Preview

Back in 2014, we didn’t think the Tata Nexon had much of a chance to become real. Production cars rarely tend to stay true to their concepts that they are based on, after all. Tata, however, decided to break the mould when the time came to showcase the production version of the Nexon.

Shown earlier this year at the 2016 Auto Expo, the Nexon is now complete and incorporates a lot of design cues of the concept that was never meant to see the light of day. The Nexon, then, looks genuinely refreshing and quite dramatic. The roofline is very coupe-like and the smaller glass-house compared to other Tata models make the Nexon look bottom heavy when viewed in profile. Adding more to the wide stance are the flared wheel arches and the big wheels. Like the new Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, the roof is contrast coloured while there are LEDs for both headlights and tail lamps.

Tata has used contrast coloured bash plates and lots of ride height to achieve that rugged crossover look. To put it in numbers, the Nexon comes with 200mm of ground clearance and is 3995mm long, making it an ideal compact crossover.

Unlike the exterior, the interior shares a few common bits with other Tata models. Stuff like the steering wheel, the door pads and the instrument cluster more or less look familiar. What’s entirely new though is the centre console layout and the dashboard mounted touchscreen display which is a segment first. The 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system is the familiar Harman-developed unit that’s quite easy to operate and has a nice sounding 8-speaker music system. What’s also new is the Land Rover-style rotary knob for the drive modes – City, Eco and Sport. Tata is bound to pack the Nexon with loads of equipment. Expect top-spec variants to come with electric mirrors, steering mounted controls, climate control, push-button start, ABS, airbags, rear AC vents, different drive modes and some more.

Under the hood, the Nexon will be offered with either the familiar 1.2-litre Revotron turbo petrol engine or the not so familiar 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine. The latter will be the new engine option for the Nexon and is expected to develop 110bhp and 260Nm of torque. In comparison, the EcoSport makes 99bhp/205Nm from its 1.5-litre diesel engine while the Vitara Brezza’s 1.3-litre unit is good for 89bhp and 200Nm. The diesel powered Nexon, then, is likely to be significantly torqueier and a more relaxed highway machine, thanks to its proposed 6-speed manual gearbox.

Tata is expected to unleash the Nexon sometime around this festive season. When launched, it will compete head on with the Ford EcoSport and the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza. If the stellar pricing of the recently launched Tiago is any indication, expect the Nexon to undercut its rivals by a sizeable margin.