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2021 Tata Nexon petrol-AMT: Ownership review after 1900 km

23rd December 2021, 13:02 by Rahul Nagaraj

The SUV replaces my 2006 Hyundai Santro Xing which is now confined to the garage.

BHPian Arunsedanlover recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Greeting Friends.

This is a review of my Tata Nexon XMA (S) Petrol Variant where A stands for Automatic and S stands for Sunroof.

Sometimes Destiny plays a strange role and you can never anticipate what it has in store for you. All of 2020 the new car bug was biting me every now and then, but the Covid Situation/Lockdowns coupled with work-from-home and travel restrictions reminded me that a new car will just sit at home and depreciate so refrained from diving in. Also, my Mahindra Quanto (2013, 1,29,000 Kms) and Hyundai Santro Xing (2006, 89,000 Kms) were doing a good job.

July 2021: Santro Xing fitness (15 Years) was going to expire in Oct 2021 and the age was starting to show with monthly expenses of up to Rs. 10,000/- since March 2021. My mother was using the Santro and frequently made trips of more than 100 km in a day with her Cousins (ladies) so a car breaking down on highways with ladies was a scary thought. It was also incorrect to drive a car with an expired RC. It’s a DL3C number so now is not the right time to go to Delhi and renew fitness. Santro was soon to be confined to the garage. So my search started for a new car

My requirements were:

Budget: Maximum Rs. 9L. A strict psychological barrier for a hatchback.
Body Type: Hatchback since it is for my Mom and Wife and replacing Santro Xing.
Fuel Type: Petrol (primarily due to less gap between fuel prices and huge gap between petrol and diesel Engines)
Must provide Fuss Free ownership Experience
Transmission: Automatic
Colour: White or Red. No other colour options.
Should be comfortable for Ladies
Good Build Quality and all possible creature comforts.
Should have good/reasonable Highway stability.

Shortlisting and Test Drives - Scoured Team-BHP and other online sites and shortlisted the following cars

All the Positives and Negatives are as per my experience from Test Drives and checking them out extensively in the Showrooms and I apologize if any owners are offended.

Maruti Wagon R AMT

For: Big looking Small car. Exciting 1.2 K-series Engine, Easy to drive, Easy to Maintain, Good Fuel Efficiency, Backed by Maruti Service.
Against: Flimsy Build and Light Weight, Swift VXI was within reach, No Red Color available, Common Colors like White, Silver were Available with less than one month waiting whereas others colours had 3 months waiting.

Maruti Swift VXI AMT

For: Amazing Drivability, mature Suspension, Most of the creatures comforts available, Not as Flimsy as Wagon R, Interior Quality Acceptable at this price point, Backed by Maruti service.
Against: Thin Sheet metal, 0 Star LNCAP and 2 Star GNCAP, Except Engine, the entire package felt like a compromise due to Build for e.g. Dashboard Flexes, Door Panels Flexes, Console Flexes.

I had almost finalized Swift VXI when the LNCAP Results were published on Team-BHP. I enquired with a few Mechanics and they too advised me to stay away from Maruti Vehicles. They don't know about GNCAP and stuff. They simply opined that the sheet metal is very thin and easily dents so there is a possibility of frequent denting work required. They get a lot of Maruti vehicles for denting and painting Jobs. So dropped the idea of Maruti. Nothing against Maruti. Just that I wanted a strong and tightly built car.

Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS (Sportz) AMT

Test Drive was a long one. The family liked it.

For: Engine and Gearshifts were smooth and head nod was surprisingly minimal, Decently Built, Decently loaded like Alloy Wheels, projector headlamps and Fog Lamps, Touchscreen ICE, Good Quality Interiors and tightly built, Price was 8.95L On the road.
Against:: Sheet metal was thin but the Body Panels and Doors do not flex easily, Hyundai Service is not cheap, various threads on Team-BHP for Hyundai Niggles.

Renault Triber AMT (RXZ)

Took a very long test drive. The family was sold on it.

For: Excellent package, On-Road Price Rs. 8.60L for a decently loaded 7 seater, Rear AC vents, Extremely spacious, Sliding middle Seats allowing a lot of legroom, Decently loaded with Touchscreen ICE, Styled Wheels, Good ground clearance, Smooth AMT, 4* GNCAP Rating, Body and Door Panels do not flex.
Against: Lethargic 1.0L Engine NA Engine, Fizzes out after 80kmph if loaded with more than 5 people and luggage. Renault Service might be a gamble and not widespread like Maruti or Hyundai.
Key Note: Renault Triber was rejected only because of the 1.0L Engine. Why Renault why. Triber has the potential to eat away a lot of sales from Rivals.

Renault Kiger CVT

For: High Ground Clearance, Good Drivability (Turbo variant), Practical interiors, Spacious.
Against: Renault Service, New Launch so not a tried and tested product, Interior Quality is not up to the mark like Quality of materials used felt Hard, cheap and Flimsy

Tata Tiago AMT

Did not test Drive. Checked the Car in the Tata Showroom and these were my observations

For: Good Build for the segment, Spacious for a hatchback, Fully loaded car for Rs 7.95L, Looks Cute and has good ground clearance.
Against: 3 Cylinder Engine, Interiors well built but looked cheap, Drive modes from siblings missing, Felt like a downgrade from Santro Xing (4 Cylinder Engine)
Key Note: Tata Tiago was rejected without Test Drive because of the Lethargic 3 Cylinder Engine. If only Tata can do something about the Engine.

Altroz was rejected due to the absence of an Automatic. Believe Altroz was a very strong contender. I did not get to Test Drive the Tiago since the test Drive AMT Vehicle was not available. The SA offered me Nexon AMT to get a feel of the Gearbox and Drivability.

Test Drive of Nexon:

Test Drive vehicle was a Diesel AMT in Blue. Took it for a longish Test Drive. The Car felt Good with Solid Suspension. It crossed all the potholes with confidence without unsettling the car. The Test Drive Car was the pre-facelifted Model and abused in the last 3 years. It had more than 50,000 on the ODO. Yet there was no rattling inside the cabin. SA suggested I show the car to my family as well so we took a detour to my Home. My Mom, wife and Kids looked at the car and were impressed with the space, ground clearance (Mind you my Family is spoilt by the extremely spacious - Quanto). The SA Showed the Sunroof and the Kids instantly fell in love with it. They had a few Selfie moments as well. I could see the happiness in their eyes and be sure at that moment that Nexon Automatic petrol with Sunroof is going to be my Car. I could sense my Family approving Nexon that very moment. From that moment Sunroof became a must-have feature.

Note: Though Nexon has a 3 Cylinder Engine, it felt like an upgrade when compared to the Santro it was going to replace.

Booking and Delivery Experience:

Nexon Petrol variants had a waiting of 12 weeks and the dealer inventory did not show up any Nexon XMA (S) variants. We still went ahead with the booking of White (Red looked more like an Orange shade) Nexon and were ready to wait it out. The booking was made on 4 August 2021 and the wait started. Meanwhile, I viewed all YouTube videos, Online reviews and off course Team-BHP reviews. on 14 August 2021, I got a call from the showroom manager that a vehicle has been allotted at the factory in my name and it has entered Production. The Vehicle was expected to be dispatched in 4 days. As expected, the car reached the dealership on 18 August 2021, and I was called for a PDI. Took the Team-BHP Checklist and did a comprehensive PDI. Validated the Manufacturing Date and found it was freshly baked out of the Oven. Timestamping on various components like Headlights, Intercooler, ABS unit etc. had dates ranging from 8 Aug to 14 Aug.

Finalized Delivery for 24 Aug 2021 and made the Down payment. My loan was already approved for Nexon even before I booked the car.

On-Road: Rs 11.40L (I paid Rs. 11.10L with one year extended warranty after Dealer Discounts). Well, I negotiated hard on the Insurance premium (45K).
Colour: White
Variant: Nexon XMA(S) i.e. AMT with Sunroof.

Accessories installed from Showroom

Alloy Wheels
Door Visors
Rear Parcel Tray
Side Chrome Strips
Full Carpet Mat (Done inside showroom by an external accessory guy)
Door Sill Guard (LED Nexon branded)
Body Cover
Mud Flaps
Foot Mats

Accessories installed from Aftermarket

Side Footsteps (My Mother is 65 and my kids aged 10 and 5 need this)
ABS Sports Kit (Just for Looks). Stands Out from other Nexon’s on the Road.
Reverse Camera.
Artificial Leather Seat Covers
Driver Armrest.

Attention to detail. Nexon branding on the Headlight Assembly

Exterior

Nexon is a Muscular Car with an aggressive front end. If you compare the First Generation and the second Generation Nexon, you will notice the car has lost the Smiling face after the facelift in 2020. Now the Bonnet is raised and is horizontal to the ground. Nexon angrily stares at you. The Muscular front end, beefed-up wheels arches, raised stance, straight Bonnet all lend this Car a solid road presence. The rear Profile is too funky and does not gel with the Aggressive front end. Look from the rear 3 quarters and you will notice that the silhouette unmistakably gives out the vibes of Range Rover Evoque.

Those Alloys were brought from Showroom and the Side Footsteps were bought from Aftermarket. They aid in getting in and out of the vehicle easy for my mother and kids.

Notice the Horizontal Bonnet. Coupled with the headlights gives the car a Muscular & angry look.

Key Exterior Features

Funky yet Muscular Styling. Gives out a Range Rover Evoque Vibe. Aggressive Front End.
Solid Build and 5* GNCAP Rating. Feels Strong to touch.
Black cladding on the doors, door sills, front and rear bumpers, Roof Rails look good.
Solid Front & Rear Doors, Tailgate and Bonnet. Even the Side panels are Solid to touch. They do not flex easily. Paint Quality is good.
Projector Halogen Headlamps for low beams and reflector lamps for high beams.
Auto Wipers, Auto Headlamps, Follow me Home Headlamps, LED DRLs.
Steel Wheels with Wheel Caps
Long Antenna placed at the rear.
Rear spoiler with integrated LED Brake Lamp
Auto & Electrically Foldable and adjustable ORVMs with integrated LED Turn Indicators.
Passive Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS). I don’t feel pulsating brake force, so I believe it is a Passive ABS System.
Good Suspension with class-leading ground clearance enables good road manners. Does not unsettle easily at above city speeds.
195/60 R16 wheels provide 205mm Ground Clearance. Higher variants come with 205 profile tires and 209mm Ground Clearance.

Key Interior Features

All Black Interiors with dual-tone bits thrown in generously inside the cabin.
Three Driving Modes Namely Sports, City, Economy controlled by a Rotary Knob
Dual Airbags with ABS and EBD, Hill Hold Assist (it works)
Basic IRVM. Does not have any Day/Night adjustment.
Harman Basic Audio System with Bluetooth Connectivity, USB Connectivity, Charging Port.
4 Speakers with good Audio output. Crisp and Clear. Good Bass and Treble.
Adequately Sized Driver Seat does not have Height Adjustment but has good forward and backward adjustments.
Seatbelt reminders for Driver and Co-Passenger
Manual AC Controls for a Bone Chilling Air Conditioner (experienced in peak afternoon with temperatures above 42 degrees) You won’t miss any rear AC vents.
Single Cabin Lamp located at the front. No Reading lamps were provided. Boot Lamp is provided and lights up the Boot and helps in picking stuff in dark from the boot.
Sporty Steering Wheel with Controls for Phone and Audio, Steering is adjustable for Height only.
5 Bottle Holders (4 on doors and 1 on central console) which can hold 1 Liter bottles.
Rear parcel tray provision is provided but the tray has to be bought as an accessory.
MID - Fully Digital Multi-Information Display shows progressive lines for Engine Speed on the Left and Fuel Level & Engine Temperature on the Right. Fonts are big and easily readable even during direct sunlight. It also contains Fuel Level Indicator.
Driver Information Display (DIS) is provided between the Speedo and Engine RPM meter on the MID and provides data for Odometer, Outside Temperature, Distance to Empty (DTE), Instantaneous Fuel efficiency, 2 Trip meters with individual Distance details, Fuel Consumption details.
DIS also contains the Clock, Digital Vehicle speed, Current gear Indicator, Gear upshift/downshift recommendation, Automatic and Manual mode indicator.
Umbrella Holder on both the front Doors and Deep Glove Box, I mean really deep.
Black Fabric Seats provides adequate under-thigh support.
Electronic Boot Release from the dashboard. No other buttons are provided for boot.
Speed Sensing Auto Door Lock. Doors auto unlocks on key removal.
Foldable roof handles. They are spring-loaded and retract slowly.

I am 5.7” and heavily built so my narration of the ergonomics will be from my perspective.

The vehicle comes with an excellent quality remote flip key (1) and 1 normal key. Flip Key comes with a lock/unlock button and headlamp/lead me to vehicle lamp ON button. Press the unlock key and the vehicle unlocks by blinking the indicators twice. ORVMs open upon unlocking the car and close upon locking the car.

Open the front doors and it is evident how heavy they are. The front doors open in a two-stage action. High floor, even higher door sill and low roof surely will bring out a Gymnast in you. For tall people getting in and out of the vehicle is a breeze but average heightened people will need to climb up and bend their heads a little to sit on any of the seats. I need to climb up and bend down at the same time to sit on the driver seat. The body will always be at an awkward angle. Once you get in you will feel at home. Small windows, raising window line makes you feel cocooned inside the car.

The Driver seat is beefy and offers good under-thigh support. All controls fall in place and are within reach. The front seats combined with the front armrest (not standard in XMA(S) but bought as an accessory) makes for a good Sofa. The front seats have a generous amount of forwarding and backward motion. The view from the driver seat is good. Without seat height adjustment I can see the tip of the bonnet, so I use a cushion that increases the seat height by 2 inches. With this arrangement, I can see the end of the Bonnet, but my head is millimetres away from the roof liner.

The Rear bench is accommodative, and the legroom is good for my driving position. It is adequate under-thigh support. The rear bench is spacious with good legroom and raised roof liner. What I can say is for my driving position the legroom for rear passengers is comparable to the Quanto. Rear passengers have never felt claustrophobic even with the downward sloping roof and small rear glass.

Keynote about the Roof Liner: There is no problem with the Nexon’s roof. It is at a good height. But the variant with Sunroof has an additional structure built under the roof to hold the Sunroof and its assembly so it eats into the cabin towards the front end. I believe sunroof variants lose out on at least 3 inches of headspace compared to non-sunroof variants. It is easy to notice that the roof liner is beefy.

The Steering is beefy and has buttons on the left-hand side for (AM/FM/Bluetooth/USB) Mode, Voice control, Music Control and Phone call receive/end and it can be adjusted for height. The Horn button spans across the left and right of the steering wheel so it can be operated with a thumb. The horn button is hard to press.

The Quality of the buttons inside the cabin is good. All the buttons are dampened and provide tactile feedback. They don’t make a click sound but a soft dampened sound.

The Wiper stalk is on the left and the headlight stalk is on the right and both are beefy and are of good quality.

(Left) Wiper Stalk: Has controls for Front Wiper speed, Auto Wiper on/off, Wiper speed can be set for Manual and Auto Wiper operation as well. Pull the stalk towards you and the front wipers operate with a jet spray. The wipers sweep once after 3 seconds again to clear out the residual water drops. Rear Wash/Wipe is not available in XM Variants. All functions are integrated into the single stalk.

(Right) Headlight Stalk: Has controls for Auto headlamps ON/OFF, LED DRL off/Parking Lights ON, Headlight ON, High/Low Beam adjust, Headlamp level adjust all integrated into the single stalk. Low beams bring ON the Halogen Projectors. The visibility with a low beam is below average and you will be found wanting more light. Switching ON to high beams lights up Reflector Lamps in addition to the low beam Projectors. The visibility improves drastically but then keeping the High beam always ON is not suggested.

If you do frequent highway travel, be sure to upgrade your lights.

Multi-Information Display (MID): MID is a fully digital display for common Christmas lights, side indicators, Low Fuel Warning, Engine Speed (RPM) on the left side and Fuel Level on the right side. Switching ON the Ignition and the System performs a Check by sweeping all the dials. Low Fuel Warning message shows up in words in addition to the warning beeps, blinking fuel level indicator, amber low fuel warning when fuel level goes below 50km on the DTE monitor.

Driver Information System (DIS): MID also has the Driver Information System (DIS) in the middle. It is a 3.5 inches monochrome display that shows the following parameters

Digital Vehicle Speed (Speedometer). The Fonts are really big, and you cannot miss the vehicle speed.

Gear Indicator: Shows the Automatic/Manual mode, current gear, gear upshift/downshift recommendation.

Odometer, Outside Temperature,Grab handles are Spring Loaded and retract in a dampened manner.

Seatbelt Reminders: The car comes with a seatbelt reminder for both the front seats and detects if the passenger is seated or not. Upon crossing 20kmph and with seatbelt/s not fastened, the MID gives out continuous, annoying and sharp beeps till 90 seconds after which the audio alerts go away but the seatbelt icon on MID keeps blinking.

Speed Sensing Auto Door Lock: The Nexon comes with a speed sensing auto door lock where once the speed crosses 20kmph the door auto-lock. Auto unlocks happen when the key is removed from the ignition.

Sunroof: The sunroof with the anti-pinch feature provided on Nexon is a smaller one and has multiple open/close positions. The sunroof is operated through 3 buttons provided on the Cabin Lamp console on the roof. Sunroof auto closes if the key is removed from the ignition or water drops are detected on the Windshield.

The Sunshade is operated manually and retracts only 75%. It retracts fully only when the sunroof opens fully

Tilt Position: Operated through the Tilt Button. The sunroof opens approximately 40 degrees and can be used for ventilation.

Fully Open Position: Operated through the open button. Single press opens the sunroof and the Sunshade fully.

Intermittent position: operated through Open/Close buttons. Instead of a single press, hold the button till the desired position is reached and released.

The Integrated Rain and Light sensor is located behind the IRVM and is big in size. It is sensitive and does its job well.