The Datsun redi-GO was shown in concept form at the 2014 Auto Expo and is being launched in June 2016. The small car has the potential to boost market share of Nissan in India.
Nissan resurrected the Datsun brand for emerging markets but hasn’t been able to make a big impact in the Indian market yet. The GO and GO+ haven’t been selling in good numbers with only 1654 units being sold last month. The automaker will now launch the Datsun redi-GO which was recently unveiled in production guise. Datsun is positioning the redi-GO as India’s first urban-cross which they say is a fusion of a compact crossover and a hatchback.
The Datsun redi-GO will be launched in June 2016 with bookings commencing officially next month (on the 1st of May) but dealers have started to accept orders already. According to a recent report, more than 150 bookings have been received for the redi-GO without the customer even seeing the car, let alone driving it.
The Datsun redi-GO is a make or break model for the Japanese brand as a lot rides on it. While it won’t be as well equipped as the Renault Kwid, Nissan will price it attractively to undercut all its rivals, including the Maruti Alto 800. The 800cc Datsun small car competes with the top selling Alto, Hyundai Eon and CMF-A platform underpinned cousin, the Kwid.
Powering the Datsun redi-GO is an 800cc, 3-pot petrol mill, the same motor does duty on the Kwid and is good enough for 54 BHP and 72 Nm, matched to a 5-speed manual gearbox. A more powerful 1.0-litre powerplant along with the option of an AMT automatic gearbox is also on the cards.
The Datsun redi-GO will be priced between Rs. 2.5 – 3.5 lakhs (ex-showroom) and bookings can be done online too, on Snapdeal.com. The vehicle has a ground clearance of 185 mm. Nissan currently has 217 dealerships in 165 cities and plans to expand to 300 outlets by the end of this fiscal year.
Datsun redi-GO Bookings
– Bookings have unofficially opened for the redi-GO at the dealer level
– Booking amount is Rs. 5000/- (fully refundable) and 150 orders have been received in Mumbai
– The Datsun redi-GO will be launched in June
– This Japanese small car shares its underpinnings with the French Kwid
