Tata Nexon EV

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. 

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.

The Nexon EV has been India’s best-selling EV since its debut in 2020. However, now it faces heat from rivals such as the MG Windsor, and Mahindra XUV400. I’ve spent over six months living the Nexon EV and getting to know it inside out. Here’s why you should consider buying one, and why you should not. 

Design and Build Quality

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 dark chrome. 

There are subtle ‘.ev’ badges on the front doors. Other than this tiny detail, the Nexon EV looks identical to the petrol/diesel Nexon. That’s not a bad thing given it looks muscular and purposeful like a sub-compact SUV should. 

Interestingly, Tata has done away with the blue accents that were a signature for the older model of the Tata Nexon EV. 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. 

Colour options on the Nexon EV include Empowered Oxide (an almost pearlescent white), Intensi Teal, Pristine White and Flame Red. The Oxide shade is a signature colour for Tata EVs and I feel it looks best in that shade.

Except for the minor design tweaks, other highlights — 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. 

There’s plenty of presence this car brings with it, and you’d enjoy being the centre of attention on your commute. 

Expectedly, build quality is quite solid. There’s a heft to the doors and it feels robust. Our test cars didn’t have any ill-fitting panels or paint issues.

Design and Quality

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. 

Front Seats

Getting in and out of the Nexon EV is quite easy, even for the elderly. Due to the battery pack under the floor, the seats feel slightly raised owing to a reduction in headroom. The driver’s seat can be adjusted for height, and there’s tilt adjustment in the steering wheel that allows you to find a suitable driving position. 

The seats themselves are large and accommodating, with good support for the back. However, taller people might find the seat back to be short, leaving them with less than ideal support for their shoulders. 

Rear Seats

Due to the battery pack, the rear occupants sit slightly higher than the front occupants. This is more evident in the ‘45’ version that has the larger battery pack. While kneeroom and headroom is ample even for a six-footer, under thigh support is less than ideal. One tends to sit in a ‘knees up’ position which is unlikely to be comfortable over longer journeys. 

Three occupants can fit into the rear seat of the Nexon EV, but only if absolutely required. The shoulders will brush and it won’t be particularly relaxing for outstation trips. Like the Nexon, the Nexon EV too is best suited for use either by four adults or four adults and a child. 

Storage and Practicality

Like the Nexon, the EV version also suffers from poor in-cabin practicality. Despite the redesigned front floor console, there’s no new usable storage space there. Your options include slim door pockets for your bottles and magazines, an XL-sized glovebox, and an awkwardly shaped cubby hole under the front armrest. There’s some space under the climate control panel and the wireless charging pad itself can be used to place a phone. 

Rear seat occupants will miss seat-back pockets. There are two cupholders in the central armrest. 

Charging Options

As for charging options, apart from the wireless phone charger, the front has a 12V socket, a USB type-A port, and a 45W type-C port. The rear seats get a 45W type-C port.

Features

Tata has not held back at the slightest in equipping the Nexon EV with all the features you’d need. The list is long, which includes: 

The first big change compared to the petrol/diesel model 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! 

The 360° camera is also among the best in segment with high resolution and next to no lag. It works well in low light conditions also. You can toggle between a 2D and 3D mode, and dynamic guidelines will aid parking. The side camera feed is shown on the touchscreen when you indicate. This is helpful while changing lanes. However, we wish it wouldn’t take up the entire screen. 

There’s front seat ventilation on offer too. Here too, like the ICE-version, the awkward placement of the button itself takes getting used to. The feature functions as intended and will cool your back on a hot summer's day in no time. 

A single-pane/panoramic sunroof is on offer depending on the variant you choose. This lets more light in the cabin and makes it feel airier.

Safety features include 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. 

Tata informed 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. It’s no surprise then that the Nexon EV scored a full five star rating for adult occupant safety as well as child occupant safety in independent crash tests conducted by GlobalNCAP as well as BharatNCAP.

The Nexon EV has a boot space of 350-litres. This is enough for a full suitcase set (small, medium and large), and fitting bigger suitcases is not easy. We recommend you keep smaller suitcases/bags here to make the most out of its boot.

If you have more bags, you can fold its rear seats in a 60:40 ratio, which will allow you to carry larger items if required. 

Tata Motors is offering the Nexon EV with two battery packs: 30kWh (MR), and 45kWh. The Nexon EV was briefly available with a 40.5kWh battery pack in the ‘LR’ variant. This has now been discontinued and replaced by the 45kWh battery pack in the ‘45’ variant. 

Here’s a quick look at the specs:

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. 

City Performance

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, especially inside the city. 

Even if this is your first car ever (and not just your first electric car), getting used to driving the Nexon EV will be quick and easy. You can use the paddle shifters to select the brake energy regeneration level. Spend some time with it, and you’ll find yourself not using the brake pedal to slow down at all. You will resort to letting go off the accelerator at just the right moment to shed speed as required. 

Highway Performance

In our acceleration tests, the Nexon EV took just 8.75 seconds to hit 100kmph. You can very comfortably cruise at 80-100kmph on the highways. 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). In fact, even stepping on the accelerator at 100kmph gives you near instant acceleration. You can not just keep up with other vehicles, but actually overtake them on whims.

Real World Range

In the medium range (MR) variant, you can expect a real world range of around 200-220km. With the larger 45kWh battery pack, a full charge is likely to deliver around 310-330km of range.

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. 

• The 2025 Tata Nexon EV can be had in three broad variants: Creative, Fearless, and Empowered.

Medium range variants:

Tata Nexon EV Creative + (medium range)

• Base variant gets LED headlights, LED DRLs, and 16-inch steel wheels with covers.

• The interior doesn’t look outright basic with touch sensitive AC control, two-spoke steering wheel and dual digital 7-inch screens.

• It gets 4 speakers and wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

• Functional features include power windows, push button start/stop, electrically adjustable outside mirrors, auto AC and steering mounted controls.

• Standard safety features include 6 airbags, electronic stability program, reverse parking camera with sensor, and hill-hold control.

Tata Nexon EV Fearless (medium range)

• More premium looks with LED projector headlights, connected LED DRLs and LED taillights, front fog lamps and 16-inch alloys with aero inserts. It also gets sequential turn indicators.

• Adds more features like fully electric outside mirrors, cooled glovebox, Alexa voice assistance, rear AC vents, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and 8 speakers.

• Premium interior feel with leatherette wrapped steering wheel and dual 10.25-inch infotainment system.

Tata Nexon EV Fearless+ (medium range)

• Only adds new features like front central armrest, cruise control, and wireless phone charger.

• Arcade.EV apps lets you play games and watch platforms like YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Hotstar when the car is parked.

Tata Nexon EV Fearless+ S (medium range)

• Only packs three new features: Rain sensing wipers, auto headlamps, and voice assisted sunroof.

Tata Nexon EV Empowered (medium range)

• Doesn’t get any cosmetic changes, but adds welcome and goodbye animations in the lights.

• More premium interior feel with leatherette seats.

• Feature highlights include ventilated seats, 9-speaker JBL sound system, air purifier, auto inside mirror, and rear central armrest.

• Improved safety kit with 360-degree camera, front parking sensors, and a blind view monitor.

Long range variants:

Tata Nexon EV Creative (long range)

• Features LED DRLs, LED headlights, 16-inch alloys with aero inserts and roof rails.

• Cabin gets touch sensitive AC control, two-spoke steering wheel and dual digital 7-inch screens for a premium look.

• Covers all basic functional features along with electrically adjustable outside mirrors, air purifier, and push button start/stop.

• Gets dual 7-inch screens with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

• Boasts a better safety package than Creative MR with all disk brakes and electronic parking brake with auto hold.

Tata Nexon EV Fearless (long range)

• Top-spec like styling with LED projector headlights, connected LED DRLs and LED taillights with sequential turn indicators, front fog lamps and 16-inch alloys with aero inserts. 

• Top additions include fully electric outside mirrors, cooled glovebox, rear AC vents, Alexa voice assistance, and 8 speakers.

• Better entertainment package with dual 10.25-inch digital screens with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

• Adds rear wiper and washer to the safety kit.

Tata Nexon EV Empowered (long range)

• Same exterior, but more premium interior with leatherette seats, and voice-assisted sunroof.

• Packs more functional features like cruise control, front and rear central armrest, auto headlamps, and wireless phone charger.

• Spare wheel available from this variant.

• Improves safety kit with front parking sensors, auto dimming IRVM, rain sensing wipers and tyre pressure monitoring system.

Tata Nexon EV Empowered + (long range)

• Adds welcome and goodbye function in the LED lighting elements.

• Only variant to get a frunk and features like the vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-load (V2L) technology.

• Top features include a 12.3-inch infotainment system with a 9-speaker JBL sound system, front ventilated seats, and voice-assisted panoramic sunroof.

• The Red Dark edition of the Nexon EV is available in this variant only.

CarDekho recommends:

• If you’re on a budget and need an EV primarily for city usage, the Empowered medium range variant will be the most value for money option.

• If you need that added range of the bigger battery, the Fearless 45 variant covers all functional and a few premium features at an acceptable price.

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.