Datsun Redi GO Preview
The Datsun RediGO is the third car from the Japanese automaker as part of its strategy for the brand. It was unveiled at the 2014 Auto Expo and will join the GO, GO+ and the soon to be unveiled sedan (Russia market only) as Datsun’s budget offerings for various markets. It is an A-segment hatchback and is expected to sit either lower or beside GO hatchback in the Datsun hierarchy.
The RediGO gets a futuristic adaptation of the Japanese automaker’s fascia that was unveiled with the GO in July last year. It retains the chrome hexagonal grille from the GO and GO+ but gets sleeker swept back headlights. The fascia also includes a futuristic bumper which is separated from the front grille by a narrow air dam. The headlights and the fog lamps are standard halogen units in a bid to keep the cost of the car down.
The side profile includes flared wheel arches and aerodynamic lines that extend into the boot and then onto the other side. The RediGO’s roofline slopes at both ends and gives the impression that the car is forward leaning thanks to the little bits of the body work that cover the edge of the A-pillar and the C-pillar. Despite the quirky design, the RediGO is a four-door but we expect that the headroom in the second row will be a bit of an issue if this is the shape adapted in the production version.
At the rear, the RediGO gets a sloping roofline with a smaller rear spoiler. The two-tone bumper is body coloured expect for the number plate holder which has been painted in grey to match the same section on the front bumper. The tail lamp assembly flows from the rear wheel arch to a point near the middle of the boot door. Despite the rest of the car having so many lines and little touches to give it a funky appearance, the rear is little less spectacular than the rest of the car. We already know that it has a wheelbase of 2.3 metres.
The interior of the RediGO is looks fresh and modern unlike its Datsun siblings. The beige dashboard gets multiple cubby holes along with the standard glovebox. The instrument console gets a big dial for the speedometer in the centre and a multi-function display to read out the vitals. It gets a 1-DIN music system with CD player and USB and AUX input compatibility. The AC controls, along with the music system get a piano black surround which look slightly out of place considering the otherwise single tone beige interior.
The front seats get integrated headrests like the rear seats. There is enough headroom and knee-room for two adults in the back while the third person will certainly be a squeeze. Power windows might be optional in the front but the rear gets manual fobs.
The RediGO has been developed on the same platform as the Renault Kwid and hence shares the 800cc three-cylinder petrol engine. The 0.8-litre petrol which develops 53bhp of power and 72Nm of torque, makes its debut under the Datsun brand with the RediGo and will be mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. With the Kwid getting the 1.0-litre engine this year and also an AMT option, the RediGo will also get them, but by 2017.
It is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 2.3 lakh to Rs 2.7 lakh and will compete in the A-segment with the Tata Tiago, Renault Kwid, Datsun GO, Hyundai Eon and the Maruti Alto K10. It is expected to be launched in May 2015 for most of the markets where Datsun has a presence.
http://www.carwale.com/datsun-cars/redi-go/
