Do go for the Datsun Go

Medical practitioners, plus the publishers of medical columns in magazines and on websites often dish out incorrect advice.

The topic of male circumcision springs to mind.

.

The medical experts all say that the procedure is no big deal. It will hurt for a week and cause discomfort for about a month, they say, after which everything will go back to normal.

They are, of course, wrong.

I have a friend who underwent male circumcision when he was one week old. According to his parents and other reliable observers, afterwards he could not walk for almost a full year.

The message is plain – do not believe everything you read.

The topic of the Datsun Go springs to mind. When the vehicle arrived in this country four years ago, it was mercilessly castigated by the local media.

The main reason for their disdain was the Go’s lack of airbags and the fact that it did not score well during international safety tests.

Some logical observers pointed out that thousands of older second-hand cars on South African roads also do not boast airbags, yet few of their owners suffer huge anxiety when driving them.

.

But the experts maintained their views, many stating that sensible people should not buy the vehicles. Even so, a lot of people did purchase the Datsun Go.

Many were first-time buyers, looking for a well-priced, reliable car.

Others were old, lasttime buyers, who remembered when the Datsun name stood for bullet-proof sturdiness and rally-winning performance on these shores.

Both groups of buyers were apparently happy, and having the new Datsun Go as a house guest over the Christmas holidays showed us why.

Of course, by now the vehicle has grown airbags, but since there are only expensive and painful ways to test their efficiency, we abstained from doing so.

Instead we simply drove the vehicle around town at legal speeds – which, by our reckoning, most of its owners would do. And, it performed everything asked of it satisfactorily.

The Go’s appearance tends to fall in the “Love it or Hate it” category. Nissan say the latest model has a redesigned front grille and bumpers, while running on 14-inch wheels, to give it a sporty look.

.

Their idea of sporty does not coincide with ours, but we kind of liked the car’s appearance – look at the photographs herewith and decide for yourself.

The Go is powered by a 1 200cc four-cylinder petrol engine, that passes 50kW of power at 5 000rpm and 104Nm of torque at 4 000 rpm to the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox.

The suspension features a double-pivot front arm and a high-response damper, designed to keep the vehicle steady over rough roads.

Brakes are ABS-assisted discs front and drums rear, while the steering benefits from a speed-sensitive electric system that offers light steering effort at low speed, and firm steering effort at high speed.

Standard specification includes body coloured door handles and electric side mirrors, intermittent wipers, an immobiliser, daytime running lights, plus a rear wiper with washer.

Inside, comfort items include central locking, front and rear power windows, electrically adjustable mirrors, bucket seats front and a bench seat rear.

Then there is air conditioning and Follow-Me-Home headlights that stay illuminated after you exit the car to provide light as you walk to your door.

For the younger generation of buyers, there are Android Auto and Apple Car Play connectivity, Bluetooth and USB, plus a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment screen.

So, how does it go – pun intended? Generally speaking, not quickly.

The engine needs to be revved pretty high to produce useful grunt. Luckily, the smooth manual gearbox enables one to keep it in the power band.

This is no dragster, but it was never designed to be one.

It also did not like any form of uphill, and cruising at 120km/h, one had to grab fourth gear if the road inclined even slightly upwards.

What did impress was the handling.

The Go’s steering is impressive, giving brilliant feedback and precise turn-in.

This highlighted the fact that the suspension also does an excellent job of maintaining an even passage over uneven surfaces.

Add the 4.6m turning circle and the car became a pleasure in traffic, while its reverse parking sensors made it a toddle to manoeuvre in tight areas.

.

Fuel efficiency suffered slightly due to the high revs needed to obtain enough forward motion.

But we were reasonably impressed with an overall figure of 6.8l/100 km over the duration of the test.

Costing R165 500 for the Lux model, the Datsun GO comes with a standard three-year/100,000km warranty and an optional service plan.

In addition, consumers receive one-year insurance with the purchase of a Go.

Likes 

• Handling, agility in tight spaces.
• Precision steering.
• Slick gearbox.

Dislikes

• Tardy acceleration
• Losing momentum at cruising speeds.

Verdict

• A likeable car and fun to drive in the city, which is what it was designed for.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.