[condor]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

..

Expect some de-tuning. These are test mules, where they will also be pushing the engine & tranny.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by condor

Expect some de-tuning.

Why? I hope they don't do that.

As far as I have seen historically manufacturers test a vehicle in the specific state of tune as to be released.

An example from the Tata family itself is the Storme prior to it being launched with a retuned 400nm variant of the existing 2.2L engine.

The leaks about this engine have from the beginning mentioned these power and torque figures, so I'm not sure why they'd test a different state of tune from the one they plan to launch.

[condor]

Logical. Pushing the limits helps to know that the vehicle will work without problems in regular production form / configuration. If it can work well under higher power / torque, then it will easily live up to regular set up & loads.

Refer the Storme that BD sir used to test. It had beaten a production Fortuner by more than a mile. Even the original Nano was capable of 4 adults + ac + 120 kmph. But top speed on the production version was not this much, right ?

[Steeroid]

We will grow old (if we haven't already) by the time this vehicle sees a showroom.

Pardon me for over-simplifying this, but why should it take them so long to launch what is essentially a (majorly) reworked Bolt platform (which itself is a Vista) with what seems (speculating) to be an engine based on the Indica Dicor?

Tata's development lifecycle will be their weakness. Though on the other hand it is much better than letting customers find out the problems post-purchase.

These chaps really need to get their act together in order to be able to launch trouble-free vehicles, fast - they've got the first part right now over the last few vehicles they've launched, they now need to work on the time they take.

[neel385]

Probably saw a few enroute Ladakh on my way down.

[WhiteFang]

I really hope Nexon's top of the line trim comes short with 6 airbags and rear discs. That will make it the only compact SUV in this segment to have this combination. Sadly from initial images it seems that they have decided to go ahead with drum brakes at rear.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

We will grow old (if we haven't already) by the time this vehicle sees a showroom.

Pardon me for over-simplifying this, but why should it take them so long to launch what is essentially a (majorly) reworked Bolt platform (which itself is a Vista) with what seems (speculating) to be an engine based on the Indica Dicor?

Tata's development lifecycle will be their weakness. Though on the other hand it is much better than letting customers find out the problems post-purchase.

These chaps really need to get their act together in order to be able to launch trouble-free vehicles, fast - they've got the first part right now over the last few vehicles they've launched, they now need to work on the time they take.

Finally someone who echos my views on Tata Motors. It's been almost 18 months since it was showcased at Auto Expo , Delhi, and still there is no sign of this car. Between Brezza and Creta , Maruti and Hyundai are adding over 20,000 mini SUVs to our roads month after month and yet all we see of Nexon is pics of test mules on this forum.

Not just Nexon. Scorpio automatic has been around since 2009. Its arch rival, Safari, is yet to have an AT box. There isn't even a talk of it. We can safely add at least a year from the day they announce ( in the event they do ). Even a snail will put them to shame when it comes to pace at which this car maker moves. M&M , in sharp contrast, is a company leagues ahead of TM in this regard. They have their ears to the ground. And as for TM, try as much as I do to be a TM fan, they make it very hard to like them. Sorry about my rant.

[MaserQ]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

Tata's development lifecycle will be their weakness. Though on the other hand it is much better than letting customers find out the problems post-purchase

Agreed. A case of over compensation. They've been accused of treating customers as guinea pigs in the past, not testing enough/sorting out vendor issues/processes before launch, so now they play (too) safe by testing every product to death before it hits the market. The optimum would be somewhere in the middle, but clearly Tata prefer the latter route. In the process, the freshness and the shock value of the Nexon has been long lost.

[Motard_Blr]

Originally Posted by MaserQ

Agreed. A case of over compensation. They've been accused of treating customers as guinea pigs in the past, not testing enough/sorting out vendor issues/processes before launch, so now they play (too) safe by testing every product to death before it hits the market. The optimum would be somewhere in the middle, but clearly Tata prefer the latter route. In the process, the freshness and the shock value of the Nexon has been long lost.

I agree. Tata is definitely playing safe and I think that it's the right way. Historically, Tata cars were plagued with defects during the first couple of years and that lead to a negative perception that still endures. It will take many years before consumers place TML in the same quality level as Maruti and Hyundai. The results with their latest cars is encouraging but they still have a long way to go.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by condor

Logical. Pushing the limits helps to know that the vehicle will work without problems in regular production form / configuration. If it can work well under higher power / torque, then it will easily live up to regular set up & loads.

Refer the Storme that BD sir used to test. It had beaten a production Fortuner by more than a mile. Even the original Nano was capable of 4 adults + ac + 120 kmph. But top speed on the production version was not this much, right ?

This is a common practice in another industries as well, such as the Microprocessor Industry. Intel and AMD are known to test their processors at higher speeds and then clock them down by a safe margin for the Production variants. I was not aware that the same happens in cars as well - good to know

[Latheesh]

I think it is common across all industries, industry term for describing it is "Factor of Safety".

from wiki
"Factors of safety (FoS), also known as (and used interchangeably with) safety factor (SF), is a term describing the load carrying capacity of a system beyond the expected or actual loads. Essentially, the factor of safety is how much stronger the system is than it usually needs to be for an intended load. Safety factors are often calculated using detailed analysis because comprehensive testing is impractical on many projects, such as bridges and buildings, but the structure's ability to carry load must be determined to a reasonable accuracy.
Many systems are purposefully built much stronger than needed for normal usage to allow for emergency situations, unexpected loads, misuse, or degradation"

[condor]

Factor of safety apart, I think we are splitting hairs. Tata would have already decided the specs of both versions. I dont think we can guess the specs by just looking at the way it sprints away.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

We will grow old (if we haven't already) by the time this vehicle sees a showroom.

Pardon me for over-simplifying this, but why should it take them so long to launch what is essentially a (majorly) reworked Bolt platform (which itself is a Vista) with what seems (speculating) to be an engine based on the Indica Dicor?

Tata's development lifecycle will be their weakness. Though on the other hand it is much better than letting customers find out the problems post-purchase.

These chaps really need to get their act together in order to be able to launch trouble-free vehicles, fast - they've got the first part right now over the last few vehicles they've launched, they now need to work on the time they take.

I think they expected all launches after Tiago to have similar response and become sort of a good seller, if not the best seller. So might have spaced out the launches to have some breathing room and constant buzz in the media. But with the monthly numbers for the Tigor and Hexa, seems like the excitement for Brand Tata is reducing. It would be good for them to launch this soon to get some spotlight back. Maybe they will still stretch it to the festive season.

[RavenAvi]

A Nexon test mule caught at night doing the rounds outside Manali, courtesy MrCar.

Thanks to a massive traffic jam (peak season), we were easily able to snap the front and rear lights of the Tata Nexon – these do look great at night. As you can see, the Nexon here is the base version and yet comes with front DRLs (day time running lights) as well as LED tail lamps.

[amrutmhatre90]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

A Nexon test mule caught at night doing the rounds outside Manali, courtesy MrCar.
Attachment 1648524

Wow, love the way it the DRL looks in the headlight housing. A very nice design.