Datsun GO Plus

The Datsun Go Plus is powered by a the same 1.2-litre from the GO. It's a three cylinder engine that makes 68PS of power and 104Nm of torque. It's a nice quick revving engine that's a joy to drive. The 2018 update did add about 150kgs to the kerb weight with new features and strengthened chassis and this has somewhat dulled it's pocket rocket nature to a small degree. It's still a very good mannered hatch in the city with it light steering and clutch and peppy engine giving it a very nimble nature.

The 2018 changes included cosmetic updates to the grill and bumpers, 14-inch wheels, DRLs and rear parking sensors. Other changes include the addition of a rear wipe wash and also electrically adjustable ORVMs.

On the inside the big change in 2018 was the addition of the 7-inch touch screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The hand brake is also a conventional 'pull up' unit instead of the quirky twist and pull dash mount unit from before. Rear passengers now also get the option of powered windows as well. For a budget car the interiors are quite nicely designed but in terms of material quality you will find all hard plastics. There are also no adjustable headrests on any of the four seats.

The Datsun Go Plus is available in five variants D, A, A(O), T and T(O). Prices range from Rs 3.87 lakh and go up to Rs 5.74 lakh

Renault Kwid: The Kwid has made budget hatchbacks cool, but not at the expense of practicality. It is surprisingly spacious, very well equipped and handles bad roads very well. The only critical miss is the lack of ABS, but the competition doesn't offer that either. The optional AMT variants with the bigger engine offer, what can be called, ‘the world’s simplest interface in an automatic’. It does come with a steep initial unlearning curve though.

Maruti Suzuki Alto K10: The Alto K10 competes with the 1.0-litre variants of the redi-GO and offers the same no-frills ownership experience that you'd associate with a Maruti, in a package that's quite a bit faster than the basic Alto 800. It has its shortcomings which swell up when parked next to the Kwid. Thankfully, it packs no unpleasant surprises, and that's its strength.

Maruti Suzuki WagonR: More than half-a-decade old and the WagonR continues to go strong. It offers the best combination of space, mileage, reliability and cost in this segment with two different designs. Those not happy with the more sedate design of the 'blue-eyed-boy' WagonR can choose to buy the VXI+ variants which offer more style with features like projector headlamps and alloy wheels.