Nissan owned Datsun
today unveiled yet another entry level hatchback in India. Earlier Datsun had
launched GO hatchback in India which could not make an impression amid lots of
expectations from the company. The Redi-go is built on
Renault-Nissan alliance’s low cost CMF-A platform, also shared by Renault Kwid.
Datsun has not revealed the price of Redi-go but has committed to price it very
attractive. Books start from May 1st and deliveries will begin by 1st week
of June.
The
Redi-go retains almost all the design features of its concept which was shown
during the Auto Expo 2016 earlier this year. The tall stance and high ground
clearance give a car an urban cross over look. The two sharp character lines
running on the sides gives an aesthetic appeal to the car. The front looks
similar to its other siblings GO and GO+ and rear gets a high mount tail lamps
which merge with sweeping character line.
The
interior of the car has been well designed with importance of practicality kept
in mind. There are number of storage spaces in the dash as well as the console.
The steering has been designed will too. The space seams to be good, well
almost equal to the Nano. The rear door without cladding shows the cost cutting
measures by the company.
Powering
the Datsun Redi-go will be the same Kwid power train which is 3 cylinder petrol
engine with 57 Bhp of power. Expect to get the fuel efficiency of over 25 Kmpl
in this car. The engine is mated to a 5 speed manual gearbox. A bigger engine
and AMT version is expected to be introduced some time after. As far as other
mechanicals are concerned, there is nothing new which can make the car stand
apart.
Now
where does the Redi-go stand in the product portfolio of Renault-Nissan-Datsun
in India. Renault has Kwid and the Redi-go is being planned to be positioned
below the Kwid. Then what about GO hatchback? We guess Datsun will slowly
discontinue the product, remember the GO hatchback has scored poor ratings in
the crash test and also is not selling in good numbers. The Redi-go will get
personalised customisation as revealed at the launch which means you get lot of
options to make your car stay to your taste.
With
Tata Tiago being launched at Rs. 3.20 lakh for base petrol variant
it will be hard for Datsun or Renault to compete in the market given that the
Tiago offers far more features than the Kwid and Redi-go. We at
AutomobilePlanet.com believe tha, just by launched a new car in a segment with
no extra features will not help any company. If the company wants a product to
be a game changer, it should offer more features than its competitors. A 1.0L
petrol with AMT and small diesel engine with AMT with minimal price hike could
create wonders. We hope Renault-Nissan is listening.
“If you want to make a mark, be the first in the show” – a classic
example by Maruti Suzuki.
Posts
