New Datsun GO+ Review: Extended Aspirations

As I sat by the fire, next to the Ganges in Rishikesh, something made me look up. What bounced off my city stricken, sodium lit vision was the sight of a gazillion stars occupying every inch of the dark infinity above. Something inside said, you don’t always need deep pockets to enjoy the richer experiences in life, also reminded me of a car that was parked in the background, a Datsun GO+, India’s first sub-4 meter, compact MPV. Aimed squarely at luring away buyers from entry level hatchbacks, this new Datsun wants to become a 7-seater bait for the budget constrained car buying sharks in our country.

Datsun chose a venue where the Ganga exits the towering Himalayas and enters into the chaotic flat plains of India. The place also seemed ideal, as akin to the Ganga, which is an amalgamation of the Bhagirathi and the Alaknanda by the time it reaches Rishikesh, the GO+ is a concoction of the GO hatchback and the newly extended overhangs, merging together, hoping to quench the thirst for a budget car that can move a family of seven, without the need to dig a bore well that reaches a bank locker.

Design and appearance

At first sight, the GO+ looks like an extended variation of the GO hatchback. Viewed head-on, it is the GO without the plus. Everything upfront is similar to the hatchback, including the diamond shaped grille, the headlights, the creases on the bonnet and even the windscreen. Only when you move sideways would you notice the extended length and the glass area. Surprisingly, although the GO+ claims to be a 7-seater, it stands true to its portrayal as a compact MPV, where the width and the wheelbase of the car are similar to the 5-seater hatchback. At 3995mm, the GO+ is only 210mm longer and 5mm taller than the GO.

What pleases the eye though is that in their endeavour to keep the length below 4 metres to dodge taxes, Datsun hasn’t made a haphazard effort in building a hatchback derived MPV. Post the rear door, the shoulder line takes a slightly upward curve and merges with the flared out tail-lamp, while the roof line tapers down to make the GO+ look rather attractive and cohesively proportionate. The only eyesore being the large gap between the wheel and the arches, courtesy of 13” wheels which fail to fill the void.

At the rear, the  tailgate has been infused with a glass area that takes an elliptical curve at the bottom, a Datsun logo taking centre stage just below it. The rear licence plate is placed bang in the middle, flanked by a GO+ logo to the right, but nothing that will tell you which variant have you bought. Tail lamps are similar to the one on the GO hatchback, while the large rear bumper does a good job of hiding the spare wheel that hangs below the car, right behind it. In person, when looked at from the rear, the GO+ sits squat and flat, a refreshing change compared to taller MPV’s.

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