it was no secret that Nissan is reviving the Datsun brand. the Japanese automaker has just announced the first car under the returned Datsun brand, and no it isn’t a sports ride, instead it is a compact hatch named GO (a tribute to the first car Datsun rolled out nearly a century ago). surprise. surprise. eh? and this very first car under Datsun will first be launched in early 2014 in India for about 400,000 Rupees (about US$6,756) and not surprisingly, it will be also be made in India. powering the five-door, front-wheel drive hatchback is a frugal 1.2-liter mated to a five-speed manual transmission and bears a form that look suspiciously like the Leaf. apart from the run-of-the-mill aesthetic, the Datsun GO has a regular cabin to match, with the usual amenities but with the touch of luxury such as a mobile docking station catering to your favorite music device as a supplement your on-the-go music needs.
also on the inside, the stick shift and handbrake are relocated to the front to create the extra space for the front row and together with a wider stance (1,635 mm) and a longer wheelbase (2,450 mm), this compact hatch sure has ample room for five or even six to go around. with all the talk and buzz (or not), Nissan did not actually reveal much of other technical specs or possible trim levels of the GO. according to Nissan Motor President and CEO, Carlos Ghosn, Datsun will be targeting the high growth market and filling in the market segment where its luxury brand Infinity and Nissan brands does not cover. well, honestly, we as puzzled. didn’t Nissan already covered everything else Infinity did not cover? with that note, we do not expect a reprise of the famous Datsun Fairlady or whatsoever and to us, the statement by Ghosn really downplay our excitement over the revival of the brand. what no 240Z?
