Datsun Go+ MPV set for 16 January launch

The seven-seater, low-cost Datsun Go+ MPV is set to for a 15 January Indian debut indiannerve.com reported.

The lowest priced version of Go+ is expected to carry a price tag of Rs3.5 lakh, which might be the deciding factor in the cost-conscious Indian market.

The body is slightly expanded as against the Go, and Datsun had given the car much space behind the second row seats.

The Go+ sports the same engine as Go - the 1.2 litre petrol engine with three cylinders, which fires maximum power of 68 PS and maximum torque of 104 Nm.

The gearbox, a 5-speed manual retains the same engine However, it carries seven persons, and this is made possible due to the lighter body of Go+ as against Go. Go+ at 794 kilograms, weighs about 25 kilograms more than the hatchback.

Not much has been revealed about the MPV as yet and the mileage of Go+ was still unknown, but it would be expected to be lesser than the mileage of Go, which is 20.6 kpl.

After launch in the market, it would compete against the likes of Ertiga, Mobilio and Enjoy.

Nissan's budget brand Datsun entered India with its entry-level hatchback, the Go, earlier this year, which held out a lot of promise but proved to be less than a match against heavyweights like the Maruti Alto and Hyundai Eon.

According to auto experts, the Go+, which is to be launched next month, looked exactly like the hatchback, when seen first. It sports the same hexagonal grille, the power-bulge on the bonnet, the wrap-around headlights with metal inserts and the windscreen and also gets the same three-cylinder, all-aluminium 1.2-litre engine, which produces 67 bhp at 5,000 revolutions per minute (rpm).

However, the Go+ engine was tuned to be more responsive.

The thin 155/70 R13 tyres are retained even as the suspension is stiffened a bit to handle the increased weight. When seen from the rear, differences between the Go and the Go+ become apparent.

The roof line swoops down in the seven-seater, while the waistline arcs up while the ''flick'' on the rear shoulder looks quite neat.

The hatch at the rear is a new design with a slimmer rear windscreen. The carmaker has been able to squeeze the mini-MPV's length to under 4m, which enabled it to fit into a lower tax category. The cabin is almost identical to the hatchback. The car comes with the same basic but functional no-frills dashboard.