Tata Nexon EV 2023: First Drive Review

It’s not just a better Tata Nexon EV, it’s the best Tata Nexon there is. Period!

Tata Motors seems to have stumbled upon some magic sauce. After using it generously with the petrol/diesel-powered Tata Nexon, there’s surprisingly more left over for the flagship Nexon — the Tata Nexon EV. Almost as if the updates to the ICE-powered Nexon were a trailer of sorts, this one’s a full-fledged feature film; a showcase of what Tata Motors can pull off with a product update. 

If you were impressed with the aesthetics of the Tata Nexon facelift, the EV does it better. 

If you thought the interiors looked better and felt more premium, the EV does it better. 

If the features list seemed expansive, the EV DOES IT BETTER!

Money no bar, this is the Tata Nexon to get. 

Smooth and Suave 

The first impression is that the Tata Nexon EV facelift was clearly designed with the electric version taking precedence. Elements such as the daytime running lamps, the pattern on the 16-inch alloy wheels and the animation on the tail lamps all go best with the aesthetics of the EV. 

Visually, there are two major points of differentiation: there’s a light bar that joins the DRLs. This not only makes the welcome/goodbye animation substantially cooler, but it also doubles up as the charge status indicator. The other obvious difference is the sharper front bumper, which features vertical elements finished in chrome. 

Interestingly, Tata has done away with the blue accents that were a signature for the pre-facelift Tata Nexon. Tata says this is their way of signalling the ‘mainstreaming’ of electric vehicles. It also enables them to offer a wider colour palette, since the body colour is not restricted by the use of blue accents. If you want people to know you’re driving around in an EV, we’d recommend you pick the Empowered Oxide (an almost pearlescent white), Creative Ocean (turquoise) or the Teal body colour. 

There are subtle ‘.ev’ badges on the front doors, and the car now wears its new identity — Nexon.ev — proudly on the tailgate. There’s plenty of presence this car brings with it, and you’d enjoy being the centre of attention on your commute. 

All of the design elements — including the compact projector LED headlights, the new mirrors, the connected LED tail lamps, the extended spoiler and the hidden wiper have been carried over from the petrol/diesel version unchanged. 

Baby Rangie?

Step inside the cabin of the Tata Nexon EV and you’re immediately left wondering if you’ve climbed into a cut-price Range Rover. We wish we were exaggerating. The simple design, the new two-spoke, flat-bottom steering wheel and the colour scheme all drive this feeling home. 

Tata has been rather adventurous here, opting for a white-grey colour combination on the top-spec Empowered+ variant. There’s turquoise stitching on the seats and crash pad too. Sure, Indian conditions and these colours aren’t exactly a match made in heaven. But if you do manage to keep it spic-and-span, you will enjoy the plush experience it brings with it. 

Like the ICE-powered versions, the improvement in perceived quality is the biggest highlight inside the cabin. The plastics and the leatherette padding used on the dashboard, the quality of the upholstery and the clever use of accents all lend the cabin a premium feel. What this does, in effect, is help cash the cheques the minimalist almost-German car-like dashboard design is writing. We do hope Tata pulls through in terms of fit-and-finish. Our test car had no notable issues in this regard. 

From a design standpoint, there are a few differences — a larger 12.3” touchscreen, a unique colour palette for the user interface, and a redesigned floor console that features an electric parking brake. 

Practicality remains more or less the same as the ICE version. If you’re picking the Long Range version we had on test, do note that the bigger battery pack pushes the floor higher. This isn’t a problem in the front seats, but robs you of underthigh support at the rear. Also, there’s a minor drop in the knee room to be had, courtesy the better cushioning on the front seat, a larger rear seat squab, and the lack of a seat back scoop. 

Boot space remains unchanged at 350 litres, and there’s a 60:40 split functionality if you have more luggage than people. Also, legacy issues of the Tata Nexon remain — the lack of usable cupholders at the front, shallow door pockets at the rear and a cramped footwell have been carried over as is too. 

Features

Tata Motors has added a few crucial features to the Tata Nexon EV’s kitty to make it more of an all-rounder. There’s a whole lot that’s carried over from the ICE version. This includes: 

The first big change is the new 12.3-inch touchscreen which, to put it simply, is the best a Tata car has ever seen. While we faced glitches and freezes with the smaller 10.25-inch screen in the ICE-powered Tata Nexon (and the Nexon EV Fearless variant), the larger screen threw no tantrums. Like the smaller display, this too boasts of crisp graphics, great contrast, and a user interface that is super easy to get used to.

The screen runs a Qualcomm processor, gets 64GB of onboard storage and 8GB of RAM. The OS is based on Android Automotive, which enables Tata to unlock a whole host of apps. Tata is calling this ‘Arcade.EV’ — an app store that lets you download entertainment apps such as Prime Video, Hotstar, YouTube and also games. The idea here is to make your charging stops a little more relaxing. While the vehicle is charging, you can tune in to your favourite shows or just play some games to kill time. Another probable use case is entertaining the kids while you run a quick errand. 

With the 10.25-inch digital driver’s display you get access to a host of information right under your nose. The EV-specific graphics pack is minimal and classy with a lot of green and yellow hues. The stand-out here is the screen’s ability to mimic Google/Apple Maps on this screen, giving you a seamless navigation experience. We do hope to run Google Maps via an iPhone on this screen, though! (Do it, Apple!)

Safety

The safety suite includes 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control as standard. Other safety features include front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, and ISOFIX child seat mounts. The new Tata Nexon EV has not been crash-tested yet, though we expect it to fare quite well. Tata has assured us of structural reinforcements made to withstand side impacts better as well as a symmetrical performance (equal on RHS and LHS) in case of frontal crashes. 

Battery, Performance and Charge Times

Tata Motors is offering the Nexon EV with two battery packs: 30kWh, and 40.5kWh. The battery packs are unchanged, and charge times remain more or less the same. 

Do note that Tata Motors offers a 7.2kW charger with the Long Range version (optional for the Medium Range), and a 3.3kW charger with the Medium Range variant. 

While the battery pack remains unchanged, there’s a new motor. This motor is lighter by 20kg, spins up to higher rpms, and is generally better in terms of NVH too. There’s an uptick in power, but it’s now down on torque. 

Performance isn’t drastically different from what we’ve experienced previously with the Nexon EV Max. Tata has polished the experience and the ‘peaky’ power delivery has been flattened out. While the enthusiasts might want a little more aggression in the way the EV serves up power, the smoother power delivery of the new motor will feel friendlier to the majority of users. Tata Motors has unlocked an extra 10kmph in terms of top speed with the Long Range variant — 150kmph (Medium Range gets a 120kmph top speed).

While Tata Motors claims 465km on a full charge for the Long Range and 325km for the Medium Range, we expect them to deliver ~300km and ~200km in real world conditions. This should be more than sufficient for your weekly office commutes. 

An interesting addition to the Nexon EV’s kitty is vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality. The Nexon EV can deliver up to 3.3kva of power to whatever you decide to power with it. You could very realistically power a small campsite or even help out a drained EV in need. A thoughtful touch is that the Tata Nexon EV lets you select a predetermined level of charge, post which it will cut off power supply. 

Ride and Handling

Ride comfort has been a highlight with the Tata Nexon in general. With the EV, the strength shines through too. It does feel firmer than its ICE cousin, but never uncomfortable. Bad roads are dealt with nonchalance, and high-speed stability is acceptable as well. Ground clearance is rated at 190mm for the Long Range, and 205mm for the Medium Range. 

Driving the Nexon EV around barely requires any effort. The steering is quick and light for the city, and weighs up enough for the highways. It’s reasonably sharp and predictable through the corners too. Add this to performance that’s instant, and you can have fun with the Tata Nexon EV if you want to. 

Verdict

The updates make the Nexon EV more wholesome than it was. The updated design, premium interiors, better features and smoother performance all add up to deliver an experience that’s enjoyable. Sure, the drive experience isn’t significantly different but it didn’t need a change there to begin with. As a package, the performance and silence from the electric motor, the amped up interior quality and the more engaging infotainment all put together make the Nexon EV the best Nexon there is.