Honda Brio vs Datsun Go

Nissan recently resurrected the Datsun brand and took no time in bringing it to India. It was phased out over 30 years back and in India; they are positioning this brand at the budget end of car market. The Datsun Go is a really affordable hatchback that offers excellent value for money. They have gone for high level of localisation with this car to keep the costs down. While the Datsun Go is a nice car, it might not appeal to everyone. For those looking for a slightly premium vehicle, Honda offers its Brio hatchback. It is a small, fun to drive hatchback that comes with an attractive price tag.

Take a good look at the Datsun Go and you will not be able to judge its price right. Although it competes with cars like the Alto K10, Hyundai Eon and Wagon R, it doesn’t look like a part of the group. It looks more like the pricier Nissan Micra with which it shares the platform. The exterior design has been detailed very well and there are no flat panels like on other budget cars. While it looks attractive, you can’t ignore the large gaps in wheel arches due to small wheels. The rear looks nice with the bulging tail lights.

On the other hand, the Brio has a design which would either be loved or hated by people. There is no in between. The front has a nice sharp bumper with small grille and bug eye like lamps. The side profile has a sharply dropping waistline with large sections of glass. The rear features a blackened boot lid and low sitting tail lamps. We like the overall design of the car but as we said already, it might not be to everyone’s taste.

Both the cars are powered by 1.2 litre petrol engines. The engine on the Datsun Go is a three cylinder unit which generates a peak power of 68 bhp and peak torque of 105 Nm. The engine is a decent performer and while it might not be very quick off the line, it is effortless to drive around. The Brio comes with a 1.2 litre four cylinder engine which generates 88 bhp of peak power and 110 Nm of torque. The engine is very responsive and likes to be revved. The handling and ride quality of the car is good and despite being small on the outside, it is quite spacious on the inside.

The level of equipment is obviously unattractive on the lower models of the Datsun Go but even the top of the line variant would cost you almost 95 thousand less than the similarly equipped Brio S MT. you will get the standard features like Air Conditioning, power windows, central locking, CD player among others. There is no ABS system available on the Datsun Go even as an option. Neither do you get the airbags. But take in the proportion of cost and it betters many other cars. Even here, while the Brio is a better car, the Go makes it feel overpriced.