Ready, get set – Datsun’s resurrection is go. The Datsun Go is the first new car to wear the classic Japanese badge in 27 years, and will be built and sold in India as an easy-access budget runaround. The car is slightly longer, wider and lower than a European-spec Nissan Micra, comes in one five-door bodystyle, and will go on sale on 15 July 2013.
What’s the Datsun Go’s spec (if any)?
You get a 1.2-litre petrol engine, a five-speed manual gearbox, and front-wheel drive. No diesel, no auto, and no performance version – it’s one-size-fits all to cut costs. The drivetrain has also been optimised, says Datsun parent Nissan, to make light work of the sort of congested, stop-start city traffic that the Go will be subjected to in its key Indian, Russian and South African markets.
The cabin looks pretty stark…
Not a soft-touch plastic in sight and it’s fair to a hardly an attractive design, but the Datsun Go’s cabin is hardy and decently kitted out for a back-to-basics car. There’s a digital dashboard readout, USB- and aux-in compatible radio, air conditioning and dual-electric front windows. It’s expected that even more Spartan models will be offered to challenge the Tata Nano. Note the front bench seat for extra capacity too…
So, to the big question: how much?
Datsun will charge 400,000INR (Indian Rupees) for the Go, equivalent to under £4500 in UK money. The Go’s arch-rival, the Tata Nano, sells for £1700 in its barest spec, with the top-spec models charging around £2400.