They asked for it

It’s got the makings of a category killer, but can Nissan manage to make the Datsun Go a blockbuster? That will depend on the sales and service network that the Japanese auto major builds. Meanwhile, the company is relying on the fact that the Go is a car that’s ‘made for India’ And, of course, there’s the price—starting at Rs 3.2 lakh.

The car, says Ashwani Gupta, Datsun’s global programme director, is aimed at first-time buyers who won’t come with preconceived notions about design. Research showed that in South India, women drivers complained of getting their sarees tangled with the handbrake. So, that has been positioned where the stereo normally is. A retro bench style seat means there’s no gap through which phones and wallets fall. In tight parking spaces, that also allows the driver to slip in and out through the passenger seat.