Datsun India is swarming in some controversy of late, with Global NCAP insisting that the Go hatchback should be pulled away from the market immediately, following it’s miserable performance of zero stars in the recently concluded crash tests. Nonchalant,the Renault-Nissan Group subsidiary is moving forward with their future plans for India and other developing markets, most of which revolves around the upcoming Redi-Go micro-SUV.
Datsun unveiled the “Redi-Go” at the 2014 Auto Expo in Delhi. The “Redi-Go” study is a compact car that Datsun sees as an entry-level model in emerging new markets including India. To sit on an all-new Renault platform on which the XBA compact will also be based, the Redi-Go’s mini-SUV like appearance can be attributed to a noticeably higher ground clearance, which is to “make ready for demanding road conditions”. The wheelbase is just 2,350 millimeters, and along with the short overhangs, 15-inch wheels, rear underrun protection elements and flared wheel arches give the Redi-Go a micro- SUV look.
To further shove in the SUV feel, the occupants shall also adopt a higher seating position in the Redi-Go, for a commanding view of things ahead. The rest of the design is centered around the unique, trapezoidal Datsun grille from the Go and Go+, with the compact proportions trying its stylistic best to accommodate four doors. The model shown in Delhi also wore a black, mosaic patterned roof.
With the Redi-Go small SUV, the Nissan subsidiary will presumably benefit from the current boom in this segment. The Redi-Go project, code-named as the Datsun I2 is being developed here in India at the RNTBCI (Renault Nissan Technology Business Centre India). Its likely to be powered by a newly developed 800 cc three-cylinder petrol motor, and should have a light kerb weight hovering around 760 kg. Now according to kfz-betrieb, who sourced this information from Business Week magazine, the car will reportedly come to the Indian market by May 2015, priced below INR 3.8 lakhs.
