Beautiful Tata Nexon at Idukki.
Beautiful Tata Nexon at Idukki.

First Impressions of the all new Tata Nexon

*Long Post Alert*  Tata Motors have long been associated with the typical ‘Egg Shell‘ design. Be it the Tata Indica, Indigo or bolt, all had the same design. As they say, change is the only constant, Tata Motors have been putting in some serious efforts in getting rid of the “Taxi” cars segment and working on the design. With their latest offerings including their best-selling Tata Tiago, the muscular Tata Hexa, the stylish Tata Tigor or their newest bet Tata Nexon, Tata Motors have surely changed their image. I was glad to be a part of the Tata Hexa launch in Hyderabad last year. And this year again, I was invited to experience the pristine beauty of Kochi in the brand new Tata Nexon. Based on my recent date with the Tata Nexon, here are my First impressions of Tata Nexon.

Tata Nexon – First Impressions

Revamped Exteriors

My first encounter with the Nexon was during the 2014 Auto Expo in Greater Noida. That time, this was showcased as a concept car. That time an Indian company coming up with a concept car was a big thing. Come 2017, Tata Motors have ensured that the Nexon is no more a concept, it’s a reality. Borrowing a lot of things from the concept, the Nexon has a revamped design. A perfect mix of a traditional hatch back with a dash of sporty touch. The car looks great, the front grills and the shark fin antenna caught my eyes. We were offered two color variants – red and striking blue. My pick would be the blue one any day.

Tata Nexon in Red. Great front grill.
Tata Nexon in Red. Great front grill.

Tata’s have tried to go the Brezza way by having multiple color scheme. So you can have a grey roof, with a blue body and a white sporty finish. Also dubbing this as a SUV, the Nexon has a fairly good ground clearance that ensures you can take this beauty anywhere. Frankly, I wasn’t much amused by the rear of the car. This is one thing that could have been done better. Nevertheless, the Tata Nexon scores big on the exterior front. As a consumer, I don’t see any similarity in the exteriors of Bolt / Zest as some people pointed out. Also the always-on LED lights look great ! Doesn’t it ?

Always On LEDs in Tata Nexon
Always On LEDs in Tata Nexon

Plush Interiors

One of great things that Tata Motors have managed to pull off is their interiors. They’ve ensured to provide top of line, plush interiors in their cars. Their recent entrants, all have had some great interiors. Tata Nexon has a clean dashboard with just a 6.5″ screen. I definitely loved the placement of the screen as it is easy to glance without taking your eyes of the road. The mode dial is placed conveniently and it’s easy to switch modes easily. Most of the controls are integrated with the infotainment system. Steering mounted volume, and call controls make driving a breeze. Also read what my pal Umang has to say about the Interiors of the Tata Nexon.

Tata Nexon Cockpit.
Tata Nexon Cockpit.

The seats are very comfortable as I didn’t have much discomfort during the 100kms long drive to Idukki from Kochi. The car has a lot of boot space, perfect for a road trip. Even with the driver seat fully pushed back, I was quite comfortable sitting at the back. The good thing is that there are rear AC vents which kept me cool while I was ‘off duty‘. Tata Nexon comes in with 8 speaker Harman audio system. The sound quality is superb. However you might notice some distortion at higher volumes. So you might require an after market woofer to improve the experience. Further the cabin keeps the city noises at bay  – Good Bye blaring horns – so you have a comfortable and pleasurable ride. Technically they call it NVH levels. Overall, Tata Motors have scored big on the interiors in all aspects.

Great Boot space on Tata Nexon.
Great Boot space on Tata Nexon.

The Powerful and Smart Tata Nexon

The all new Tata Nexon is powered by a 1.5-litre Revotorq diesel engine and the 1.2-litre Revotron petrol engine. The petrol engine has been revved-up from the one that powers their best seller, Tiago. Both these engines are fairly more powerful when compared to other offerings in the class. The high torque ensures that the car is able to have a decent pickup and the power ensures the top speed. These engines are coupled with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The gear shift is smooth, unlike the one I felt in Hexa. (My opinion) For all the AMT lovers, Tata Nexon doesn’t come in an automatic gearbox as of now and the same will be unveiled in future. Also the Nexon features three  drive modesCity, Eco and Sports. Do check out Srinidhi’s Post on the drive modes of Tata Nexon.

Drive Modes Tata Nexon.
Drive Modes Tata Nexon.

Coming to the ‘smartness‘ of the car. The car has built-in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is to come soon. Connecting the phone with the infotainment system was a breeze. Thanks to Android Auto, navigation becomes much easier with the large screen and voice guided navigation. What more, when the car is still, you can even stream YouTube videos and enjoy a theatre in the car ! See why Danish says, Tata Nexon is the Best Compact SUV for road trip.

Android Auto in Action - Navigation.
Android Auto in Action – Navigation.

Also, borrowing the technology from Jaguar, the Tata Nexon comes with a Wearable Smart Key that helps you lock/unlock the car. This is huge add-on, considering you don’t have to carry keys every time ! The Tata Nexon is safe along side being smart.Comes with 2 Air bags right from the base variant, along with ABS to keep things under control. Read how Indraniji found the Tata Nexon to perform on the ghats.

Tata Nexon drive experience

We were to drive the Nexon from JW Marriott hotel in Kochi (near Lulu Mall) to Greenberg Resorts in Idukki. The distance is about 90kms one way, so this is a the perfect distance to experience the car. The initials phase of the journey was smooth as the roads were amazing. The driving, acceleration were so smooth that I had no idea when the speedometer touched 90kmph when I was reminded that the max speed limit is 60kmph ! One word that me and my fellow partner said for the drive was “Makhhan(butter-smooth) I drove both the petrol and diesel variants of Tata Nexon switching between the drive modes for a total distance of approx 90kms. The car is powerful and revs up in sports mode when on a straight stretch. Overall, I truly enjoyed driving the Tata Nexon.

Find these tigers when you test drive the Nexon
Find these tigers when you test drive the Nexon

I got a chance to drive both the petrol and diesel variants. Petrol while going to Idukki and Diesel while coming back. I was amazed by the power under the hood in both cases. Tata motors – as most of you might agree – have been long known for their diesel engines. But for the last few years, they have come up with powerful petrol engines. Nexon provides great stability whether it’s cruising on the straight highways or the bumper-to-bumper traffic of the city. It was my first time driving in such bad traffic, and boy, manoeuvring the car was a cake walk. It was swift and responsive. Because of the good ground clearance, I could get a good view of the road and hence driving amidst heavy traffic was easy. Brezza, EcoSport or TUV ? See what Karthik has to say. Also read Maitreni’s experience here.

Things that I didn’t like in the Nexon

Tata Nexon is an amazing car I’d say. It’s powerful, has the eye-catching looks with great interiors. However there were a few things that I found to be off guard during my drive. Please note that these are based on my experience and might not be the same in your case.

  1. Even though the steering wheel has tilt adjustment, I had problems viewing the HUD while driving. The arch of the wheel wasn’t allowing me to have a look at the speed, gear, mode etc. I literally had to push myself to get a view of the HUD. This wasn’t amusing while I was driving.
  2. The Nexon has a huge storage compartment behind the gearbox that provides some amazing space. However due to this, the parking brake has been moved a little to the adjacent seat. So I had to stretch my hand to grab the parking brake and all I could reach was the storage compartment. Even my other friend was driving complained of the same. She too faced problems in reaching out to the parking break.
  3. I felt that the window frame of the Tata Nexon is slightly broader than other cars. Because while driving, taking a right turn was difficult as I was NOT able to see the road properly. The frame would block my view. I had to take my head out of the window to see where I was going.
Beautiful Tata Nexon at Idukki.
Beautiful Tata Nexon at Idukki.

My Thoughts on the Tata Nexon

After spending close to 10hrs with the Tata Nexon on the road, I’m pretty sure that this one will be a success like the Tiago and Hexa. We drove the top of the line variant of the car and were amazed by the capability of the car. With better numbers when it comes to the engine. With more green check boxes when it comes to interiors and features. The Nexon will surely give the competitors a run for their money. I truly enjoyed my experience of driving the Tata Nexon. Stay tuned to the blog for my Blogger’s meet experience in Kochi. What do you think of the all new Tata Nexon. Will it be the game changer for Tata motors ? Reply in the comments below or tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj

The experience was part of Blogger Outreach program by Tata Motors where I was invited to review the car. However this post is entirely based on my experience of driving the Tata Nexon.

About Atulmaharaj

A seasoned blogger and a content marketer for close to a decade now. I write about Food, Technology, Lifestyle, Travel, and Finance related posts. Blogging brings me joy and the best part is I get to read and e-meet so many amazing bloggers! PS: I'm also the founder for Socialmaharaj.com :) Favorite Quote: "Traveling is like reading a book, one who hasn't traveled, hasn't turned a page.

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8 comments

  1. Very good review done Atul.
    I was apprehensive about the hair pin bends but it seemed like a breeze. The Tata Nexon controls are easy.

  2. Good job with the review buddy.

  3. A very detailed intuitive review and I specially loved the way you have personalized it with optimum genuineness. And most importantly it was a pleasure meeting and I’m glad we could spend some quality time together. Hope to meet you soon again! 🙂

    • Thanks Maitreni. True, it was lovely meeting you and spending some great time. Wish we had some more time on hand.

  4. Nice and frank review of the Tata Nexon. Loved the way that you have delved into the details and presented the facts in a simple and understandable way, devoid of jargon and based on personal experience.

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