Production-spec Datsun redi-Go unveiled in India

After a glamorous reveal as a concept at the 2014 Auto Expo, the Datsun redi-GO has now taken production shape to look like the car you see in the pictures here. What it is then is a tall boy hatchback with a fair bit of muscle to appear butch and imposing. The complex bodywork is made up of elements like a prominent character line that runs at the lower half of the doors and rises up at the rear to isolate the wheel arch. The curved window line originates from the front bumper, underlines the headlamp and flows along the windows and into the taillights. The taillights have a unique shape but look quite smart. The top spec car unveiled here gets faux skid plates to go with the urban cross theme that Datsun is harping about. The redi-GO sits on 155/80 section tyres shod on 13-inch steel rims and Datsun claims that the ground clearance will give most SUVs a run for their money.

The headlamps have a detailing that will remind you of the GO family, but their sharper shape is unique to the brand. The top-spec trim that was unveiled, wasn't seen with factory fitted fog lamps, but had two LED strips running on the edges of the front bumper to effectively act as daytime running lamps. Like the Kwid, the redi-GO will come with a host of customisation options too.

The interiors are quite a welcome change over the GO family. It even gets an audio unit that can play compact discs and MP3 files. The redi-GO has a five seater arrangement and doesn't use any quirky bench upfront. Instead you get two conventional seats with integrated headrests. At the back too, you get two integrated headrests and the bench looks large enough for two grown ups and a small kid. The boot space is decent, but no figures yet.

Speaking of the Kwid, the redi-GO too is based on Renault-Nissan's CMF-A platform. The Datsun too uses a similar 800cc petrol motor, mated to a five speed manual transmission. No word yet on the possibility of an AMT or the new 1.0-litre engine - both of which were showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo on the Renault Kwid Easy-R production-ready concept.

The Datsun redi-GO will be launched commercially on June 1, 2016 and will go on sale through the 200+ dealership network that the Nisssan-Datsun brand has setup in India. No word on the pricing yet, but expect it to be a shade cheaper than the Renault Kwid.