The 2020 Datsun Redi-GO BS6 facelift is expected to be much more loaded and well-built than the outgoing BS4 model.
The facelifted 2020 Datsun Redi-GO BS6 has been spotted for the very first time on public roads, by YouTube channel Power Stroke PS. The budget-hatchback from the Japanese brand under Nissan was caught on camera with heavy camouflage. Minimal design details are evident, but one can be sure that there will be significant changes to the exteriors alongside some feature-additions on the inside. Being a budget offering, the facelifted Redi-GO does not sport alloy wheels.
Earlier reports had confirmed that Datsun India would be introducing the Redi-GO with a better fit and finish, in addition to updated safety features. The car currently comes with only a driver-side airbag and had scored a poor 1-star safety rating in Global NCAP crash tests. At a starting price of around Rs 2.80 lakh ex-showroom, nobody expects even a 4-star safety rating, but the Datsun Redi-GO has a lot of room for improvement in key areas. The facelift might address all these concerns.
Datsun India is essentially Nissan India’s business strategy to infiltrate into the country’s ever-growing budget-car segment. Datsun products are underpinned by Renault-Nissan’s CMF-A platform which also acts as the base for the Renault Kwid hatchback and Triber mini-MPV. CMF stands for ‘Common Module Family’.
The outgoing Datsun Redi-GO BS4 is available in three petrol (three-cylinder) formats: 0.8 L, 1.0 L and 1.0 L AMT. The base 0.8 L variant comes with a 799cc engine that is good for 53bhp and 72Nm of torque. The higher 1.0 L or its AMT avatar get a 999cc power plant which generates 67bhp and 91Nm of torque. All variants come with a 5-speed transmission.
The Datsun India family comprises of the Redi-Go, Go and Go+. Even though they sell in more numbers than its parent company, Nissan India, the demand and desirability of a Datsun product over the likes of Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 or even the Renault Kwid are much less. Compared to its rivals, the Datsun Redi-Go falls way behind when it comes to features and essential equipment. The rising leader of the budget-car market is the Maruti Suzuki S-Presso which rivals the higher Datsun Go.
Hopefully, the facelifted 2020 Datsun line-up will pack what is required to attract some portion of customers from the dominant Maruti Suzuki market. Nissan India is not doing particularly well on the market either and it’s worth the wait to see how it will face the new BS6 market with its narrow product portfolio. A new sub-four-metre Nissan compact-SUV is on its way.