Datsun Go CVT First Drive Review: Built For The City

The facelift on the Datsun GO featured a lot of changes. The GO facelift featured updates to the exterior like a larger hexagonal grille with chrome surrounds, and new sweptback headlamps with stylish black highlights.

The front bumper featured bold muscular lines along with scooped out sections to house the new LED daytime running lights. These changes brought a modern look to the car, and Datsun said that they were planning to launch an automatic variant in the future.

The Datsun GO now features a CVT automatic and will attract a premium price. The automatic transmission is available with the top two T and T (O) variants only. Here are all the details you need.

Design & Styling

The Datsun GO features a larger hexagonal grille with a chrome surround. The chrome and the blacked-out mesh add a more modern look to the vehicle.

The front bumper features vertically-stacked LED DRLs. This is available only on the top-spec variant. The new Datsun GO CVT features sporty proportions on the bonnet and the sharp creases on the side which add to the aesthetic value of the car.

The GO CVT features body-coloured ORVMs and larger wheels. Earlier versions of the GO featured 13-inch steel rims while the new one gets larger 14-inch dual-tone diamond-cut alloy wheels.

The rear of the hatchback features a restyled bumper and a chrome lip at the base of the tailgate. The new Datsun GO CVT features a windscreen washer and wiper on the top-spec variant. However, it misses out on the rear defogger.

Interiors

The Datsun GO CVT features a dashboard with Piano Black and Silver elements. The new CVT automatic transmission lever is positioned such that is can be accessed by drivers rather easily. The CVT offers more comfort as compared to the manual transmission that hurt the knee.

The CVT stick-shift features parking, drive, neutral, drive, and low gear drive modes. It also features a button that activates sports mode, giving the car more performance. The set up also feature a shift lock button.

The all new GO CVT features faux carbon-fiber bits on the center console, door handles and above the glove box to help break-up the heavy use of hard plastics all around the interiors. The plastics, though not of the highest quality, offer a fairly decent fit and finish all around.

Panel gaps which are easily noticeable are also present. Cost-cutting is evident in elements such as the exposed metal rod for the seat adjustment and other hard plastics littered all around.

The hatchback features a 7.0-inch Blaupunkt touchscreen infotainment system. The system is available only on the top-spec variant, and is Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible. The screen sits at the center, with silver accents surrounding its hexagonal display.

It also features a full-HD display and the UI/UX is responsive. The tile layout on the infotainment system is easy to use and has major functions such as settings, media, Bluetooth, and call functions listed on the home screen.

The infotainment system is supported by USB and AUX connections, hidden away under the gear lever. The system also feature a dark mode that turns off the main display and features only a digital clock. The Datsun GO CVT also features a 12V charging socket as an additional feature.

Practicality, Comfort & Boot Space

The driver and front passenger seats are comfortable at best. They offer width but are flat with little to no thigh support. The hatchback misses out on an adjustment lever for the seat height, basically translating to a one-size-fits-all affair for the driver.

The rear seats offer comfortable seating for three people for short-distance trips. The rear seats barely offer thigh support and passengers with above-average height have to fight for legroom. The boot offers a luggage capacity of 265 litres.

Engine Performance & Driving Impressions

The Datsun GO CVT hatchback features a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine that produces 68bhp of power and 104Nm of torque. The engine comes mated to a CVT automatic transmission.

Performance is at par with most of its competitors in the segment, and is more than adequate for city drives. The initial response from the engine is a little weak with most of the power kicking in after the 2,000rpm mark.

The CVT gearbox is smooth and the lag while changing gears is rather negligible. The steering offers good feedback at lower speeds, and the GO CVT runs best in mid-range revs. The suspension is efficient, and braking on the hatchback is surprisingly good.

The GO hatchback is best for city runs rather than highways. Handling is decent, if not leaning towards the firmer side. The relatively-larger wheels and the 180mm of ground clearance offer some relief on Indian roads.

Variants, Pricing & Colours

The Datsun GO is available in a range of five variants: D, A, A(O), T and T(O). Prices for the hatchback start from Rs 3.29 lakh and goes all the way up to Rs 4.89 lakh for the top-end variant. The Datsun GO comes in a choice of five colours: Ruby Red, Bronze Grey, Amber Orange, Crystal Silver and Opal White.

Prices for the GO CVT are yet to be announced. However, we expect that the CVT variant will be priced at the Rs 5.75 lakh mark (ex-showroom, India).

Safety & Key Features

The Datsun GO CVT features an advanced infotainment system and smartphone connectivity. Other features on the Datsun GO CVT hatchback include dual-front airbags, ABS with EBD, follow-me-home headlamps, a reverse parking assist sensor, electronically adjustable ORVMs, power windows, Bluetooth connectivity, voice recognition, best-in-class ground clearance, and anti-fatigue seats.

Warranty

Datsun India initially offers a free one-year warranty for all their products, called the New Vehicle Warranty. Apart from this, the company also offers an extended warranty for a period of either two or three years.

This extended warranty comes into effect once the first-year warranty period is completed. Extended warranty is applicable for a period of two/ three years or unlimited kilometers, whichever comes first.

The extended warranty from Datsun offers free roadside assistance during the period, free towing to the nearest Datsun dealership (excludes accidental towing), repair of the vehicle using genuine Datsun spare parts, no limit on the number of claims, and transferability with the ownership of the car.

Competition

The new Datsun GO CVT competes with the Maruti Suzuki Alto K10, Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Renault Kwid 1.0 and the Hyundai Eon.

Verdict!

The Datsun GO CVT is one of those small budget hatchbacks which is great for a first-time buyer. The model is packed with features and equipment expected at the price range. The driving is good enough for city commuting and the occasional highway run. Datsun has really stepped up their game with the CVT transmission making it a serious alternative to budget hatchbacks.

Rahul Jaswal Thinks!

The Datsun GO CVT - A great entry level hatchback offering the best of automatic transmission. This is a great car for in-city use. Tall folk will definitely have a problem with leg room. Recommend for singles or couples that want an automatic with a limited budget.

Having said that, Datsun have done a fantastic job of bringing the CVT automatic to the GO and the GO+ models. The addition of the automatic transmission should help increase sales numbers in what is still a lean period in the auto industry.