How important is the Datsun Go CVT to South Africa?

How important is the Datsun Go CVT to South Africa?

Datsun GO, what I could do is the clickbait-esque approach and create a platoon of clever metaphors about how underwhelming or terrible it. But after some careful pondering and zen-like meditation, I concluded the following: The Datsun GO is an honest car, therefore, an honest review. A pitty honest isn’t very interesting.

Go launched in 2014, a barebones entry-level A Segment offering into personal mobility. Driven by a 1.2 Litre 3-Cylinder engine that produced 50kw and 104nm at best. It offered sparse safety but seating for 5 small people, fuel economy, and a branded version of the phone holders that you can buy at the traffic lights where the radio should have been. In 2016 we got the Go plus, a 7-seat MPV version that allowed your whole family to be a road traffic statistic given the extra space and the very nervous platform.

A 2018 Facelift changed the GO image somewhat and the famed ‘‘safety pack’’ (ABS, EBD AND AIRBAGS) optional extra was deleted and both become standard fitment. We gained the 14-inch Diamond-cut alloys, a then 6-inch touch screen radio, with all the usual teeth and holes form music in and output, LED Day-time running lights and some extra options for spoilers and body kits. Overall the car was refined a bit more with more insulation and suspension reconfigurations for less scary driving experience and Indonesia got the CVT.

Present-day: Given the need for entry-level affordable cars, vehicle markets have grown. The car is so much more than a tool, thusly the reason most with a modicum of decent information on cars of the near future is salivating at the golden curves that are the silhouette of 2020. This is the new era of cars where the world is your oyster and scares of automotive diversity. The air has this tinge of electricity, some kind of childish joy that we all feed off. This joy for some comes in a rather smooth box.

DATSUN GO CVT LAUNCH

Is Adding a CVT enough to be taken seriously?

The car now has VDC (Nissan’s traction control), Rear park assist, an extra inch on to the screen, making 7-now with Apple Car Play and Android Auto and 7 more Kw’s of power to bring the total to a lofty 57. Climbing into the updated cabin, the necessary tech creates a more enticing space. It’s not Mercedes Plush, and you sometimes don’t know where to put your arms but hay. Like most A-segment cars, the design focus is to appeal to a market that has crippling budget arguments against car ownership. R1999 per month ads and ”free” 1-year insurance is a deal-maker to a low-income budget. This is the frame of mind where the GO CVT comes into its own.

To the untrained perspective, the GO is a cheap way of moving about in poor safety but with the pleasure of the features or bribes that are placed there to distract you from the ultimate peril, one finds themselves in sometimes given the driving dynamics and mannerisms of the GO. Acceleration requires patience and rather pointless at freeway speeds, the noise is not linked to an increase in any kind of forward swiftness. The honest perspective is more engaging, given it says the car is not aimed to be anything other than a cost-effective principle both ways. The addition of the CVT claims to drop fuel consumption from 5.5L/100 to 5L.

Now ponder this I remember living 3 odd months with a brand new KWID AMT company car in a previous life-the largest rival to GO CVT. R100 would be enough to muster my daily trip from the Eastrand to Pretoria and back for 2 out of the 6-day week. I should exclaim that’s not very impressive, what was, the fiery passionate hate I had for the thing. I drove it flat out almost every day for the first month. Running through a set of front brakes (R300 fitted) and managed to cover around 6000km in that car. I hated the lofty feel at speeds over 110km/h, I hated the lack of a headlight buzzer that meant I often awoke to a dead battery. Having No ABS caused many close scares and Yellow light lotteries but most of all the Automated Manual Transmission. I remember the sadness of having to guess and lift every time the car needed to change gear. It was the worst transmission I’ve ever experienced cause the absence of the lift would result in the atypical rock back and forth upon each shift. Now given I didn’t choose to have that car I hated it but understood I needed to love it; a love reciprocated with 4l/100 when driven tamely.

CVT makes a lot more sense now given 35 Litre tank would cost you less than R570 bucks to fill up and once you learn the CVT will mean the engine drones on constantly. The car still feels sometimes feels again nervous. Rolling around on its wheels at speed. It’s ultimately a city car but the route that was planned for the launch allowed for some truly dynamic testing enough to inspire confidence, even more, to worry more about the radio than my lack of NCAP stars at the sight of lorries given the Airbag would be pretty useless in that aspect.

GO and other A-segment cars are important in a country like ours, with about 579 configurations of GO sold last month. The bulk serving as the financial transition from commuters to Motorists allowing them the freedom that four wheels can provide, if you understand the public transport system. The Go seeks to beat out the equally problematic Kwid stablemate and the new Atos but will likely have its one fair share of the shine.

Pricing in South Africa

With 1 Year Subsidised insurance, 6year/150 000km warranty standard across the range,

GO

MID                                                                                                           R159 100

LUX                                                                                                           R170 200

LUX CVT                                                                                                   R184 200

GO PLUS

MID                                                                                                           R 169 500

LUX GO PLUS                                                                                          R180 800

LUX GO PLUS CVT                                                                                  R194 800