India's first ever urban cross as claimed by the DATSUN team. Let's review how this car would match up with the consumer need in general.
My first encounter with the brand was an indirect reference from a friend who talked about a new car being launched at a price that seemed quite untrue to believe. My first reaction was of course an allusion to the pricing strategy combined with the philosophy of marketing by plying as many cars on the road. The same brand is about to launch another car: RediGo.
The first look and feel of the car is definitely positive. But if I have to pick three features of this product that appeals to me the most, here's shall be the ones:
1. Look and feel: At the price range of 2.4-4 Lacs, I feel this car is worth flaunting. Nano and other cars in that range couldn't bring the 'proud factor' to the fore. This is being compensated here, of course for a premium but not that it shall hold the customer back. A beast of a hatchback, if I am allowed to label it. From the pics the car looks very spacious from inside, in particular the headroom which shall allow people to enter the vehicle comfortably. The colors are quite vibrant which is imparting it a very youthful look.
2. Mileage: The consumer class that is being targeted for this car would place a lot of value in the post purchase maintenance cost for the car. A major part of that cost would be the fuel charges that one would have to pay which is directly proportional to the mileage performance. As claimed, 25 km per litre is an enticing offer. Even at worse driving conditions, the mileage performance should not go down by a big margin.
3. Ground clearance: The problem with many hatchbacks and small cars is that fact that the ground clearance is not good enough to take the car on bumpy roads. The Datsun model however boasts of its tall feature and good ground clearance. This should help the small families in taking the car outside the city for weekend outings.
Now the launch description is definitely making me curious. It looks a lot like its twin brother but we shall be able to gauge that only once the car is put up for sale. A test drive is what we all desire at this stage given the range of features and the price tag. If I get a chance to do a test drive, I would try to test it in a metropolitan at a time when the traffic is at peak. The feature that I would try to test is whether it is giving me the desired mileage and whether its compact and small enough to cut through not so dense traffic.
I just hope the car stands up to the buzz it is creating. I hope it shall be able to take on the urban driving blues by offering a sleek and comfortable ride. The biggest problem for me in an urban setting is parking. This car should be able to solve that. All in all, it should be able to be fullfill the promise of
"Fun. Freedom. Confidence. The ultimate Urban Cross - Datsun redi-GO - the capability of a crossover with the convenience of a hatchback."
