The upcoming Datsun GO! hatchback has been spied for the first ever time on Indian roads. A Team-BHP reader caught a glimpse of a test mule near Poonamallee High Road in Chennai.
Surprisingly, there was almost no attempt to conceal the identity of the car. The customary black camouflage was missing; the only thing we notice is a small scrap of black taping pressed carelessly on the company logo as well as the model name etching on the bootlid. Frankly speaking, we do not really see the need for a camouflage since the car has been officially unveiled. The fact that Renault-Nissan has a manufacturing facility in Chennai near Oragadam, also falls neatly into place.
Here are a few reminders about Datsun Go which will be Datsun’s first car for India:
- Datsun is Nissan’s attempt to penetrate the low-cost, high-volume market.
- It has been resurrected after about three decades, and its products are not only aimed at India but a many other developing countries like Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia and Russia.
- The World-Premiere of the brand Datsun took place in India a few months ago (Details here), followed by the showcasing at the IIMS 2013 in Jakarta and then a Nissan 360 event in USA.
- Not just the Go! hatchback, Datsun also has an MPV Go+ based on Go up its sleeve. It has already been showcased at Jakarta.
- Datsun will launch its Go hatch in India sometime early 2014. And a 2014 Auto Expo showcase is almost certain.
Datsun has promised a starting price below the 4 Lakhs INR level (More details), therefore rubbing shoulders with models like WagonR, Spark and its very-own Micra Active as well. To make this low price possible, Datsun will have very spartan interiors, as can be evinced from the picture above. It will also share quite a few parts from parent-company Nissan’s Micra, as is evident from the similar wheelbase and proportions. And oh, we forgot to mention that it will also carry the Micra’s 1.2 litre, 3-Cylinder petrol powerplant.
Datsun products will be marketed and sold at Nissan dealerships across India. The after-sales service will also be taken care of by Nissan’s taskforce. however, the Datsun cars will have their own space in the showrooms as well as a separate crew handling its nitty-gritty. It remains to be seen if Nissan India’s sparse presence helps it in reaching out to the target customers.
BTW, can you guess which vehicle was used to capture this Go! mule? (Hint above)
Also Read: Live Pictures, Details and Video of Upcoming Datsun GO+ MPV
