2023 Tata Nexon Facelift Review

Since the Tata Nexon has already been reviewed by Team-BHP, this report will only focus on changes made to the 2023 facelift. To read the full official review, click here.

Introduction

The Tata Nexon has been performing astoundingly well in the Indian market since its launch in 2017. More importantly, Tata has made sure that the Nexon has always had regular updates to keep up with the competition. AMT automatic variants were introduced in 2018, followed by a facelift in 2020. Then there was a spree of special edition models namely, #Dark, Kaziranga, Jet and Red Dark. These updates made sure that the sales numbers for the Nexon remained upwards of 10,000 units per month making it one of the best sellers for Tata.

In 2023, Tata aims to build on the success of the Nexon with the facelift that you see here. As you can see, the design changes are not at all minimalistic, but very futuristic. Tata has also brought the Nexon up to speed with the competition and packed it with plenty of features. Not just that, going by the market’s inclination towards automatics, Tata has also introduced a dual-clutch automatic with the 1.2L turbo-petrol engine. So, there are a total of 6 powertrains on offer with the Tata Nexon. The 113 BHP 1.5-litre diesel engine is available with a 6-speed MT and a 6-speed AMT automatic, while the 118 BHP 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine is available with a 5-speed MT (base variant), a 6-speed MT, a 6-speed AMT automatic and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic. Yes, Tata is going to sell two automatic options with the turbo-petrol given that the price delta between the variants would be considerably high. We’ll talk about the new gearbox and how the car drives along with all the changes to the facelift, so keep reading.


The Nexon facelift will be available in 4 primary variants: Smart, Pure, Creative and Fearless. There are a total of 6 body colours out of which Pristine White, Daytona Grey and Flame Red are available across all variants. Then you have remaining colour options that are exclusive to particular variants. So, the 'Pure Grey' colour is available only with the Pure variant, the 'Creative Ocean' is available only on the Creative variant and the 'Fearless Purple' is available only on the Fearless variant. There are dual-tone colour options also on offer with a black or white roof depending on the variant and body colour. The Nexon facelift prices haven’t been revealed yet, but dealerships have started accepting bookings at a token amount of Rs. 11,000.

You can download the Tata Nexon facelift brochure here - 2023 Tata Nexon Facelift Brochure.pdf

Tata cars have always had a distinct face and the Nexon gets a major revamp here. There are still hints of the original Nexon, but the face is a lot more futuristic now. You have aggressive lines, sharp design elements and a slightly more boxy shape rather than the rounded shapes that we’re used to. However, these design elements work extremely well and IMO, the car looks stunning on the road:


Even the rear has gone through a major design change and you now have LED-connected tail lamps at the top. The redesigned bumper also houses a faux skid plate:


Side profile is where a lot of the design elements have been retained. The Nexon facelift has a 208 mm ground clearance (1 mm less than the pre-facelift Nexon) which is more than enough to tackle Indian road conditions:


While the wheelbase of the Nexon remains the same, the facelift has grown in length by 2 mm and measures 3,995 mm. The width has gone down by 7 mm to 1,804 mm and the height has gone up by 14 mm to 1,620 mm:


Tata Nexon was the first car by an Indian manufacturer to score a 5-star safety rating at the GNCAP. Now, Tata has gone a step further and made some safety features like 6 airbags, ESP, LED headlamps & DRLs, ISOFIX child seat anchors and hill hold control as standard across all variants:


LED DRLs sit on the top independently and have a sharp arrow-like shape:


They also have sequential turn indicators. The Nexon also gets a welcome function that plays a pattern on the DRLs when you unlock the car:


LED headlamps are available from the base variant onwards. These are projector LED headlamps and the lower variants get reflector LEDs. You get an LED fog lamp below and also a slit that directs air towards the wheel wells:


Since the grille has been deleted, the air dam extends into the grille and you have a big opening that lets in air into the system. Yes, the Creative+ and above variants get front parking sensors and a 360-degree camera system:


Chiselled bonnet gets to prominent creases on the side:


Turn indicators and side camera for the 360-degree view system are integrated into the ORVM:


We’ve mentioned this previously as well, Tata needs to up their QC game. Both ORVM turn indicators on our test car had started fogging up:


16-inch wheels are standard across all variants. The Creative and Fearless variants are shod with 215/60 R16 tyres while the Smart and Pure variants come with 195/60 R16 tyres. If you think that the alloy wheel design is very EV-like, you’re not wrong. These are diamond-cut alloy wheels with plastic inserts for better aerodynamics:


You get disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear:


The body cladding on the side gets a slight design change. While the earlier one was fully black, this one gets partial body paint:


Another tiny detail that you might notice is the cladding on the roofline used to overlap the shoulder line, but now it’s the other way around (reference image):


50 lakh cars milestone badge on the rear door:


A look at the sunroof and silver roof rails:


The roof extends quite a bit in the form of a spoiler:


Interestingly, Tata has managed to fit the rear wiper inside the spoiler. This is a neat integration as it makes the rear of the car look cleaner:


Sharp design for the LED tail lamps:


They are integrated with sequential turn indicators:


As we’ve seen with a lot of modern cars, you get connected tail lamps. There’s also an LED element above the Tata logo. You get a single reversing lamp on the left and the right one is a blank:


The earlier marking of a lioness and her cub on the rear windshield has been replaced with this tiger symbol:


Here’s the car in Fearless Purple shade. Interestingly, there is no chrome used on the exterior except for the Tata logo at the front and rear. All in all, the Nexon facelift sure attracts a lot of eyeballs and we had plenty of people coming and wanting to check out the car during our drive:

Step inside the cabin and you are greeted by this new dashboard which has a lot more straight elements than before. Tata calls this a three-tone dashboard with a leather mid pad:


There are a few interior theme options that you can choose based on the variant. Here’s a look at the interiors of the top-end 'Fearless' variant with a purple theme to match the exterior:


One of the big talking points, when we were seeing all the spy shots, was this two-spoke steering wheel. The flat bottom steering is leather wrapped and gets tilt adjustment:


Most importantly, the steering now gets an illuminated Tata logo in the middle. Eagle Eyed BHPians will notice that the display and the buttons are misaligned slightly. We saw this in some other cars as well. The buttons on the left are for telephone controls and the ones on the right are for the MID and cruise control. They may look touch-sensitive, but they're physical buttons:


Nice purple insert at the bottom. This isn’t dependent on the exterior body colour, but this signifies the variant (Fearless in this case):


Paddle shifters on the dual-clutch automatic variant. These are metal and feel very good to use:


The Nexon facelift gets auto headlamps and auto wipers. Look closely and you can see the stalks have unevenly finished borders:


New on the Nexon facelift is the 10.25-inch fully digital instrument cluster. It has a very crisp display and the colour contrast is also very good which makes it very easy to read. It has 3 customizable block designs. You can have a digital speedometer display on one side and other options on the remaining two blocks. Or you can have a digital speedometer with a tachometer around it and different types of information on either side. Or you can have a traditional separate speedometer and tachometer display with information in the middle:


One of the most usable features of the MID is this map projection. You can connect your Android Auto or Apple CarPlay and mirror the navigation display on the MID. How cool is that! You can have the entire screen as the map display or have it in the middle as shown in the image or you can have turn-by-turn navigation as well if that’s what you prefer. Note that for Apple CarPlay, you have to use Apple Maps for projection. Google Maps can be projected via Android Auto:


The MID also displays plenty of information like instantaneous power and torque, TPMS, distance to empty, instant FE, and average FE and you can even have a compass on display:


Design for the side air vents is similar to the previous car, but this one doesn’t get any chrome:


A look at the engine start-stop button. The Nexon facelift gets connected car features which include remote engine start-stop. Interestingly, it is available in both petrol and diesel engine variants:


The door pad design is identical to the outgoing car, but instead of the fabric insert you get a leather insert in the armrest area:


Only the driver’s window gets the auto-down feature:


Here’s a look at the door pad of the Fearless Purple coloured car:


The ORVM adjustment panel came off on our test car:


The facelift brings in new seats. They’re draped in leather and get contrast white stitching. These are much better than the outgoing Nexon’s seats which felt basic. They provide good under-thigh and shoulder support and have a healthy amount of side bolstering to keep you in place on twisty roads. The cushioning is firm and should be comfortable over long distances:


A closer look at the seat upholstery. The seats get this piano black insert in the middle which looks very classy:


Both front seats are height adjustable and get seat ventilation:


Front passengers get height-adjustable seatbelts. Also, note that 6 airbags are standard across all variants:


Cars with purple interiors get black and purple leather seats. IMO, this looks a bit overdone:


A look at the A-B-C pedals. The dead pedal isn’t very pronounced and the distance between the brake and clutch pedals is more than what we usually see:


The dead pedal although small is more usable in the Automatic version:


Well-sized ORVMs provide a good view of the rear:


Nexon facelift now gets auto-dimming IRVM which is wide enough to cover the entire rear windshield:


The centre fascia houses a 10.25-inch floating touchscreen at the top. There are a lot of elements used on the dashboard which includes piano black, soft touch leather and brushed silver bits, but what some people would really appreciate is the lack of chrome elements:


We saw a similar 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment by Harman on the outgoing Nexon EV Max Dark edition. This one is an updated version of the same as it has slimmer bezels and also the thickness of the screen is less. It also has a 3-block design and a similar colour palette as the MID. Hence the display is crisp and easy to read. There is no lag while operating the touchscreen and all the options are easily accessible:


The display is customizable and you can have different widgets on the home screen. You can slide from the top like you would on your phone to check notifications and you will get quick access buttons. You also get an air purifier with dust sensors and What 3 words navigation. The infotainment system also gets wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity. Special mention of the JBL-tuned 9-speaker audio system with a subwoofer that is one of the best in the segment. There are plenty of tweaks and options that you can play around with for the best sound experience:


A look at the 360-degree camera views. Surprisingly, the system’s camera quality is very good and both front and rear camera displays come with dynamic guidelines. Unfortunately, the right-hand side camera of our test car had a glitch:


The Nexon also has a blind view monitor which displays the feed from the camera when you turn on the respective indicator:


Below, you have a touch-sensitive panel for AC controls. It’s finished in piano black and is a scratch magnet. This will be very hard to maintain. Just look at the number of scratches already on our test car:


You have a 12V socket along with a regular USB and a USB-C charging port:


The manual transmission gear lever is the same as the original Nexon, except instead of the brushed silver insert on the top, you have a rubberized finish. It feels good to hold. The drive mode selector has been carried forward:


The dual-clutch variant gets this classy-looking chunky gear lever. Park is engaged by pressing the ‘P’ button and you have to operate the gear lever from the middle position. Pushing the gear lever up or down will select the respective transmission modes. If you want to cancel the manual mode engaged by using the paddle shifters, you have to push the gear lever once below from ‘D’:


A wireless charging pad is placed where you would usually see some cupholders. Also, in this top-end variant, you don’t have any cupholders:


The driver gets a fixed armrest which has a small storage space underneath:


A look at the passenger side of the dashboard. You have a hard plastic panel on the top followed by a brushed silver strip. The panel connecting AC vents has two designs that crossfade into each other. Below you have a leather insert with exposed stitching:


Glovebox is the same as before. It’s medium-sized and has light and ventilation too. There are plenty of slots to hold different kinds of items:


The sunroof gets a manual sunshade. However, with the sunshade pushed back, the opening area is very small:


To let in more light, you have to open the sunroof too as that hides the sunshade too:


A look at the sunroof control panel. The switches for an emergency call and a breakdown call are placed next to the sunroof control button:


The rear seats are similar to the ones on the outgoing car. However, they get the new leather upholstery design like the front seats. The middle passenger also gets a 3-point seatbelt. There’s good knee room and headroom for rear passengers. Tall folk might find the roof to be low thanks to the sunroof:


Here’s a look at the purple-coloured leather upholstery. The cabin width is healthy, but seating 3 adults abreast would be tight:


A look at the maximum and minimum legroom:


With the front seat adjusted to my driving position (5’10”), I had just enough knee room about an inch or two. With the front seat pushed all the way back, the seatback was brushing my knees:


Rear passengers get AC vents and USB charging ports (A & C):


Boot space is 382 litres which is less than the the previous Nexon's boot space of 412 litres (as per ISO V215) thanks to the redesigned tailgate:


Spare is a 16-inch wheel shod with 195/60 section tyres. Full-size spare wheel would’ve been appreciated:


12V socket in the boot along with 2 bag hooks on the left and 2 on the right:


The subwoofer is placed in the boot. Interestingly, some cars had JBL branding on the speakers and some didn’t:


Tata’s puncture repair kit in the boot:

1.2L, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol puts out 118 BHP @ 5,500 rpm and 170 Nm @ 1,750-4,000 rpm. It’s mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission:


It was about time that Tata introduced a proper automatic transmission on the Nexon and going with this dual-clutch automatic was a good decision. The Altroz was the first Tata car to get a dual-clutch transmission and the Nexon is the second. While the Altroz’s gearbox is a 6-speed unit, the one on the Nexon is a 7-speed unit. It comes from a Belgian company named ‘Punch Powertrain’ and has been specifically designed for this turbo-petrol engine. It has a max engine torque rating of up to 200 Nm and has a planetary gear system. Most dual-clutch transmissions are essentially two manual gearboxes packed together that are operated by two sets of clutch packs. One operates the odd gears and the other operates the even gears. Hence, this kind of gearbox needs two input shafts and can be seen in Volkswagen DSG gearboxes such as the DQ200. The Nexon’s gearbox utilises two clutches but gets a planetary gear system that uses just one shaft. The design is therefore pretty compact and it uses fewer shifting components. Furthermore, shift-by-wire eliminates the use of shifter cables.

Instead of opting for a dry clutch pack, Tata has gone for a wet clutch pack. For India's varying climate conditions, a wet clutch pack makes a lot more sense. The Nexon’s gearbox also has machine learning software that optimises transmission behaviour based on its diagnostics and analysis of thousands of parameters (almost 100 times per second). And while wet clutch dual-clutch ATs sap more power than dry clutch packs, Tata claims that it has managed to have no oil between friction surfaces, which avoids the drop in engine power. Another clever feature of this transmission is self-healing technology. Wet clutch gearboxes usually have a filter that keeps out debris and dust. The gearbox prevents such a build-up through an automatic vibration system, which reduces the need for active maintenance.

Now that we’ve got the technical aspects out of the way, let’s talk about how the car performs on the road. Slot into D, take your foot off the brake pedal and the car crawls forward smoothly without any throttle input. The car moves up the gears smoothly as long as you are gentle with the throttle. Driving from point A to point B in this car would be a smooth affair especially compared to the jerky AMT. You will appreciate the gearbox in stop-and-go traffic. Build up some speed and some flaws start to show. Driving around the city with part throttle, you will notice that the gearbox sometimes upshifts when you want it to hold a gear. You can even feel a slight jerk when the gearbox downshifts when you are slowing down coming to a halt. This unpredictable behaviour usually happens when you get on and off boost which can get annoying at times. Apart from this, the gearbox manages to keep the engine in the powerband and you will be able to keep up with the traffic quite easily.

Out on the highway, the Nexon is more of a cruiser than an outright performer. Especially when you compare to the likes of the Hyundai-Kia dual-clutch transmission on the Venue and the Sonet, the Tata gearbox clearly lacks performance. This is not a quick-shifting gearbox and is tuned for comfort. Even the maximum rpms are limited to 5,500 rpm and you will see the gearbox upshift just before this. You can cruise at 100 km/h in 7th gear at ~1,750 rpm and 120 km/h comes in at ~2,250 rpm. The engine feels relaxed while cruising and you can do triple-digit speeds all day long in the Nexon. Highway overtakes are also reasonably quick and the gearbox drops down a couple of gears on kickdown to get you up to speed. The engine’s strong mid-range helps here and is quite enjoyable. You do get paddle shifters here too and we didn’t find the need to really use them as the downshifts aren’t that quick and you’d better just let the gearbox select the right gear for you. Engine braking also isn’t very strong with manual downshifts. To cancel the paddle shifter manual mode, you have to engage ‘D’ once again by pushing the gear lever down.

All in all, the gearbox is more suited for a relaxed driver. It’s smooth and responsive enough for you to get by in most conditions. However, if you are looking for performance and quick shifts, you're better off with the Hyundai Venue or Kia Sonet DCT. This gearbox has been designed for comfort driving and it does that well.

As was the case with the previous Nexon, you have the default ‘City’ driving mode with additional Eco and Sport modes.

Eco Mode - Engage 'Eco' mode by turning the rotary knob on the centre console to take the engine into its most fuel-efficient mode. Eco greatly mutes throttle response, even when compared to the default 'City' mode. The car isn't eager to respond quickly. On the open road, this mode can be used for cruising on the expressway only. Kickdown for overtaking in Eco mode is slow and you wouldn’t want to be in this mode for overtaking.

Sport Mode - This is the mode where the throttle is much more responsive and the car feels quite peppy. Even the gearbox holds on to the gears a bit longer as compared to other driving modes which is highly appreciated. You will notice this at a set cruising speed of say 70 km/h, the gearbox won’t go to the 7th gear in Sport mode whereas it would in Eco mode.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

The 1.2L turbo-petrol is a 3-cylinder engine and there’s no hiding that fact when it comes to NVH levels. While the engine noise is kept to a bare minimum and you can barely hear the engine in the cabin, you can however feel the vibrations on the steering wheel and the pedals as well. When you floor the accelerator, the engine note at high revvs isn’t very sporty.

Mileage & Fuel Economy

Tata hasn’t revealed the fuel economy figures for the Nexon turbo petrol DCT. While Tata may claim that this dual-clutch automatic is fairly economical, being mated to a turbo petrol engine does complicate the matter. This is because a turbo petrol engine’s fuel efficiency is very much dependent on the driving style. We will wait for Team-BHP ownership reviews for a more realistic figure.


4-cylinder Revotorq diesel engine puts out 113 BHP & 260 Nm of torque:


The diesel engine in the Nexon has always been quite a popular mile muncher. Not much has changed in the basics of this engine since the first time we drove it in 2017 and is very similar in terms of driving. What’s changed though are the times, by which I mean the emission norms. Currently, we’re in the BS6 phase 2 which has further tightened the limits on diesel emissions. Tata has managed to make their diesel engine compliant with the latest emission norms without increasing the complexity of the engine. This means that the diesel engine doesn’t get a big DPF, but they have managed to reduce the NOx emissions with an efficient EGR system and a Lean NOx trap. Hence, you don’t need to worry about adding diesel exhaust fluid or Active DPF regeneration and you can drive this diesel engine like you drove the previous generation of diesels.

The Nexon diesel gets a 1,497cc, 4-cylinder turbocharged motor making 113 BHP @ 3,750 rpm and 260 Nm of torque @ 1,500-2,750 rpm and is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The power numbers have gone up by 5 BHP from the 2017 model, and the difference in performance is too small to notice. This engine is from the Revotorq family and features a cast iron cylinder block and an aluminium cylinder head. It is also equipped with an aluminium oil sump and an auto-tensioning timing belt.

The 1.5L engine moves off the mark quite easily. It's very tractable & can take off even in second gear without any throttle input! Power delivery is fairly linear and driveability is overall good. This is a city-friendly engine and one can keep going at 50 km/h in fourth gear with the rev counter reading just 1,600 rpm. Keeping up with city traffic is easy and one doesn’t need to downshift too much. There is some turbo lag below 1,600 rpm, but it’s not excessive; you can start pulling the engine from ~1,400 rpm itself.

On the open road, the Nexon diesel is an able mile muncher. The linear power delivery means there is no sudden push when the turbo spools. Above 1,500 rpm, the engine feels comfortable and comes into its stride at 2,000 rpm. The torque available at lower rpms means it is not necessary to shift down often to pass slower-moving vehicles, even on single-lane highways. Expressway performance is satisfactory. The engine starts losing steam beyond 4,000 rpm. Despite its power, the diesel is more about practicality than outright performance. It’s best to just gradually build up speed and let the vehicle cruise. It can amble along at 100 km/h in 6th gear with the engine spinning over at ~2,000 rpm.

Like the petrol engine, the diesel also gets two selectable driving modes (apart from the default City mode), which switch the engine map.

Eco Mode – Switching to 'Eco' mode makes the throttle response a lot duller. This mode limits the power output and the engine uses less fuel as compared to the other modes. Even so, the low-end torque makes Eco mode useable in the city. On the highway, this mode can be used for cruising. Only when you want to overtake slower-moving traffic in a hurry will you want to switch to one of the other modes.

Sport Mode – As expected, switching to Sport mode makes the car more responsive to throttle inputs (both, in terms of pedal and engine mapping). A slight dab on the accelerator and the difference is immediately felt. That said, this mode is not very nice to use in urban conditions, particularly if the driver has a slightly heavy foot. We felt the car gets just a little too jerky for regular city commuting. Where the Sport mode is at home is on the highway. The improved throttle response is always welcome when you want to cruise fast or overtake.

The diesel clutch is light and does not have a long travel range. Its feel is poor and the action can get jerky. The 6-speed gearbox has a slightly rubbery feel, but it slots in well. The throws are long too, and take some time to get used to.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

In terms of NVH, there is a noticeable body shake on startup and when the engine is turned off. What you will notice is that the diesel engine has improved in terms of refinement and is silent when warm. It's noisy on the outside, yet sufficiently insulated on the inside. At idle & regular commuting rpm, engine noise is adequately controlled. Above 3,000 rpm, the motor gets audible and higher up in the rev range, it doesn't sound nice. On the other hand, wind noise is kept out of the cabin rather well.

Mileage & Fuel Economy

Tata hasn’t revealed the exact fuel efficiency of this Nexon Facelift diesel engine. However, the BS4 Nexon diesel had an ARAI-rated fuel efficiency rating of 21.5 km/l. You can expect the facelift to be closer to this number.

Ride Comfort

Back when the Nexon was launched in 2017, we found the ride quality to be on the stiffer side. This was probably a sentiment shared by a lot of owners of the first batch which is why Tata softened the suspension for the following batches of cars. There’s been no change mechanically to the suspension system and the Nexon continues to ride on independent McPherson strut front suspension and a twist beam rear.

At low speeds, the ride is compliant and absorbent. Tata has managed to get the suspension tune perfect over the years and the Nexon feels comfortable over bad roads. Even with these 16-inch alloy wheels, you don’t really feel the road as much. There is a bit of side-to-side movement in the cabin over a bad patch of road, but it’s never excessive.

Handling & Dynamics

As speeds increase, the Nexon's ride improves significantly. It manages to handle broken roads decently and dismisses smaller potholes with aplomb. The larger ones do filter through though. The ride is good on the highway and the suspension goes about its job silently - it's not clunky or loud. The car feels well-planted at highway speeds and the vertical movement is very well controlled.

In terms of dynamics, the Nexon holds onto its line well and doesn't understeer easily. There is some body roll & you do feel the car's sheer height in fast corners, but it never gets unnerving. Straight-line stability is very good for the segment, and the dynamics are safe overall. There are no nasty surprises here.

Steering

The electric power steering is one of the nicer units around. It's very convenient for urban commuting & manoeuvrability. The steering is light at city speeds and weighs up sufficiently as the speedometer needle climbs. The diesel's steering had noticeably more weight, whilst the petrol Nexon's was one-finger-light at low speeds. The EPS isn't lifeless and does give you some feel of what the front wheels are up to. At higher speeds, the steering inspires confidence.

Braking

This Tata comes with the ubiquitous front disc & rear drum braking hardware. The brakes are equipped with ABS + EBD. We felt that the initial brake bite was missing, but after that, they were progressive and did the job as expected. From high speeds, the car stops in a straight line sans any drama.

Niggles & Problems

While the Nexon has largely remained the same, Tata has added quite a bit of electronics to the facelift. And the chances of things going wrong with new electronics are generally high. On our test drive, we faced a few issues with the electronics like one of the cameras of the 360-degree system wasn’t working at times, the bonnet sensor stopped working randomly and the car kept warning us about the bonnet being open despite us manually shutting it properly. Then the USB-C ports of our car weren’t working and the wireless charging pad had a loose contact. We highly recommend that you do a thorough PDI and make sure that your car is free of any niggles or issues. Also as always, we recommend that you get the 2-year or up to 1,25,000 km extended warranty over the standard warranty of 3 years or 1,00,000 km.

Disclaimer: Tata invited Team-BHP for the Nexon Facelift test drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event.

That steering wheel horn placement looks like an ergonomic blunder. I'm sure it will foul around with you when you need to use the horn in those immediate situations. Except for that, kudos to Tata for making something look like a concept car yet be roadworthy.

Also, single reversing lamp is outright cheap cost cutting.

Wonderful review. I always loved Nexon and will continue to like it more.
The important thing which I observed in my Altroz is this sudden jerk and which can never be replicated with anybody else in car to demonstrate. It happened multiple times especially in 1st gear, the jerk is strong that we move to go forwards from our seats. Looks this is an issue or existing behaviour of the DCT.

Apart from this, I am able to stall my Altroz DCA multiple times, did you folks managed to stall or did the car stall when starting to drive any time?

Interiors are top notch, the touch screen which everyone had been cribbing since inception is now leagues ahead.
Though a hard hater of such touch units, this one makes me fall in love instantly.

Is this the torque thing which made Tata to use AMT in Diesel instead of DCA ? And perhaps Tata is the only (?) manufacturer to offer to different automatics on a single engine option ?

Fabulous review. Tata is growing from strength to strength improving on their existing platforms. Looks like they are understanding the customer ask and working on the same. QC continues to be a sore point.

Automatic seems to be ideal for 90% of the crowd which is looking for a relaxed drive both within the city and on the highway. Any idea if this same auto transmission will be carried over to the other vehicles on the same platform ?

I presume this will be successful pretty soon.

Thanks for excellent review guys!

The car is a stunner and looks great in all the available shades. If only the purple car's interiors weren't purple, it would have been my pick and not the red. The Daytona Grey makes the car look like a proper sleeper. The plethora of features are good to see and will force other manufacturers to add the same to their cars. One of the biggest positive which I see if the removal of the cartoonish looking instrument cluster for the driver(still present in the base variant though). Both the new screens look the best in the segment.

With that being said, sad to see the QC issues remain. And what's up with the top variant not getting any cup holders? Looks like they prioritised wireless charger over the cup holders for the top variant. IIRC, the higher variants of the Nexon used to have a slide to open trim in the centre which opened to reveal space inside and had cup holders. That sliding trim has been replaced by a wireless charger. I guess this is what happens when you are restricted by an already existing design.

While many people were excited about the DCT, I had my doubts from the start. The DCA in the Altroz while being smooth isn't too different in shift 'timings' when compared to an AMT or CVT(going by 0-100 times of the Altroz DCA and its competition). From the comments in the review, it's quite clear that the DCT on this one is similar to one on the Altroz and not like the ones seen in the Hyundai-Kia group. This means that the diesel manual in the red shade, is the one to buy.

Thanks for the detailed review. It looks like Nexon has only added to what it currently offers, and this is once again a well-rounded & good product from Tata. The DCA would be a good option for people looking for Auto gearbox. The fact that even after 25 years & 50Lakhs+ cars, Tata still has QC issues, lack of finishing, niggles in all their new cars still amuses me.
But one thing is confirmed, this thing will sell like hot cakes & will once again be taking the top position in the segment (Infact it will attack one segment higher too). All eyes on the price reveal on 14th Sep.

This is one beautiful car inside out. Love the way TATA has developed the Nexon in every angle, also love the fact that Auto has been launched in this segment.

I know we will have quite a few discussions on the niggles, but guys lets just concentrate on the positives here. And give credit where its due.

I am already waiting for the update on Safari now, as that's the car i am eying as my car on return to India.

The seats and centre console seem to be the only saving grace. I don't like the overuse of glossy black finish. It has found its way to the door as well. These kinds of surfaces scratch very easily and start looking old. That steering wheel is really quite odd looking.

On the exterior the Nexon is the least good looking in the segment. Sonet and Venue are much more classy. It is a missed opportunity and the Nexon looks even more bulbous than before with the front grill having been flattened. It is beginning to remind me of the KUV100 and that is not a good thing.

Introduction of DCA is a welcome change.

Checking different video reviews, the primary issues are with:

fit and finish of the interiors.
bad placements of buttons on the steering.
Quality of plastic continues to be an issue.
Bugs with Infotainment screens
Touch buttons for basic things like HVAC
Weird placement of cup holders inside glove box
Bad ergonomy for horns on steering
Narrow seats
No headrest for middle seat on the rear
7-speed DCA is a weak upgrade


What's good:
Very good quality ICE screen
360-deg camera
Wireless Android Auto/ Apple CarPlay
Comprehensive sound settings with JBL
Height adjustment for co-driver seat
Ventilated seats are good quality
6 airbags

They have done the front and rear good. I think on a small car the design lines dont get enough length to look very good.

This design will carry to their EV version also ?

The steering reminds like its from one of their buses though