Datsun Go+ vs Maruti Ertiga vs Honda Mobilio Spec comparison

Datsun may be calling the Go+ a wagon to distance itself from more premium rivals but the Go+ is an MPV. It’s based on a hatchback like the Honda Mobilio and Maruti Ertiga and comes with three rows of seats. If you were looking for an MPV, you’d keep the Go+ in your research books and so let’s find out how it stacks against its rivals.

The ‘plus’ in the Go+ indicates that you are getting more than what you would in a Go, but it also hints at the quantity, if you could measure it exactly. A little more than the Go then is what you get with the Go+ and you pay marginally more at best for the Go+. The Ertiga and Mobilio get a lot more than their hatchback donors and cost a considerable sum more. So you will have to price the Go+ up in this comparison every step of the way. And to get the most accurate comparison, we will compare the top end variant of the Go Plus against the base variants of the Maruti Ertiga and Honda Mobilio. Only petrol variants will be compared as the Go+ doesn’t get a diesel engine.

Price and efficiency:

We’d usually start a comparison with the specifications but in this case, it is important to highlight that the Go+ is considerably cheaper than the Mobilio and fairly cheaper than the Ertiga. It is also a lot more efficient and that’s mainly because the Go Plus is a few hundred kilos lighter. The Go+ is clearly priced a segment lower than the other two but for lack of competition, the MPV will have to battle it out against these more established rivals.

Engines and gearbox:

Powering the Go+ is a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder engine that also does duty in the Go. All mechanicals are the same as well. Power at 68PS is considerably lower than the Ertiga and Mobilio as is the torque. It’s also a cylinder down on the other two. All cars get a five speed manual gearbox.

Size and space:

The Go+ is a sub 4-metre MPV and that’s helps Datsun price it aggressively with benefits of a lower excise slab. Space is short on the inside too with a considerably shorter wheelbase, width and height. As we found out from the drive, the Go Plus is at best a 5 seater with a large boot. The Ertiga has the largest wheelbase, height and width but space management in the Honda is impressive so it would be a close call between the two.

Features: 

As far as features go, the base variants of the Ertiga and Mobilio come quite close to the Datsun Go+. The Go+ provides a 12V power outlet which neither the Maruti nor Honda provide in base trim. The Ertiga doesn’t get power windows, the Go+ gets front power windows and the Mobilio gets them for the rear too. There are no bottle holders in the Go+ which come in handy on long drives. The Mobilio and Ertiga get front and rear cup holders. The Go+ gets a mobile docking station with aux-in and front speakers that neither the Ertiga nor Mobilio have. Shortfalls include no internal adjustment for ORVMs and central locking. It’s not too far apart from the Honda and the Maruti and in some areas, better equipped.