I live in so called silicon city of Bangalore, once a green paradise now filled with bone breaking pothole ridden roads, with horrible infrastructure where everyone is in a hurry to accomplish his/her dreams. The lesser said about this highly overrated city the better. I was on the look out for a small car for myself & had short listed the Nano, Kwid, Alto & Redigo. I eliminated the Alto & Kwid as both of these were low slung cars & ingress & egress was very difficult. I already own a Nano & hence buying a new one was not a wise decision it seemed.
I first test drove the RediGo at Surya Nissan & came back impressed overall. A very courteous staff, the Nissan finance @ 8.99% , the awesome looks, feel & the killer pricing tempted me to finalise the purchase.
Here are a few of my observations: -
The Positives: -
Stunning looks, swept back headlamp design looks futuristic, Rear design inspired by Volvo cars, Kinks & creases throughout the shell & a tall boy stance.
Pleasing cabin layout & upholstery. Soft yet firm seats. Functional dashboard with thoughtful storage spaces. View ahead is superb thanks to the high position of seats. Steering is top class with thumb contours & the PS is a delight to hold & turn. Indicator stalks, AC vents, switches are all top notch in quality. The instrument console is bright, big & has very useful driver info display like avg fuel consumption & distance to empty. The ergonomics is just right.
The 3 cylinder mill churns out enough power & hardly feels like an 800 cc motor. Clutch is light to operate & the gear box is a delight to use. The suspension offers far better cushioning and the ride is very composed. NVH levels could have been better though. I am happy with the fuel efficiency figures of 10kpl in city & close to 20 kpl on highways. Nothing to complain here. The boot space is fair enough for this segment.
The Negatives: -
Overall body gauge is flimsy. The operation of the power windows is not up to my expectation. Extra strength is required to shut the four doors. Vibrations of the engine is felt particularly if doors are open & the tail pipe also vibrates excessively.( a common let down of every 3 cylinder engine) . Brake squeal is also evident at times.
Many have complained about cost cutting inside the cabin & that the painted sheet metal looks awkward. Seriously I dont mind it as it enlivens the interior.
My Final Verdict: -
After having completed almost 3000 kms I feel I have made a very good decision to buy the RediGO and am very happy with the cars performance. I paid Rs. 3.95 lakhs on road Bangalore. The courteous sales mAnasultanger at Surya Nissan kept up his promise by installing two roof rails as a compliment. The overall experience right from the day I entered the showroom till I drove my car out was a very pleasant one. Enjoying my every drive.
Those contemplating buying one can go for it without doubts!