Visually, the redi-GO is definitely smarter than the rest of the Datsun range of products. It looks contemporary (even flashy at certain angles and in certain colours), courtesy the Japanese company’s ‘Yukan’ design philosophy. The Datsun is an unabashed hatchback that doesn’t even want to look like it could be meant for anywhere other than an urban environment. That doesn’t mean that the redi-GO has no presence. For a car that measures in at less than 3.5 metres long and just over 1.5 metres wide, the redi-GO’s outsized grille endows it with decent road presence. Meanwhile sharp creases and lines on the body of the car give it an aura of dynamism. From certain angles however the car does look a little narrow but then that would nitpicking territory.
One of the major criticisms of the previous Datsun products revolved around the cars’ cabin quality. They were built to a cost and did not even try to disguise that trait. Quality of plastics left some to be desired as did the list of equipment. Datsun have rectified these shortcomings to some extent and consequently the redi-GO’s cabin quality is a notch and a half above that of other products from the Datsun stable. Giving in to what has become the flavour of the season, Datsun designers have splashed a bit of piano black plastic, which looks nice, as well on the the dash around the music system. Wait a sec! Music system? Yes, unlike the Datsun Go that had to make do with a gadget that only allowed one to stream music via the phone, the redi-GO gets a full blown radio/CD player. The sleek 1-DIN unit is not something that we are accustomed to seeing on modern cars anymore but it does add a sort of classic charm to the whole in-cabin experience.
The other thing that stands out on the dashboard are the three round A-C vents in a world where we have become habituated to seeing four. Not that one less vent affects the performance of the air-con, because even in the sweltering wetness that defines Calcutta summers, the cabin cooled down quite well. On the question of storage space I am undecided. You see there are certain cubby holes like the large bottle holder and the cupholder next to the twin buttons for the power windows and the large shelf above the glovebox are nice. The glovebox itself on the other hand isn’t large enough to hold anything of significance and the map pockets on each of the front doors can hold nothing but maps really. Perhaps a magazine or a slim diary at best. On the other hand things that you can’t help but appreciate are the little thumb recesses on the steering wheel or the positive feel that you get when operating the various switches and dials. At the same time the fact that even on the range-topping trim line you won’t get internally adjustable ORVMs or even central locking may not go down well with value conscious buyers.
Where space is concerned, while you can seat two adults and a child comfortably, three adults in the rear of the redi-GO is an undoubted squeeze. In fact, even in their own information material images show two adults at the rear and not three. Datsun also claim best in class knee room at 542 mm however they don’t mention whether this knee room was measured at the front of the car or the rear (we assume it’s the latter). Nonetheless I had the feeling that while legroom up front wasn’t much of an issue for a six-footer like yours truly, it’s a slight squeeze at the rear. The 222-litre boot however is deep with hardly an intrusion, which allows virtually the entire boot space to be utilised.
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