If there is one car seen on city streets that is making heads turn currently, it’s the Tata Nexon. This sub-Compact SUV actually makes other cars in the segment look a bit old fashioned, mainly because of its bold look, sleek design and great ground clearance. The Tata Nexon is emerging as an option to the highly successful Brezza from the Maruti stable and many seem to be very happy with the power and the styling of the car.
We decided to take the Nexon Diesel AMT top end version for a test drive, over a couple of days and realised that this was an amazing package at a highly reasonable price being offered by Tata Motors.
Exteriors
With ground clearance of 209 mm, the Nexon gives the best category ground clearance which is comparable to the Duster. Going over small potholes on city roads or speed bumps becomes much easier because of this high ground clearance and larger wheels.
The car provides a stance to the driver which seems commanding on city roads. Sitting next to other cars at a traffic junction, it makes the driver feel better. The 16 inch alloy wheels give the clearance that make the ride smoother. The front grill with its bold design makes the car look more like an SUV. The grill’s top horizontal line extends into the headlamps that make the vehicle look aggressive.
The daytime running LED lamps and fog lamps provide an edge. The rear is more conventional with a hatch and slightly elevated rear part of the car which give it back to front sliding down sense that works well.
Interiors
Nexon perhaps offers the most attractive and sleek interior, similar to a cockpit for the front seats. The central console extends from under the AC vents and extends right upto the rear part of the cabin. The touch screen is nicely placed in a position where it does not obstruct the driver’s view in any manner. The handbrake however is placed a bit oddly on the left side of the console which seems unconventional. The variable drive select knob is placed right at the centre. The rear seats have great leg room and the width of the cabin can be nicely felt even if three adults are seated in the rear. In the front seats, some more head space would have been appreciated. One big problem for the driver is the badly designed horn pad. You really have to press it hard with your palm, taking one hand off the steering and almost needing to probe and press the exact spot where the horn pad will make the car honk!
Engine
The Nexon we drove was the top end diesel AMT car with a power-packed 1497 Turbocharged Rovotorq engine which delivered amazing acceleration. If there is one thing that would drive a consumer to opt for the Nexon over any other car in that segment, it’s the power that the Rovotorq engine delivers. It gives three modes — Eco, City and Sport — which you can choose depending on the driving conditions, and they really work very effectively. In the Sport mode, the car really jumps ahead like a stallion even on steep climbs.
The transmission is 6 speed AMT and though there is some lag sensed in the gear shift at lower speeds, the machine more or less makes it up for this flaw by delivering superb acceleration even below 2000 RPM.
The turning circle radius for the Nexon is 5.1 meters which is reasonable considering the large wheels of the car.
The fuel tank has a capacity of 44 litres. The car gives exceptionally high millage and we in city conditions got almost 19 km to the litre on this 1.5 litre diesel engine.
Touchscreen
One of the differentiators is touch screen which displays almost everything that the car is doing. The air-conditioning, reverse camera, infotainment, climate control and many other conditions get nicely reflected on this screen, though there is some scope to improve the sharpness on the reverse camera.
To summarise, one can confidently state that Tata motors have provided great value for money and brilliant design in this power-machine. They have really offered an attractive proposition to the motorists who might be looking to move from Car to Compact SUV in the near future!
All information on Nexon prices is available on: https://nexon.tatamotors.com/price-in-pune
