March 29, 2024

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The Ultimate Driving Machines

2020 Datsun Redigo facelift review, test drive

What is it?

The Redigo has been Datsun’s contender for competing in the entry-stage hatchback section against the likes of the Renault Kwid, Maruti Suzuki Alto and the S-Presso. However the Japanese automaker has been holding speed with regular function additions to its funds offering, at any time given that its debut back in 2016, it has launched a key facelift this time all over, coinciding with the implementation of the most up-to-date safety and emissions rules. The 2020 Datsun Redigo brings in sharper styling, much more machines, an up to date set of powertrains and some structural updates as properly.  

What’s it like on the outdoors?

Even though the earlier model’s slick design and style experienced a much more common charm, the facelift wears an aggressive appear, specially up front, which will polarise views. The trademark Datsun grille is now a size or two more substantial and the bumper sports activities sharp cuts and creases. Slimmer headlights and notable, L-shaped LED DRLs (changing the horizontal models on the earlier design) give the new Redigo a modern day appear. Datsun has also additional LED fog lamps to the prime-spec variant, which is a section to start with function.

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‘FACE’-Elevate – Refreshed Redigo receives an outsized grille, sharper headlamps and eye-catching LED DRLs up front.

With the facelift, the Redigo maintains its simple profile and tall-boy proportions, and the common 14-inch steel wheels with thicker one hundred sixty five/70 section rubber (as opposed to the one hundred fifty five/80 R13’s before) boost the total stance. They also include 2mm to the already class-primary floor clearance (unladen) which now steps in at 187mm. Datsun badges on the front fenders, clever twin-tone wheel addresses, and body-colored wing mirrors are other aspects distinguishing the Redigos old and new. The posterior is mainly unchanged, help save for the addition of an LED signature in the tail-lamps.

These cosmetic adjustments are accompanied by structural updates under the pores and skin. The Redigo’s CMF-A underpinnings, which are shared with the Kwid, have been beefed up, in buy to comply with the most up-to-date crash-take a look at and pedestrian-safety norms.

What’s it like on the within?

The cabin is wherever the majority of the visible updates look. Absent is the asymmetrical dashboard design and style of the earlier design, and in arrives a much more conventional horizontal structure. The dark colour plan, with a slab of silver textured plastic jogging across the width of the dashboard, provides the cabin a unique charm. Using pleasure of spot on the piano black-finished centre console, even though, is the new 8.-inch touchscreen infotainment technique which, bundled with Apple CarPlay and Android Car, is slick and uncomplicated to function.

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Awesome Touch – Using prime true estate on the dashboard is the slick, 8-inch touchscreen.  

Even though the pre-facelift Redigo drew flak for uncovered sheet metallic on the within door panels, Datsun has fixed that by giving whole door cladding this time all over. The black-gray textured upholstery is a further quality contact.

Improvements are not just aesthetic, as some ergonomic flaws have been rectified as properly. The appallingly compact glovebox from the earlier design has been changed by a sizeable device, wing mirrors are now internally adjustable, and the static reel seatbelts for outboard rear passengers from before have made way for retractable ones. Nonetheless, some quirks stay, like the single front wiper, even though in all fairness, it does attain the additional operation of intermittent procedure.

In spite of the Redigo currently being the shortest automobile in the class and getting the smallest wheelbase, cabin house is quite excellent. Knee home for rear passengers is adequate and the tall-boy proportions liberate generous quantities of headroom. Seating 3 abreast at the back, even so, will confirm to be quite a pinch, provided the slender width of the cabin.

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SPACED OUT – Knee home and headroom at the back are fairly excellent for a automobile of its class. 

As before, the Redigo’s machines record involves electricity steering, air conditioner, distant locking, front electricity home windows, Abdominal muscles, rear parking sensors and a driver’s aspect airbag. However Datsun has additional a passenger airbag on the prime-spec trim, it has missed the option of giving steering-mounted audio controls, like in the S-Presso, and rear electricity home windows and armrest, like in the Kwid.   

What’s it like to travel?

The Redigo continues to be powered by a 54hp, .8-litre petrol engine and a 68hp, one.-litre device, albeit in BS6 guise. We drove the more substantial potential petrol and found the driving manners to be mainly equivalent to the pre-facelift design.

Get started up the engine and the characteristic 3-cylinder hum creeps into the cabin, even though vibrations in the driving controls, like the steering, gear lever and pedals, stay properly contained. Getting off the line necessitates a little bit of an hard work.  Step on the fuel and there is a definite action up in electricity just after 2,000rpm, even so, by the time the engine builds up speed to 3,500-4,000rpm, the thrummy 3-cylinder hum gets quite notable, so it’s superior to shift up early. The engine has plenty of pep to maintain up with town site visitors, but press any more durable and it commences to really feel strained.

The allied five-speed handbook transmission is quite notchy and slotting in the pet dog-leg reverse gear necessitates some hard work, which could confirm to be a little bit challenging for new drivers. A slender footwell also indicates that the left leg starts protesting on extended drives. The preserving grace, then, is the mild clutch, which redeems the Redigo’s town drivability.   

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Metropolis Pleasant – The engine has plenty of pep to maintain up with town site visitors, but press any more durable and it commences to really feel strained.

Other things that help the Datsun’s city manners are its compact footprint and a mild steering. The absence of a adequate self-centring action, even so, marks the steering down. The brakes far too have a sharp chunk point, which requires some getting applied to. 

However not uncomfortable, the suspension is set up a little bit agency and you can really feel the road surface area. The substantial-set seating and big glasshouse give a great see up front, but the thick C-pillars mar rear visibility. The rear see digicam on the selection topping edition, then, proves an great help though parking.    

Must I purchase one particular?

Datsun has released the 2020 Redigo .8 in four trim ranges – D, A, T and T(O) – priced from Rs 2.eighty three-4.16 lakh. The Redigo one. is offered only in the selection-topping T(O) variant and is pegged at Rs 4.forty four lakh for the handbook and Rs 4.seventy seven lakh for the AMT computerized edition. As such, the Redigo a bit undercuts equally kitted out variants of the Alto, S-Presso and the Kwid. 

Even though the earlier design fell short on some counts, the facelift has appear a extended way – it is safer, receives sharper styling and packs in much more package with a fair couple of functions, earning it worthy of contemplating for funds hatchback customers.

With the most up-to-date update, Datsun has certainly stepped up its game in the entry-stage section. However, as issues convert out, so has the opposition.

All selling prices, ex-showroom, Delhi

Also see:

2020 Datsun Redigo facelift price tag, variants explained

2020 Datsun Redigo facelift released at Rs 2.eighty three lakh

Datsun Redigo