Entry-level city car
The Datsun brand has something of a history in South Africa. Coming to SA in the early 60's, Datsun became Nissan and then changed hands a number of times but have always been based in Rosslyn. The Datsun brand as a whole disappeared for a number of years and recently resurfaced a few years ago as a sub-brand under Nissan.
Related: Datsun Go 1.2 Lux Auto (2020) review: Seamless shifting in a Go
For the last few years, Datsun has sold the Go entry-level city car in South Africa with varying degrees of success. Below we take a look at this cool city transport.
Datsun Go
The first iteration of the Go, released in SA, faced some initial backlash due to it going on sale without basic safety features such as ABS braking and dual airbags. The base Indian variant was quickly changed out during the facelift for the current model that now features said ABS and airbags for driver and passenger.
The Go is available in four derivatives beginning with the entry-level Mid spec, then moving onto the sporty styled Five, and then the fully equipped Lux model and if you don't want to row your own, you can get the lux with a CVT transmission.
The Go is incredibly frugal on fuel and you can expect 7l to low 6l's per 100km's. The boot is spacious and the interior room is ample for drivers that are just starting out.
The Go also comes standard with the must-have tech such as touchscreen infotainment with Apple Car Play and Android Auto.
| Datsun Go 1.2 Mid | R 184 900 |
| Datsun Go 1.2 Five | R 189 700 |
| Datsun Go 1.2 Lux | R 196 700 |
| Datsun Go 1.2 Lux Auto | R 213 800 |
Datsun Go+
The Go+ is essentially a standard Go with a station wagon-style rear end. The Go+ is geared more towards families or in its panel van configuration, small businesses. You can expect more of the same in terms of fuel costs and tech as well as even more space and convenience.
| Datsun Go+ 1.2 Mid | R 194 700 |
| Datsun Go+ 1.2 Lux | R 206 700 |
| Datsun Go+ 1.2 Lux Auto | R 223 800 |
Verdict
The Go represents fantastic value for money and is perfectly suited for new drivers. It does however compete against some top-end rivals that may offer a bit more for less. Be sure to check out a few of our VS' articles before signing on eth bottom line.
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