Tata Nexon 2020 Review - Prices, Specs, Variants, Features and Mileage

2020 Tata Nexon Variants and Specs Explained

Taxa Nexon is offered in six variants: XE, XM, XT, XT+, XZ, and XZ+, with some trims offering a dual-tone roof along with automatic transmission. The company has also come up with a special edition KRAZ trim. However, the features on the KRAZ trim remains similar. The 2020 Tata Nexon SUV pricing lies in between  Rs 6.58 lakh and goes up to  Rs 11.1 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Which Variant to choose?

With an extra Rs. 75,000 spend on the base XE petrol trims, we found the XM trim to be a premium offering. It gets a host of smartphone-based app suites. But, just like the base XE trim, it misses on body-colored door handles and roof rails. In all, we would recommend the XZ trim that adds Tata's latest touchscreen unit, which comes powered with Android Auto and navigation via Google Maps.

2020 Tata Nexon March Offers and Pricing

Tata Nexon has not only made its way as one of the most popular cars from Tata Motors but it is also one of the safest, with a 5-star rating for adult protection by Global NCAP. As far as the current offers on Nexon are concerned, the company is offering lucrative discounts on the BS-IV variants. The buyers can avail a straight cash discount of Rs 25,000. The buyers who are looking to exchange their old car shall get a further exchange bonus of Rs 25,000. All the discounts are valid only till the stocks of the BS4 compliant Tata Nexon lasts.

*The ex-showroom prices might slightly vary state-wise.

2020 Tata Nexon BS6 Engine and Transmission explained

The new facelift of Tata Nexon receives an all-new BS6 compliant upgrade for both petrol and diesel engines. The previous petrol variants powered by a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbocharged Revotron engine churned out a maximum power of 110 PS at 5000rpm and peak torque of 170Nm between 1750-4000rpm. With the BS6 compliant engine in the Nexon facelift, the petrol engine gets a huge power increment and now develops 120 PS and 170 Nm compared to the previous engine's 110 PS power output. Meanwhile, the power figures for the diesel engine remains unchanged. 

On the other hand, the diesel variants come with a 1.5L 4-cylinder turbocharged Revotorq engine which propels 108.3bhp at 3750rpm and 260Nm between 1500-2750rpm. Both engines are paired with a 6-speed manual transmission. Also, there are three drive modes: Eco, City, and Sport.

Comparatively, the EcoSport propels the highest power figures among the peer with 121 hp and 150 Nm. Although, Nexon’s power output is quite decent with the 1.2-liter powertrain.

How fast is Tata Nexon?

Tata Nexon employs the same 1.2-Liter petrol engine that the Tata Tiago has on offer. However, it is a turbocharged unit and is tuned to produce 120 bhp. The car's engine is punchy and does well in the city driving conditions with the availability of torque from the Lower rpm. Nexon is the least powerful car in the segment but it still performs better than most in the 0-100 kilometer run taking just 11.7 seconds. The power delivery from the engine is quick and linear with a minimal Turbo lag.

Nexon comes with three drive modes - City, Eco, and Sports. With this, Tata claims that there’s variation in engine output as you later the drive mode. As per our analysis, in the City mode, the Nexon sprints 100 km/h mark in 18.22 seconds while it takes 20.98 seconds in the Eco mode. As per our prior guess, the quickest sprint takes place in the sports mode with 15.08 seconds.

The Hyundai Venue carries the smallest engine and is still the fastest to reach the 100 mph mark amongst the rivals. Why? Hyundai has done a job well to lower the overall weight of the car by using a lighter chassis in the Venue. Moreover, the 3-cylinder motor makes 118.3 bhp which is the second most powerful engine of the lot.

Ford Ecosport has the biggest engine and churns out the highest 121.36 bhp but is still 3.2 seconds short of the Venue and 1.3 seconds from the Tata Nexon.

How is Tata Nexon at ride and handling?

The performance of Tata Nexon petrol turns out to be sluggish for the highways, but it performs decently on the wide and thick city roads. Although, the diesel variants are much better than its petrol counterpart as it performs well with power and torque delivery. The refined NVH levels also increase driving pleasure. Nexon's cabin seems quite huge and airy with a good amount of light entering inside and has decent outward visibility as well.

The steering of the Nexon is responsive enough and you get a lot of feedback from the front wheels. The car has got a softer suspension setup but Tata the body roll of the car is well-contained even at higher speeds. The manual transmission is a joy to operate in the Nexon, the AMT not so much. The gear shifts from the automatic transmission are ridiculously delayed and that just kills the overall feel of the car. Not just along the smooth pavements but take the Nexon off of it and you'll realize how good that engine really is. Tata Nexon does moderate off-roading without scrapping the undercarriage of the car.  

How do the Tata Nexon brakes work?

Tata Nexon is offered with the ubiquitous Independent McPherson front disc & rear drum braking hardware. The brakes are equipped with ABS and EBD. The brakes do their work pretty nicely after running for a while.

Tata says "CSC stabilizes the vehicle during partial braking in curves by reducing pressure at the required inner wheel. This helps to reduce the probability of vehicle oversteer during cornering plus braking".

How much is Tata Nexon’s mileage?

Tata Nexon returns a reasonable mileage with the petrol variant. The estimated ARAI rated mileage turns out to be 17 kmpl, which is close to the competitors. 

In terms of better mileage, the Nexon diesel variant tops the chart.  

2020 Tata Nexon Exterior Details

Take a look over Nexon’s front fascia, and you’ll notice Tata’s ‘Impact’ design. The front grille’s slides towards the headlamps, and onto the side. That’s what we call ‘humanity line’ in Tata’s design lingo. The 2020 Nexon looks promising and more aggressive than the ongoing model. The lines flowing through the sides give it an edgy look rather than the curvy design of the old Nexon.

The elements adding to the bold look include pulled back projector headlamps with LED daytime running lamps, high-set fog lamps, a large front air intake and flared wheel arches. There's no difference in the dimensions from the ongoing variant but the design is surely better than most of the cars. Its sloping roofline puts the car in the of Coupe-styled SUVs from the premium manufacturers.

The Nexon top-spec XZ+ variant features a contrast-color roof in steel grey with red, blue and orange exterior colors. The signature styling continues at the rear too, and believe me its paint. In addition, a dual-tone trim with a black roof is on offer with Moroccan Blue & Vermont Red colors.

2020 Tata Nexon Interior Details

There aren't much visible changes in the interior of the Tata Nexon facelift and the only visible change is a lighter tone of beige that was earlier finished in silver. The upper portion comes finished in dark grey plastic, and its quality is best-in-class compared to its peers. The middle layer comes in an aluminum finish, and it looks upmarket. The thickness and toughness of this layer throughout the cabin gives you a premium feel inside.

The lowermost and the third layer is offered in plastic of creamish shade of beige. This plastic gives a hard feeling and doesn’t give a premium appeal. For instance, the glovebox requires more than one attempt to shut, and the fit on the lower portion of the doors is questionable, especially around the door pockets. The fit and finish feels compromised due to the touching points. Otherwise, Tata has really carried out satisfactory quality levels at certain levels. 

The Nexon’s comfortable cabin deserves a special mention. To make things clear, the Nexon is a well-designed car for four people. It doesn’t mean that the cabin isn’t spacious, just that the rear seats are designed. So, while you get seated at the rear, you’ll find that the seats are properly contoured buckets for two passengers. There’s also a central armrest that folds up in case you wish to seat a third passenger. But you wouldn’t want to do that unless you’re traveling for short distances.

Creature Comfort Features

• Three-tone interior scheme

• Premium Fabric Seat Upholstery

• Gear Knob finish (Piano Black)

• Cup holder on the central console

• Glove box with utility moldings 

• 1-litre bottle holder in all doors

• Umbrella holder in front doors

• Interior lamps with theatre dimming

• Collapsible grab handles without coat hook

• Handbag hooks inside cabin

• Carrybag hooks in boot

• Rear seat cushion 100 percent flip and flat fold

How is the Nexon Infotainment system?

One of the most notable features of the Tata Nexon facelift is its newly laid 7.0-inch infotainment system with iRA-Tech. This new tech helps your car stay connected with your smartphone and provide you with necessary updates and warnings. Apart from the not so basic Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, iRA provides you with new features including what3words, Tribes, Connected Car Safety, Geo-Fence and Natural Voice connect. 

Connected Car Safety alerts you in case of any intrusion, analyze your Driving style and give a detailed insight into how you drive and even more. what3words helps you find a location with 3 simple predefined words. Tribes is a way to stay connected with other drivers and make your drive more enticing. In other words, Tata Nexon's infotainment is the best in the business.

Infotainment Features

• 8-Speaker system

• AM/FM. USB, Aux-in, iPod connectivity

• Bluetooth Connectivity

• Steering Mounted Audio, Phone & Voice Controls

• Android auto

• Text and Whatsapp Messages Readout and Reply

• Voice Command Recognition - Phone, Media, Navigation

• Image and /video Playback

• Voice Commands for Climate Control

• Smartphone integration with ConnectNext App Suite

How much cargo space comes with Tata Nexon?

The Nexon offers a cargo space of 350 liters, which is enough for a sub-compact SUV of this size. You can easily add all your luggage with ease.

The lower load lip of the car makes it easier to load and unload the luggage. Also, you can fold your rear seats for a bigger luggage room.

The Hyundai Venue and the Ford Ecosport have somewhat similar boot volume while the XUV300 falls way too short in this department. However, the Ecosport's boot has a swing door that doesn't seem practical for smaller or cramped parking spaces. 

How safe is Tata Nexon?

Tata Nexon comes packed with a plethora of safety features such as dual front airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Immobilizer and Seat Belt with pre-tensioners and load limiters as standard. The high-end variants also boast of Park Assist with Camera, Front fog lamps with cornering assistance, rear fog lamps and speed-dependent auto door locks features.

Tata Nexon has been rewarded with a five-star rating from Global NCAP in the adult safety category. This means that the Sub-4m SUV becomes India’s safest car.

Safety Features

• Driver & co-driver airbags

• ABS with EBD

• Park assist with rear sensors

• ISOFIX Child Seat Anchorage

• Immobilizer

• Seat belt with pretensioners & load limiters

• Front Fog Lamps with Cornering Assistance

• Rear Defogger

How does Tata Nexon Stack up against its rivals?

Tata Nexon VS Hyundai Venue

Hyundai Venue is the cheapest option amongst the rivals and Tata Nexon is priced just a little higher than the former car. The price ranges from Rs 6.50 lakh and goes up to Rs 11.11 lakh for the top-spec 1.0-liter turbocharged engine, while the diesel version ranges from Rs 7.75 lakh to 10.84 lakh. Hyundai Venue does take the upper slot when it comes to features and equipment loading that none of its rivals offer.

Tata Nexon VS Ford EcoSport

Lack of a tailgate-mounted spare makes the Nexon look less SUV'ish when compared to the EcoSport. When the EcoSport first came out, it marked its presence with its futuristic design. The Ecosport has received love from Indian consumers from the past 4 years. But, now it appears to age. With Nexon offering new refreshing looks, the Nexon might earn a point but when it comes to features, Ford EcoSport holds back its position. 

Notedly, the Ford EcoSport received an interior facelift in 2018 and now it features high-quality plastics and a detailed center console. Compared to the other prominent contenders, Ford has a better build.

Tata Nexon VS Mahindra XUV300

The Mahindra XUV300 is designed carefully keeping in mind the SUVish stance. The sharp character lines along the corners exhibit a boxy look, but the use of surfaces above the wheel arches makes it look a bit muscular. On the other hand, the Nexon goes unique with looks because of its concept-like resemblance. Also, the three-tone paint job isn’t easy to find on the rival side.

The XUV300’s interior is more airy, thanks to the use of plastics and seat covers. The black-and-grey theme of the Nexon and the all-black theme of the EcoSport make them feel smaller than they are. The seats of the XUV300 are placed very low in order to compensate for the lower roof.

Final Verdict

With a starting price of Rs. 6.54 Lakhs in petrol, the Nexon BS6 is the most affordable offering in the sub-4-meter SUV segment. It undercuts the rivals like Mahindra XUV300 and Ford EcoSport by a huge margin while offering a lot more whistles than both combined. Keeping the safety on priority, Tata has really accomplished a milestone with the Nexon. All in all, the Compact SUV is a good ride for city commuting. Prospective buyers looking for better features and in-cabin comfort must look for alternatives such as Ford EcoSport or Hyundai Venue.