Tata Nexon EV

The Bestseller Gets Better

The Tata Nexon EV has been the definitive EV for the Indian market. It is the first EV which managed to tick a series of important boxes, including an attractive price tag, spacious interiors, good range, and brisk fast charging. It didn’t take long for the Nexon EV to be India’s best-selling EV, and it kept getting updates over the years, which added regenerative braking, drive modes, and a larger battery pack option with a faster motor as well. In its latest iteration, Tata has thoroughly reworked its design to make it look futuristic and attractive, further solidifying its proposition. The Tata Nexon EV is offered with two different battery options — Long Range (LR) and Medium Range (MR). Has it done enough to fend off any incoming competition from rival brands for the top spot in the EV ladder? Let’s find out.

Tata Nexon EV Pros and Cons 

Tata Nexon EV Exterior Design 

Along the sides, the coupé-like roofline and doors will remind you of the pre-facelift Nexon EV, and that’s the only angle from which the ‘new’ Nexon EV looks similar to the older model. That’s how significant the facelift is. Up front, the bonnet is taller, making the Nexon EV look even more muscular. Two ridges on either side of the bonnet add to its stance, and allow for better judgement of space while navigating through traffic. The redesigned bumper now gets a split headlamp design, where LED DRLs take over the traditional headlamp position. 

The LED DRLs also get a connecting LED strip between them with sequential LEDs that light up to show the state of charge when charging, and show animations for when you lock and unlock the car. The LED headlights and fog lights both sit in the fog-lamp housing. The front bumper also gets a different design from the ICE version, and is more aerodynamic and sharp. The bumper is also angled in a way that it diverts airflow into the light housings, which cleverly divert air away from the front wheels to reduce drag.

Towards the back, the tail lights look like an evolution from the past, thanks to a Y-shaped design. They are now connected with an animated LED light bar, which also lights up sequentially when you unlock the car. The Nexon EV also gets a handsome spoiler, which cleverly hides away the rear wiper to further reduce drag. The rear bumper gets a similar outline as the front, where reverse lights and reflectors replace headlights.

Tata Nexon EV Interiors 

The interiors of the Tata Nexon EV feature a sleek and modern design. On select variants — or ‘personas’ as Tata calls it — the exterior body colour is carried over to the upholstery. For other trims, the interiors have a dual tone, off-white and dark grey theme, which gives the Nexon EV an upmarket appeal. Large 12.3 inch infotainment screen (which is larger than the ICE Nexon) and the 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster add to the functionality and appeal. 

The biggest talking point, however, is the new two spoke steering wheel, which houses a backlit Tata logo inside a piano black panel. Air conditioner controls too get a piano black panel with capacitive touch controls and toggle switches for temperature and blower control. However, all piano black surfaces are prone to fingerprints, and the fit and finish quality on some panels is not at par with rivals. 

The Nexon EV gets a mixed score on the practicality front. Door bins are large and can house 1-litre water bottles, and there's a large glove box too, but there are still no cup holders for the front passengers, and the front seats don’t have storage pockets behind them for the rear seat passengers to access. Boot space though — at 350 litres — can accommodate enough luggage for four adults on a road trip.

Tata Nexon EV Comfort 

The Nexon EV sports a slightly stiff suspension setup, thanks to carrying the weight of the battery pack. However, this is not bothersome, and it continues to flatten bumps and round-off potholes to a great extent. What’s commendable is that the ride stays flat even when the going gets rough, and you will find yourself going faster over rough roads than in some other subcompact SUVs. Suspension stiffness translates to great highway stability too, and the Nexon EV holds itself well at high speeds. The well-cushioned and bolstered seats also help here. 

There’s ample under-thigh support for the front passengers, and the front seats get ventilation too. As for the rear seat, the case is slightly different depending on the battery pack you choose. The Medium Range (MR) variants have a slightly higher floor than the ICE version, which translates to a slight drop in the under-thigh support, thanks to sitting slightly knees up. The Long Range (LR) variants on the other hand have an even higher floor. You sit in a much more knees-up position than the ICE variants, compromising on under-thigh support drastically. While this won’t bother passengers for short durations, long road trips in this seat wouldn’t be as comfortable.

Tata Nexon EV Performance and handling

With the facelifted version, Tata Motors has introduced a new gen 2 motor in the Nexon EV, which spins faster (up to 16,000 RPM from 12,000 RPM), uses 30% fewer rare earth materials, and is 20 kg lighter. The result is a small gain in peak power and a drop in peak torque, but the new motor has a better torque curve, and the lower torque doesn’t impact performance. In fact, Tata claims that the LR version of the Nexon EV can do a 0-100 km/h sprint in just 8.9 seconds, which is over half a second faster than the pre-facelift model.

The Nexon EV’s performance isn’t as punchy as it was before, but instead, the acceleration is more linear, and it keeps pulling even after you build up speed. The Nexon EV also gets three drive modes — Eco, City, and Sport — and all of them have a pronounced difference. The Eco mode restricts the power output to 65% of the peak power, and the City mode strikes the perfect balance between Sport and Eco. The MR variants of the Nexon EV have a slightly lower power output, in order to maximise range from the smaller battery pack. 

Handling is one of Nexon EV’s strong suits. The slightly stiffer suspension makes it quite agile, and you will have fun throwing it around corners. It can also handle most roads well, dealing with the rough stuff with a sense of maturity. Highway stability is also great, and it doesn’t lose composure easily. 

Tata Nexon EV Battery, Charging, and Range

Tata Nexon EV is offered with two different battery options, and while the last iteration had the ‘Max’ and ‘Prime’ names for the variants, the facelift simply calls them Long Range (LR) and Medium Range (MR). The LR variants get a 40.5 kWh battery pack under the floor, which has a claimed range of 465 km on a single charge. While the claims may be a tad high, the Nexon EV LR can return a real world range of around 300 km, which is plenty for inter city trips. On the other hand the MR variants get a 30 kWh battery pack with a claimed range of 325 kms, which should translate to about 200 km in the real world. Both variants support DC fast charging, and can be topped from 10-80% in about 56 minutes on a 50 kW DC fast charger.

Tata Nexon EV Key specifications 

Tata Nexon EV Safety Features

The Tata Nexon famously became the first Indian car to receive a 5-star Global NCAP crash test rating, making it one of the safest cars in the segment. While the facelift and the electric counterpart is yet to be tested, since it has the same underpinnings it should return a similar, if not a better score as the original model. 

The Nexon EV gets all the basic safety features like six airbags, ABS, EBD, ISOFIX child seat mounts, TPMS, and more. Adding to the safety suite are a 360-degree parking camera, traction control, roll-over mitigation, hydraulic brake assist, auto headlights, and rain sensing wipers. Additionally, it also gets a blind-spot camera which triggers everytime you turn on the turn-indicators, and displays a camera feed on the infotainment screen.

Tata Nexon EV Technology and Infotainment

Where the ICE Nexon gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment, the Nexon EV ups the ante by having a huge 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment in the top variants. The infotainment is a significant step forward, and the screen is very responsive and easy to use. 3D animations are also very clean, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work well. But the party piece of this screen is the new ‘Arcade.ev’ feature, which is essentially like an app store for the screen. 

You can download various streaming apps, and use the screen and the 8-speaker + subwoofer JBL sound system as a source of entertainment when your EV is parked for charging. The digital instrument cluster also displays a lot of information, and you can also have the navigation display mirrored on the instrument cluster. 

It also gets a 360-degree parking camera with impressive resolution, and the turn signal activated rear-view cameras also add a layer of safety while driving. Other features include voice commands, built-in Alexa, wireless smartphone charger, connected car tech, an air purifier, cooled glovebox, and a sunroof. The Nexon EV also supports bi-directional charging, and you can use your Nexon EV to charge other EVs, as well as power external electric devices, like an electric stove on a camping trip.

Is the Tata Nexon EV for you?

In its new clothing, the Tata Nexon EV has taken a big step forward. It now packs oodles of tech, and the design is attractive. It is also one of the safest cars in its segment, and is stable on all kinds of roads. Throw it in a corner and you would have fun doing that as well. Yes, the fit and finish levels are still a step behind ICE powered rival subcompact SUVs. But overall, the Tata Nexon EV makes for a very compelling package wrapped in fancy clothing. It would not be a surprise if the Nexon EV continues to be the best-selling EV in India, and if you are in the market for a sub-20 lakh EV, then the Nexon EV should definitely be on your shortlist.