Tata Nexon: So, the Tata Nexon is a really big deal in the Indian car market and is another feather in Tata Motors’ already burgeoning passenger vehicle cap.
Fulfiling its brand promise of something truly new and different, the TUV300 has been updated regularly right from its launch in 2017, with new features while retaining its basic DNA that made the SUV a tough player in the hotly contested sub-4-meter SUV space.
Tata Nexon: Design Journey
Upon its arrival, the design of the Nexon quickly grabbed attention, moving beyond the typical lineage of the SUV category with a silhouette that drew inspiration from the world of the coupe and striking the perfect balance between impressive sense of character and practicality.
The G1 was available with a rare 3-tone scheme that offered a visually unique design in a sea of products.
The 2020 facelift saw even further changes that broadened the scope of the “Impact 2.0” design philosophy for Tata Motors in the Nexon.
Up front it gets a bolder treatment with a wider grille, the redesigned headlamps with LED daytime running lights and a more chiselled bumper.
From the side, the coupe-like roofline with white ceramics was carried over, while the rear-end received new tailamps connected to a gloss black element.
The current version goes slightly more aggressive on its design, updating with a more unique front end with a split-headlamp arrangement, linked LED daytime running lights, and revisions to the grille giving the car more visual width and presence.
These evolutionary design changes also has helped keep the Nexon looking fresh yet distinct in a segment that’s getting more and more generic.
Safety Leadership
Arguably the most substantial influence of the Nexon over the Indian automotive industry is that it forced every subcompact SUV player to offer safety features as a significant concern.
In 2018 it became the first Indian made car to score a five-star adult safety rating from Global NCAP, blowing apart the notion of cars made in India being unsafe if they were affordable.
This was courtesy of Tata’s high-strength steel safety cage, airbags, ABS with EBD, corner stability control, and crumple zones.
The company’s ongoing effort to be at the forefront of safe cars in its latest iterations has kept this lead, making rivals put in a heightened focus in the sturdiness of their structures and active safety technologies.
Powertrain Evolution
Or a kerb weight: The Nexon was released with two engines to showcase Tata’s improving engineering: a 1.2-liter turbocharged petrol, or a 1.5-liter diesel, both of which offered about 110bhp.
The engines were a strong point and offered far more zippy performance than other alternatives in the class, especially the petrols, which left many of its naturally aspirated comrades in the filling station.
As that model wore on, both engines saw revisions and greater efficiency and more stringent emissions requirements, and selections widened past the original 6-speed manual to either an automated manual or actual automatic transmissions.
Drive modes (Eco, City, Sport) also gave the ability to adjust to various driving conditions and preferences, a degree of complexity that’s rare at this price point.
The newly introduced CNG derivatives in some models have diversified the powertrain lineup, catering to the increasing consumer needs for alternative fuels in a market that is highly cost conscious.
Interior Evolution
On the inside, the Nexon continues to strike a respectful balance between unique design and realistic utility. The dash gets a floating infotainment placed almost near eye level, with actual buttons for the important stuff ensuring intutive operation.
Materials quality Enhanced by some updates that along the way have made even later models in the series feel richer than the early ones, with softer touch points, better seat upholstery, and more elaborate color schemes.
In the same way the infotainment system has also grown in terms of screen size and capability, now including smartphone integration, voice control and connected car tech on higher-spec cars.
Despite its compact exterior dimensions, including the 350 litre boot and split folding rear seats, the Nexon offers adequate interior space for both passengers and luggage.
Market Impact
The Nexon’s success has been one of the drivers of Tata Motors’ incredible turnaround from being a small player in the passenger vehicle business to a position of strength, where it is taking on well-entrenched brands.
It was its unique style, in-depth safety features, but pocket friendly value proposition that was appealing to the increasingly demanding Indian consumer.
The launch of the Nexon EV showed Tata Motors’ futuristic vision of staying ahead in the Indian electric vehicle (EV) space while keeping the soul of the conventional model intact.
Tata Nexon:
The.cTata Nexon is a great eTata Nexonxample of a product developed keeping actual consumer needs in mind in contrast to just matching the competition on numbers, it’s a formula that is likely to achieve long term success.
With its emphasis on safety, unique design and uncompromising value, Tata’s brainchild emerged not just commercially successful but raising the bar for the entire segment.