the redi-GO as the brakes are not progressive. They are either too soft or bite suddenly towards the end of pedal travel.

There is no engine shield in the redi-GO. You can see straight through the engine bay, down to the road below. That should keep things pretty cool for the engine though. Some bits look crudely finished.

The independent front suspension uses a double pivot arm layout on a mini sub-frame. This layout is quite effective in soaking up bumps. The struts are standard McPherson struts (coil spring over shocks). Is that rust I see on the drive shaft? Tch, tch.

The rear suspension is semi-independent H-beam (that grey beam you see in the first photo) with small coil springs and skinny hydraulic shock absorbers. It does a pretty effective job of providing good ride quality.

In fact, Datsun had set up a rather mammoth 150 mm speed breaker (standard size is 50 mm) to test the redi-GO on with two on board (it obviously touches with four on board). Notice how it just manages to clear the speed breaker without touching, if you drive at below 10 kmph. A little faster and whack...

The body roll is fairly well contained, but it does roll considering it's a tall boy. The car does not feel comfortable being pushed hard around corners. It's best to drive it at normal city speeds without any dramatics.

In a straight line, acceleration is fairly linear. You have to downshift and rev this motor to keep the car moving at a brisk pace. It does not feel as quick as the company claims it is though. But remember the yardstick you are measuring this car by - it's a city commuter not a track car! By that standard, it performs as expected.

WHAT I THINK
The Datsun redi-GO is a car that one can seriously consider buying, given its price point as an entry level hatchback. It does have some rough edges, but none that are real deal breakers. It does come up looking like the poor cousin of the Renault Kwid (given that Renault has really loaded up the Kwid with features, especially the touch screen navigation and digital instrument panel). The Kwid also trumps it on luggage space. But stack it up against the largest seller in the segment, the Maruti Alto, and the Datsun redi-GO looks like the better of the two. It has more space, better seating comfort, better ground clearance, more features (tachometer, DRLs etc) and far better ride quality. Sure the engine sounds a bit rough, but it has more pep than the Alto 800. And, the trump card - better fuel efficiency than the longstanding segment favourite. Of course, Maruti will always be ahead on network reach, and it's a brand that people have grown to trust.

Only the adventurous would go out and pick something different like the Datsun redi-GO. Dealership reach is about 300 dealers so far for Datsun and the company is slowly expanding that (50 more to be added soon). If you are looking for a fuel efficient city commuter, with great ground clearance and ride quality, the redi-Go ticks the right boxes. If you can look past some of the obvious areas of cost savings, it is a car that can serve your needs fairly well.

Someone asked me what I would give it on a scale of 1-10 overall. I think I would give this a 7, the Kwid an 8 and the Alto a 6. That's my take on the Datsun redi-GO. Tell me, if you think differently!

(Detailed comparisons to follow soon)

[themallustig]

After this exhaustive 6,000 word review, i don't think you possibly need to see an another one! But, just to get a different set of opinions on the redi-Go, take a look at this Autocar India's first drive report.

Here is Motorbeam's take on the redi-Go

And, this is Autoportal for you.

[kaiserketkar]

Awesome review Rosh!
They have positioned the RediGo well- along with the edge it has in terms of the space, ride and features, it also has an edge in the price. The only negative, if you will, is the unknown brand and the dealership network.

[n00b]

Great Review SuperMod, I think I'm an expert on redi-Go after readind such a detailed review.
And on a totally unrelated note Happy B'day Roshun !

[Jijo_Malayil]

How does Datsun redi-Go fare when put to test? Watch this Cardekho video review done by Sarmad.

[NikilSJ]

The Datsun redi-Go will be launched on June 7, 2016. The entry-level offering from Renault is based on the CMF-A platform that also underpins the Renault Kwid. The redi-Go will be priced between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh. It will compete with:

• Hyundai Eon - Rs 3.38 lakh to Rs 4.68 lakh
• Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 - Rs 2.65 lakh - Rs 3.97 lakh
• Renault Kwid - Rs 2.72 lakh - Rs 3.73 lakh