Tata Nexon EV- first impressions

Tata’s Nexon EV is a pretty muscular SUV that comes packed with an IP67 waterproof 30.2kWh Lithium Ion battery delivering 127.0 BHP to the front wheels and along lot of torque. 245nm to be specific. Underpowered will definitely not be a description when someone drives it. What comes with power though? A reduction in mileage. But since this is powered by an electric motor, you can charge it even while decelerating/ braking. Thanks to its regenerative braking feature which can be toggled between varying levels depending upon the amount of regen one prefers.

As a result, this is an excellent package for the city because all we do is start stop repeatedly until we arrive at our destination. In case you’re wondering about fast charging. The batteries on the Tata Nexon EV will charge from 0% to 80% in an hour. That’s excellent because these days, you never realise how time flies. A couple of phone calls, check your social media notifications, a loo break, a short tea/coffee break and you would’ve spent way over 60 minutes already! Also, the Nexon EV comes with an ARAI certified full charge range of 312 kilometres which should take care of… a week’s commute?

The Nexon EV carries over many things from the Fossil Fuel powered older version of the Tata Nexon like drive modes and an overall feel of the cabin. But some instances like the front profile, rear bumper changes and colour are totally new. Frankly speaking, we like this new look of the Nexon as it looks more modern, more muscular and more SUV- ish. Small highlights to its design give a feel that the manufacturer took the looks of this car quite seriously.

Coming to some dimensional numbers- the length of the car is just under 4 metres, it seats 5 people quite comfortably, has a generous boot space of 350 litres and with a ground clearance of 205mm, you could go over almost any obstacle without frowning. 

Speaking of the cars multimedia features and what it has to offer in terms of comfort- well, we’ve seen Tata check most boxes earlier in the older Nexon as well. Naturally, the Nexon EV too would get loads of features. The top end variant XZ Plus LUX which costs around 16 Lakhs Ex-showroom packs a sunroof, a 7 inch touch screen infotainment system, Projector headlamps, LED tail lamps, cornering fog lights and all the other Nexon goodies.

In the safety department too, there are no compromises. Tata has been repeatedly proving that safety does matter to them. In the Nexon EV, you get ABS, EBD, 2 Airbags, vehicle stability control system, ISOFIX Child seat mounts and much more, which sort of does add to a lot of confidence when one drives the car. However, the addition of side and passenger airbags would’ve made this package a perfect one.

In terms of the drive and feel, this feels like a comfortable, hassle free automatic car (since it has no gears) while not completely alienating you from the Internal combustion feeling. Thanks to its regenerative braking. You do get a new world feeling when you look at the new instrument cluster and the fact that the Nexon EV won’t have to go through periodic oil changes and other service compulsions that the Internal Combustion Nexon would have to go through.

To conclude, the Nexon EV has made quite a mark in the electric car scenario in India. With a competitive pricing and a package that has almost all things covered including safety, what else can one ask for?