Datsun Go long term review: After 3,874km and seven months

The sprightly hatchback that drove the revival of the Datsun brand has spent its first monsoon with OVERDRIVE, and has surfaced with its head above the water. The rev happy litre petrol engine, the quirky ergonomics and the belying dimensions, all serve to make the Go as unique as its name - but as we've learnt numerous times from experience - uniqueness can often be perceived as anomalous.

The Go's instrument cluster comes with a real time and average fuel efficiency indicator which, if accurate, don't bring great news while driving in city traffic. The rev happy nature of the engine comes at a cost because when commuting in Mumbai traffic, the Go seldom indicates a mileage of more than 12kmpl, even when driven frugally. Irrespective of whether it's accurate or not, that's not very confidence inspiring especially in a segment where competitors' advertising campaigns run on fuel efficiency.

The bench seat up front has had our curiosity and our readers' too since we first saw the Go, and now not only are we convinced that it doesn't really serve as an extra seating option, it also serves as a hindrance. If the driver's seat is set back for a tall driver and the passenger bench is moved up, the bench actually hinders the driver's elbow when changing gears, and this can be quite annoying. We aren't the biggest fans of the umbrella handbrake either - last month we found it to be a constant discomfort to the clutch leg - this month there's a new issue. Valet drivers in India are, more often than not, quite inexperienced. So you have to make sure you point out the position and the operation of the handbrake lever to them lest your car is returned to you with a burnt out clutch or a damaged gearbox. Besides, handbrake turns just aren't the same.

Notwithstanding the quirks, the Go is still one of the most sought after cars in the OD garage, believe it or not. I've managed to keep Vaishali from stealing it so far but the next long term report for the Datsun Go may just have a woman's perspective.

Total mileage: 3,874km,  date acquired: Jun'14,  mileage this month: 818km, fuel consumed:  67.6 litres, efficiency: 12.1kmpl