Datsun is celebrating its first fifty months in
South Africa with a special edition Datsun Go.
To commemorate its four years and two months in SA (in case you hadn't worked it out), the
bargain brand has introduced the Datsun Go Flash selling for R135 900.
That’s R3000 more than the Go Lux hatchback on which it’s based, and the extra
cost comes from the addition of a Bluetooth and USB-enabled audio system. The
regular Go has just a mobile phone docking station connected to a pair of
speakers.
The Go Flash also gets a dose of extra colour with 'go-faster' silver-and-blue
decals on the bodywork and silver accents inside the cabin. As an added bonus, the Special Version is sold with one year’s insurance included.
Like the Go Lux this limited-edition model comes with a
1.2-litre petrol engine with outputs of 50kW and 104Nm, and is equipped with electric
power steering, aircon, trip computer, front power windows, manual central
locking, and a driver’s airbag, but no ABS brakes. And, as we are obliged to
point out, the Go has performed dismally in crash tests.
Despite this the car’s affordability has made it a popular
seller amongst cash-strapped South African motorists, and since launch the
range has grown to include the larger Go+ amd Go+ panelvan.
According to the annual Kinsey Report, which ranks vehicles
by the cost of their service and repair parts, the Datsun Go is also the most
affordable vehicle to maintain, repair and run in South Africa.
“Our market research shows that Datsun owners value their
vehicles’ affordability and ease-of-servicing above all else,” says Des Fenner,
General Manager for Datsun in South Africa.
“Many owners gradually personalise their vehicles and it is
specifically for them that we have created the Special Version.”