New Datsun GO+ Review: Extended Aspirations

Engine, Transmission, Performance and Efficiency

Surprise surprise, the GO+ will only be available with a petrol engine. Powering the compact MPV is the same 1.2-litre, 12 valve, DOHC, 3-cylinder engine found on the smaller Datsun. Even power figures are the same, where the motor makes an identical 68 bhp@5000 rpm, coupled with 104 Newton meters of torque at 4000 rpm. Equipped with a counter-balancer to check the imbalance of a three cylinder layout, even with which the engine would wobble at idling in the hatchback, Datsun seems to have found a fix to that and the motor settles in a rather composed idle. They seem to have also tuned it for more grunt at the lower end of the rev range, considering the increased seating capacity and the load that would accompany it.

What has been carried forward though is the same old notchy gearbox. Shifting gears isn’t a greased affair, especially slotting the lever into the lower gates. What that does is spoil the peppy nature of the motor, which otherwise would’ve been a perfect symphony with the light clutch. Coming to the engine itself, for a 1.2-litre powerplant, it is rather sprightly, eager and responsive. Taking off from standstill, one immediately notices the decent amount of torque available in the lower reaches of the rev band, however, what one also appreciates is that as the car picks momentum and the revs cross the 1500 rpm mark, a slight dab on the accelerator is all that is required to propel the GO+ forward.

It is so much fun, that even on a grumpy cold morning, we were enjoying driving an MPV around the hills of Rishikesh. Thanks to the low and mid-range torque, the engine scores high on tractability as it lets you putter around town in lower gears. But this is what it is supposed to do you might say, given that it is more of a budget MPV rather than a sporty hatchback. Now, you aren’t always driving around a car with all the seats occupied, unless you do that for a living. For the times when you are by yourself in the car, the GO+ throws a big surprise. It has a rev-limiter that cuts in at 5100 rpm and once past 3500 clicks on the digital rev counter, the exhaust sounds like a free flow unit, making you want to keep gunning until the limiter cuts in and you eventually have to shift. The 3^rd gear is such an amazing tool, you could be doing anything between 30 and 130 kph in the same gear, depending on your mood and priorities. Having said that, the Acceleration should be as strong as the GO hatchback, as the GO+ is only about 30 kilos more than the smaller car. We couldn’t test the car at high speeds, given the twisty nature of roads that surrounded us, but on a rare stretch, we figured the GO+ can cruise at 100kph, the engine spinning at about 2500rpm in 5^th gear. Do not be fooled by the cubic capacity of this motor as one doesn’t really need to downshift every time there is an overtaking opportunity. Even with some cargo and four adults onboard, the engine never felt anemic or short on power.

For those concerned about efficiency, the onboard computer would show an optimistic 30kpl, every time the foot went off the gas pedal, however, the real time efficiency kept fluctuating in decimals between the 13 and 15kpl mark. Mind you, this figure was achieved even after driving the car extensively while carrying higher revs in second gear around the twisties.

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