Tata Nexon Long Term Review
Car Tested: Tata Nexon XZ+ Diesel
Kms Done: 3349 kms
Test Started at: 19,577 kms
Test Concluded at: 22,926 kms
Mileage: 17 km/l, 18.5 km/l (best), 15.5 km/l (worst)
Fuel Consumed: 197-litres
Total Fuel Cost: Rs. 13,396/-
Fuel Cost Per Km: Rs. 4/-
The Tata Nexon offers the best of features, performance & comfort making it the most value for money compact SUV
When I drove the Tata Nexon for the first time in 2017 before it was launched, I came out really impressed because Tata had really taken a great stride when it came to product quality. The Nexon offered almost everything be it looks, features, comfort and even performance. The vehicle seemed very promising but we really wanted to live with it on a daily basis to get to know it better and see how good the newer crop of Tata cars is when it comes to long term reliability, quality issues, etc. A few months back, the Tata Nexon XZ+ diesel entered our long term fleet and all of us here were intrigued with it.
Nexon’s diesel engine delivers remarkable performance
This 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder diesel engine is just a gem, it has 3 driving modes – City, Eco and Sport and the engine delivers extremely strong performance. I never really drove it in Eco mode because I felt the engine to be to tame but it is the City mode which actually is the best for day-to-day usage because it has very good power delivery and doesn’t disappoint at all when it comes to fuel efficiency. Sport mode is quite fun though, the car feels so much more responsive and eager to drive and it pulls like crazy. I made sure I switched to Sport whenever I found a long and empty stretch of tarmac.
High speed stability and great ride quality are strengths of the Nexon
Out on the highways, the Nexon behaves very maturely. While the engine has more than enough punch for overtaking other vehicles, the Nexon itself remains quite composed and stable. The steering weighs up very nicely at high speeds and body control is quite good. However, there is some amount of bounciness from the suspension at low speeds yet the ride quality is very good for the most part. The front suspension on our test car did sound a bit noisy but I think that has got to do with the fact that our car has covered more than 20,000 kms and it has been tested by a lot of journos.
The Nexon is not only a good performer but also very frugal
Mumbai’s traffic is just crazy and with the advent of rains, it gets even worse with broken roads, potholes and unruly drivers everywhere. Cars with a higher ground clearance always have an upper edge in rains though and the Nexon didn’t disappoint on this front. What also helped matters is the light clutch but I would have preferred a little lesser travel for the clutch pedal. I managed to extract an average efficiency of about 17 km/l from the Nexon which includes some spirited driving runs. The best I got was 18.5 km/l which was in City mode on a long highway run with constant speeds of 100-110 km/hr.
The cabin of the Nexon could’ve done with some more storage spaces
Apart from some electrical issues, the Nexon’s cabin is comfortable & spacious and comes with a fantastic audio system
While the front seats are super comfy, the Nexon does feel short of storage spaces in the cabin. There are bottle holders in every door but in general, some more cubby holes would’ve really been better, especially in the centre console. Our test car’s Check Engine Light started blinking once and along with that the right side headlamp and tail light stopped working but it was all fine the next day. The reverse parking sensors also acted funny quite a few times and there a few instances where the sensors just wouldn’t beep.
The Nexon has most features one could ask for
The Nexon was launched almost 2 years back so by now Tata would’ve ironed out most of the niggles for sure. The equipment list on this compact SUV is pretty impressive but with newer competition coming in, I’m guessing Tata will launch an updated version of the Nexon with some more features. The audio system on this car is superb but the positioning of the USB port could’ve been better. At its current position, it gets a bit difficult to access it if you have a large wrist. The speakers have brilliant sound quality though.
The Nexon makes long commutes effortless and fun
In the compact SUV segment, the Nexon is definitely the most value-for-money car because it is cheaper than its rivals and it doesn’t have any major negatives. It fares very nicely on most counts and I honestly enjoyed every moment with the Nexon and now that it’s gone, I’m really missing it. With a long daily commute of 80 kms, things like a light clutch, good efficiency, good seats and a sweet-sounding audio system are must haves and I was glad that the Nexon had all of these and more. Tata also offers the Nexon with an AMT so we might just take it next for our long term test to see how much more convenience does it offer.
The design has a lot of funky elements
What’s Cool
* Punchy performance and fuel-efficient nature
* Comfortable and feature-loaded interiors
* Superb audio system
* 5-Star safety rating
What’s Not So Cool
* Old models have certain electrical issues
* Lacks storage spaces at key places
* Rear bench not suited for 3 full-size adults
The Nexon’s radical design and bright colour always stand out
Further Reading –
Tata Nexon Long Term Review – First Report
Tata Nexon Test Drive Review
Tata Nexon Video Review
Tata Nexon Pros & Cons – Video
Tata Nexon vs Maruti Vitara Brezza – Video Comparison
Tata Nexon vs Maruti Vitara Brezza vs Ford EcoSport – Video Shootout