2021 Tata Nexon EV Review: Is The Most Affordable Electric SUV Worth Buying?

Tata’s foray into the eco-friendly electric vehicle segment, the Nexon EV has managed to defy the market trends to carve a niche for itself despite unfavourable conditions of EVs in the Indian market. But it’s not the first electric SUV of sorts here as we’ve seen the Hyundai Kona, followed by the MG ZS EV as the very maiden cars of the lot. However, it makes good sense for Tata Motors to work on the Nexon EV which is essentially the first made-in-India electric SUV based on the popular Nexon model. So, how good is the Tata Nexon EV? Is it comfortable to drive? Can it please you when you want a bit driving dynamics? Is it suitable to drive in the stop-and-go traffic? Read on our Tata Nexon EV review below.

1. Tata Nexon EV Overview: A Brief Introduction

Before the introduction of the Tata Nexon EV, the home-grown company has launched the Tigor EV earlier. However, it’s worth noting that the Nexon EV is the brand’s very first attempt for the mass-market buyers, not the fleet operators merely.

At this very moment, the Tata Nexon EV is available in three different grades – including the XM, XZ Plus and XZ Plus LUX. Before going into further details of the Tata Nexon EV, check out the Nexon EV models given in the table below

2. Tata Nexon EV 360 View: Exterior Review

Many people may mistake the electric Tata Nexon with the regular model at the first glimpse as the two cars are almost similar to each other in terms of look, save for the cosmetic revisions. That said, it is safe to say we need quite an experienced eye to differentiate the Tata Nexon with the standard version as the differences are subtle.

Front View

One can’t deny that Tata has made great attempts to make the ‘electric Nexon’ distinctive compared to its ICE version. From the look of it, the Tata Nexon EV looks quite imposing under the development of Tata’s design head. The new gloss black grille looks far more enticing than the traditional air mesh unit. The same goes for the projector headlamps as well as the large black-blue fog lamps enclosure. There’s a small EV badging mounted on an outer end of the grille, combined with the blue grille line that sets the car apart from the regular counterpart. The lower lip of the Nexon EV gets tri-arrow design patterns with blue inserts that also signifies the electric powertrain of the vehicle.

Side View

The same blue touch can be found from the front across the shoulder line and towards the tailgate of the car, highlighting that it’s an environmentally-friendly vehicle. The prominent beltline with muscular wheel arches and stylish diamond-cut alloy wheels are the biggest highlights on the side profile of the Nexon electric.

Rear View

Apart from the blue touch on the tailgate and EV badging, the rear end of the Tata Nexon EV is similar to that of the regular Nexon model. The taillamps look unique with tri-arrow LED elements along with the blacked-out rear bumper and tapering tail that pretty much catches up with the younger audiences.

3. Tata Nexon EV Dimensions: Length, Width, Height & More

Talking about the dimensions, the Tata Nexon EV is identical to that of the regular Nexon model, barring the unladen ground clearance of 205 mm. The electric Nexon SUV measures 3,993 mm in length, 1,811 mm in width, 1,606 mm in height along with the wheelbase of 2,498 mm, thereby putting in the in the same segment of sub-4m SUVs with the conventional version.

Through a quick comparison, the Tata Nexon EV is not something that we call “intimidating presence” but it scores very well in terms of aggression and sportiness instead. With these aforementioned figures, the Tata Nexon EV manages to deliver an adequate space inside the cabin to give up to 5 people on board a comfortable ride.

4. Tata Nexon EV Interior Review: Design, Comfort, Safety & Security

Interior Design

Like the exterior, blue colour-coded bits are utilized on the inside of the Nexon EV as well, lending us a sense of freshness. The dashboard layout of the Nexon remains largely untouched over the pre-facelift version of the Nexon but the instrument cluster is now a semi-digital unit. The coloured display presents enough data on the projected battery range, state of charging alongside a moving graph showing the power usage. The dashtop mounted infotainment touchscreen stands out at the centre stage. The steering wheel is new as against the pre-facelifted Nexon model and the same for the rotary gear selector. Tri-arrow design elements with blue highlights also make it to the seat’s upholstery of the electric Nexon.

Comfort Features

While the Indian market seems to be flooded with highly-connected and feature-laden compact SUVs, the Tata Nexon EV needs a shot in the arm to stay competitive enough. The Nexon EV manages to do just that and even more.

The Tata Nexon EV offers a lot of comfort and convenience features including a 7.0-inch ConnectNext touchscreen infotainment system, an 8-speaker Harman sound system, steering-mounted controls, 7-inch TFT digital instrument cluster, voice alerts, electric sunroof with tilt function (for the top-spec variant), automatic climate control, remote central lock, smart key with engine start push-button.

Safety & Security Features

On par with the regular Tata Nexon, the Nexon EV also achieves a five-star rating from the Global NCAP crash tests. That being said, the Tata Nexon EV really excels on the global safety standards with a host of safety assistance features including dual front airbags, ABS with EBD and CSC, driver seatbelt with pre-tensioners, load limiters and crash-locking tongue, child safety rear door locks, follow-me-home headlamps, ISOFIX child seat anchorage, all standard across the range.

Not just that, the Tata Nexon EV even endears itself with 35 Smart Connected features with Tata Motors ZConnect that offers a plethora of features such as intrusion alert, stolen vehicle tracking, panic notification, remote immobilization, location-based services, 20+ vehicle health alert along with remote commands and many others.

5. Tata Nexon EV Specs: How Does It Perform?

The Tata Nexon EV debuts the company’s Ziptron electric tech that should be the biggest highlight on its compelling package now. The electric compact SUV employs a 30.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that propels an electric permanent magnet synchronous motor mounted on the front axle. The electric motor can develop 129 HP of power and 245 Nm of torque that powers the Nexon EV to do the 0 – 100 kmph acceleration in around 9.9 seconds.

Performance

The first impression of driving the Nexon EV is quite good. In fact, it’s beyond our expectation for an electric compact SUV. It manages to deliver a strong surge of power but an adequate, unregulated amount of torque. The Nexon EV gives us a linear and seamless response on the drive that’s very impressive on the Indian roads filled with speed-breakers and traffic jam. Of course, in the uphill roads, you need to push the pedal a bit harder as you would feel a bit underpowered compared to the ICE counterpart. To open up more power, one needs to select the “Sport” mode which helps increase the acceleration by quite a margin.

Of course, there are some niggles in this ‘Sport’ mode that even after you lifted off the throttle, the EV carries on running and accelerate for a sec that might be a bit disappointing. However, what deserves applause on the Nexon EV is the regeneration. While the acceleration is good, the deceleration is pretty quick as well. It might take time for you who are familiar with internal combustion cars to get used to the electric Nexon SUV at the initial stage. However, the overall performance of the Tata Nexon EV is potent enough to make the drive fairly exciting.

6. Tata Nexon EV Running Cost: Is it efficient to use?

Certainly, the Tata Nexon EV will help you save a big amount as there’s no fuel bill here. As estimated by Tata itself, the Nexon EV may cost your around 1 rupee per km that is much lower than the Rs 5-6 per km of the diesel/petrol model.

7. Tata Nexon EV Price & Verdict: Is it affordable to buy?

Tata Nexon EV is the most affordable electric SUV you can buy in India. Currently, the Nexon EV is being retailed within the price range of around Rs 13.99 – 16.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

As the Tata Nexon EV performs very brilliantly as an urban car, it is totally one of the worthiest buys that you should take into consideration. The Tata Nexon EV is effortless to drive and can get off the line quickly. The burst of power is also so strong that it won’t let the IC car fans in disappointment, not to mention the lengthy list of comfort and safety features it has to offer. Tata also spices up the Nexon EV with the warranty on the battery and electric motor.  Consider it! Don’t mind paying a tad more to have an excitingly new experience with this electric vehicle.