Datsun Go goes safer with airbag, superior steel grade

In a move to enhance the sales pitch to customers by the Datsun Go hatchback, Nissan Motor India has added a variant with a driver's side airbag. Called the 'T(O)', this variant comes with a price tag of Rs 438,000 (ex-showroom, Mumbai). That is around Rs 16,000 more than the 'T' variant. The Go+, the MPV variant of the Go, already has a variant which offers an airbag for the driver.

Along with the addition of the airbag, the Datsun has also seen an upgrade in its sheet metal grade. With these steps, the car's safety quotient will be better than earlier. It is to be noted that the Go faced some strong criticism from safety watchdog Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP) after it, along with the Maruti Swift, failed to get any star rating for adult occupant safety. That issue could be addressed now with the factory fitted airbag and the reinforced body.

The addition of the new T(O) variant could also help in improving the Go's sales figures, which stood at 12,842 units for the April 2014 to March 2015 period. That is an average of a little over a thousand units a month. This step also reflects Nissan's preparation to meet stringer safety norms in India that will kick in from 2017.