Datsun redi-GO Road Test Review I Motown India

At the heart of the redi-GO is a 799cc petrol motor which also powers the Kwid. The engine produces 53.6bhp @ 5678rpm and 72Nm of torque at 4386rpm. The engine is complimented by the overall dimensions of the car which are small and precise to make the motor feel zippy. The power of the engine lies in the mid range of the band and towards those higher revs the vehicle does seem to feel a bit stressed but then again how fast can you drive in the city. The redi-GO is almost 25kgs lighter than the Kwid and returns an average of 25.17kmpl. The overall length of the car stands at 3429mm while the width is 1560mm and the height stands at 1541mm. The redi-GO actually has a very deceptive look and does not look too small. This is probably thanks to a high ground clearance of 185mm which is more than the S-Cross and the Creta!

The suspension setup on the Datsun redi-GO is a Mac Pherson Strut with a lower transverse link in the front and a Twist Beam with coil spring in the rear. The suspension has been tuned to be on the stiffer side making the ride over bumps on the road a bit more bearable. The brakes on the redi-GO have been facilitated by discs in the front and drum brakes in the rear. The braking is progressive and the vehicle exudes a lot of confidence in panic braking situations. The turning radius on the Datsun Redi-Go is 4.73m making it quite maneuverable; in tight corners also the vehicle can get through quite easily. However, we did feel a bit of body roll. The steering wheel is a speed sensing one which makes it all the more fun to drive. While I was driving around in this vehicle the words 'easy peasy lemon squeesy' kept playing in my head because that is the Redi-Go's style, it can achieve tight turns easily, it is light on the foot, it has an exceptional fuel economy and will definitely be light on the pocket as well.  

When compared to its length the wheelbase stands at 2348mm, making room for a spacious cabin. The dimensions of the car make it such that it can be easily maneuvered through traffic and fit in to tight parking spaces as well. The clutch of the vehicle is on the lighter side so when stuck in traffic you are not in too much trouble when it comes to clutching. The gear shifts are also quite precise and the throws are quite short. The Datsun redi-GO has been designed to be an ideal city car and not too much of a highway touring vehicle. The boot space on the redi-GO stands at the 220L mark, it is smaller when compared to some of the other contenders in this segment but then again when using it for traveling in the city it does have sufficient space. The loading lip of the boot however is quite high as the boot is deeper than long. Thus one needs to put in an extra bit of effort to load bigger luggage. The advantage though is that you get to keep a bigger suitcase in that space and still manage to shut the hatch.  

This vehicle can seat 5 adults though we felt that the second row can be a bit cramped if you plan to seat three people. On the features front this vehicle is quite bare. The redi-GO has an airbag, a manually adjustable air conditioner, an audio system with USB and AUX inputs, a 12 volt power socket and plenty of cubby holes. The dash has been designed smartly and has suave looking interiors to go with the overall design theme of this car. The build quality and plastics used are quite exceptional and boasts of Datsun's engineering prowess. The accessories and functional buttons/ knobs have also been laid out in an ergonomically optimised manner and everything is quite easily accessible. A few things about this vehicle which we did not enjoy too much were the facts that the door panels were naked. But it can be customised to look better. The NVH levels of the car are also a bit of a letdown as noise from the outside and the engine bay does seem to seep in. All in all Datsun seemed to have made a very technically sound and adept vehicle which is quite useful in city driving conditions. The design and styling boasts of freshness and does carry a significant amount of road presence. What remains to be seen is the price which we expect could be around Rs. 2.40 lakh (ex-showroom).  w things about this vehicle which we did not enjoy too much were the facts that the door panels were naked howev