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After a bit of a slow start, the Datsun redi-GO is now becoming very visible on our Tellys and on our roads. The car has more character thanks to its sporty design and youthful appeal. It still delivers that dose of practicality, everyday usability and affordability, traits that were originally conceived as the foundation for brand Datsun.
Being part of the Renault-Nissan alliance, and sharing the same platform as the Renault KWID, the redi-GO is still a very different model. Despite sharing a number of mechanical parts with the Renault small car, the redi-GO’s Datsun design signatures and sportier tall hatchback style sets it apart, though the same uniqueness can’t be claimed about its driving characteristics. Now, after the KWID got the Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) kit, the redi-GO too gets the AMT paired with the three-pot, one-litre engine.
Design and interior
The redi-GO 1.0 AMT (Datsun is calling it Smart Drive Auto) looks identical to its manual transmission sibling. The exterior sports the ‘1.0’ badge, but there is nothing to identify this to be an AMT. Many other carmakers too avoid the AMT badging. It possibly helps keep the body panels clean and clutter-free; and the underlying transmission is the manual. The redi-GO’s design has its positives — the tall stance, yet aerodynamic design, the sense of width and strength offered by the flared wheel arches, high-set tail-lamps and the aggressive front features, including the signature grille. The design still can’t mask the fact that it belongs to the entry small car category, but build quality is good for a car in the segment.
The redi-GO’s exterior design is rather clean. It is not until you open up the bonnet or the tailgate that you get to see parts and components that seemingly point to the ‘built to a price’ proposition of the small car. The same feeling is what one gets after slipping behind the wheel of the redi-GO 1.0 AMT. Like the exterior design, the cabin’s layout and design too is identical to the manual transmission variant. Like in the manual, there are acres of plastic around you in the AMT too, though an all-black theme helps boost perceived quality and possibly also helps cut glare. The top-end AMT variant I was test driving had a few matt-aluminium accents on the aircon vents and centre console. The black seats also had contrast panels and stitching in red. The other addition in the AMT is the Bluetooth-enabled music system. The single dial with tiny digital display continues within the instrument binnacle. While an odometer is missing, the speedometer is a clear, large dial and the digital display shows the tripmeter, fuel level and the current AMT gear selection.
Performance
The redi-GO 1.0 AMT features the same 999cc, 3-cylinder petrol engine, basically derived from the same 800cc engine that was the first choice for the introduction of the Datsun brand. This mill is already available in the manual gearbox variant and in the AMT too it continues to produce the same 68PS of peak power at 5,500rpm and delivers a peak torque of 91Nm at 4,250rpm. The big difference in the redi-GO’s AMT is the ability to shift into manual mode. Unlike the Renault KWid’s rotary gear selector, the redi-GO features a stick shift with the usual AMT slots R,N and D (for reverse, neutral and drive). But it also allows drivers to slip the stick into a +/- manual gear selection mode.
On the road, the engine is raspy and loud right after I get to medium throttle. Its 3-cylinder character is impossible to ignore, but the car pulls clean and there is enough capability to easily handle city traffic including the bursts of acceleration that one craves after being stuck in a gridlock. Datsun also calls a mild creep function in the AMT as ‘Rush Hour mode’. I’m guessing it is a simple algorithmic tweak to the knock sensor and ECM that allows the car to continue to roll forward at 5-6 kmph without throttle input.
On the highway, its limitations are more evident, but the manual selection mode allows staying in gear and helps complete tighter overtakes and steeper gradients on the road. Some what similar is the power steering’s character, with its light feel and over-assisted turns helping take U-turns with ease in the city. But, on the highway and at higher speeds, there is a complete lack of feel despite it being speed-sensitive. The lack of confidence is probably accentuated by the higher ground clearance and taller seating position in the redi-GO. So, I was finding myself braking early, pre-emptively before turns.
Bottom Line
The redi-GO is smack in the middle of a class of vehicles that can’t escape their price-to-value proposition. What the AMT does is boost the car’s usability and bring some convenience to the city dweller who is stuck within a budget, and hoping to relieve his left hand of its monotony. So, it is not surprising to see that across models and badges AMT sales are skyrocketing. The redi-GO AMT is priced at ₹3.8 lakh for the T(O) and ₹3.95 lakh for the S variants (ex-showroom, Delhi). A driver airbag is part of the S variant’s equipment.
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