Owning a Tata Nexon diesel for a year & 19000km: How its going so far

One of the main reasons I opted for the diesel variant is the engine's punchy performance.

BHPian rnaduthota recently shred this with other enthusiasts.

Hello everyone, This is my first-ever ownership review on T-BHP. A few weeks ago, my membership was approved, so I thought of writing my own ownership review of the Tata Nexon, which I bought last year February.

Below are some of the Likes & Dislikes of Tata Nexon Diesel:

Likes:

• Solid build and construction compared to almost all competitors in this category.
• Very spacious interior with comfortable seats.
• Excellent ride quality; no need to slow down on bad roads.
• Powerful yet fuel-efficient engine.
• Very light clutch for a diesel vehicle.
• Impressive 6-speaker Harman music system.

Dislikes:

• Average fit and finish compared to almost all competitors in this category.
• One has to bend down to get in to the seat, also thick A-pillar design.
• Lack of wireless Android Auto or Apple CarPlay.
• Average paint quality.
• Short major/minor service interval of 7500 km or 6 months.
• Average headlights, especially the low beam.

The previous ride:

Previously, I owned a Ford Figo diesel, and I was very happy with it. I took a lot of care and time to maintain it in the best shape. Even though it was 8 years old and had an odometer reading of around 98,000 kms, it remained very reliable. Apart from headlight upgrade and regular service, I did not spend anything on this car. I also maintained a very good relationship with the service center and its advisor, so everything was going very well.

Few photos of my Figo:

After Ford stopped manufacturing vehicles here, I noticed a lot of changes occurring in the service centers. Some of the well-known service centers closed, and my service advisor moved to Skoda. I began to see new faces in the service center, and without proper training, service quality started to decline. As I lost trust in the service center and the value of Ford vehicles depreciated rapidly, I placed an ad on Team-BHP and OLX to sell the car. Most of the quotes I received were very low; however, I was not willing to reduce the price since I had maintained the vehicle really well.

One fine day, a gentleman called me and expressed interest in buying the car. He mentioned that he works in the sales department of a Tata showroom near my home. I asked him to come and test drive the car. After driving it, he was very impressed with the vehicle, despite the odometer reading at around 98,000 kms. Initially, he quoted very low, so I rejected his offer. After a few days, he called again with a better offer, and the deal was sealed.

So on 13th November 2022, i (wearing maroon color shirt in below pic) handed over my Figo to new buyer.

The hunt for the new ride:

Used cars:

Initially, I thought of buying a second-hand car, and I shortlisted the Maruti Suzuki S-Cross 1.6 or the Skoda Rapid Diesel. I visited Maruti True Value, Toyota U Trust outlets, and some online vendors like Spinny but couldn't find a low-running, decently priced car.

New cars:

Since i was not getting good 2nd hand car, I turned my attention to new cars. I thought of buying a diesel car with a good safety rating and under a 11L budget. In the next couple of weeks, I did many test drives just to get the feeling of all cars that come under the sub-4M premium category (Nexon, Altroz, XUV 300, Venue, and Sonet).

Naturally, I finalized the Altroz, XUV300, and Nexon. The XUV300 was removed from the list due to its limited boot space and an average front end, especially the DRL design. Although I initially shortlisted the Nexon for its good engine and spacious interior, I reconsidered due to the not-so-great-looking ceramic white strip across the doors and the average rear. With these considerations, I decided to finalize the Tata Altroz as my next car. Since I am a fan of Vikrant Singh (Carwale) and Siddharth (SVP - currently in Acko Tech), I watched Altroz reviews from them N number of times!.

I was delaying the booking because it was already year-end, and there were no news about year end discount as well. One day while browsing, I came across the Tata Nexon in Royal Blue color. It looked very nice in this shade, and that white strip, which i use to hate earlier looks lot better and tastefully done in this color . I showed this to my family as well, and everyone liked it. Since moving from Figo to Altroz was not a real upgrade and i also liked Nexon in Royal blue color, i decided to go with Nexon Royal Blue Diesel variant.

Booking:

Next day i called nearby Tata showroom and asked for a quotation for the Nexon. As the Tata Nexon was selling like hotcakes, SA informed me that there were no discounts on the car. However, he was willing to provide a good discount on accessories and insurance. He also mentioned that prices might increase in January, so it was better to buy now if I was interested.

After taking a couple of days to consider, I decided to go with the new year model only. I asked him to call me back once the booking opened for the 2023 model. After a few days, he contacted me, and I sent the booking amount for the Tata Nexon Diesel XZ+ S variant.

Vehicle allotment:

These were the most difficult days as there was no news about when car deliveries would commence. Given that diesel sales constituted only 20 to 25% of the total, I wasn't certain if Tata would prioritize diesel deliveries over petrol in the first few batches. Although the SA promised to allot the first car they receive of my choice, I was calling different showrooms and inquiring about the 2023 model delivery. I even thought of making a parallel booking in another showroom just to try my luck.

One Sunday morning, I got a WhatsApp message from my SA with the VIN number of my car. I immediately checked, and it was a January 2023 manufactured car. The next day he called me and asked me to complete the loan process as they wanted to invoice it directly in my name. Trusting the SA's honesty from the beginning, I completed the loan formalities so that they invoiced it on January 28th, 2023 just before Tata increased the car price.

Invoice amount was Rs. 12,55,329.

After the invoice, I added my car in the TMPS app just to find any further details. There I found one surprise; the vehicle standard warranty was increased from 2 years to 3 years. I was not very sure about this, and even the SA was not aware. I forwarded the snapshot to him, and after two days, he confirmed that the default warranty was increased to 3 years.

In a couple of days, the vehicle reached their yard, and I went there for the PDI along with SA. ODO was showing 4 Kms. Since everything was okay from my side, I asked the SA to send the accessories list and finalized side step, 3D floor and boot mat, rain visor.

First meet, I named it as "CroN".

New BS6 PH2 ECU:

Delivery:

We decided to take delivery on February 10th, 2023, as it was an auspicious day. Initially, the SA did not agree, citing the numerous planned deliveries for that day. However, after I insisted for 10th only, he discussed it with the registration team and asked us to come to the showroom for delivery around 3PM.

Registration and Road Tax:

So On February 10th, we took delivery of our Nexon XZ+ S diesel. The delivery process was very smooth; they conducted a cake-cutting ceremony, the SA explained all features, and gave us some accessories from the showroom. I was pleasantly surprised by the delivery experience; although it was crowded, it was very well organized by Kropex Tata showroom in the Koramangala branch.

After delivery, i filled the diesel in Shell petrol bunk Koramangala without even checking about diesel price . This is the highest amount I paid for a liter of diesel till today.

After filling diesel, I took the vehicle to HSR layout Ganesha temple and did a puja. The next couple of days, I spent some time in understanding the car and its electronics. One thing I want to mention is , Nexon clutch bite point is very sharp. So I spent some time to get accustomed to it so that I don't stall it.

Below are the accessories installed post-delivery :

When purchasing the car, I opted for accessories such as the side step, 3D floor and boot mat, and rain visor. They installed the side step and 3D mat during delivery, and the rain visor was installed during the first service.

PPF and dashcam installation:

I was interested in installing PPF on my car, so I started looking for a good installer. I contacted Krithi Car Care for a quotation on PPF installation. Since they had a discount offer at the time, I decided to have the PPF installed by them.

They did an excellent job on my car, and even after installation, when I reported minor issues, they promptly addressed them. I highly recommend their services to everyone.

Since I only wash my car and do not rely on the apartment security or others for cleaning, PPF has been very helpful in maintaining the car. As of now, there are no scratches anywhere. Meantime, I ordered a 70mai 800S dashcam. I chose to buy it from here as they offered the best price and excellent one-day delivery service to Bangalore. The same dashcam was installed by Krithi Car Care using a hardwiring kit.

Seat cover installation:

Based on my previous experience, I took my car to Trend for seat cover installation. Basavaraj and his team did an excellent job installing the seat cover. I opted for a single color that matches the car's interior, and they also installed the floor lamination during the same visit.

Few Photos which I had taken during installation:

Floor lamination in progress:

Seat cover preparation:

Seat cover design:

After backside installation:

Front seat covers:

Underbody and silencer coating:

I did Underbody and silencer coating within a month of buying the car. The work was done by the local service center after washing the car thoroughly.

Light upgrade:

The Nexon's low beam was not satisfactory, so I decided to enhance it by installing LEDs for both high and low beams.

Extended warranty:

I purchased the Extended Warranty (EW) for 2 years (the maximum duration offered by Tata) along with the 1st service. It cost me Rs 20,000.

Wireless adapter:

Connecting cables to get Android Auto every time was a hassle, and there were occasional disconnections due to a loose pin. To alleviate this issue, I ordered a wireless adapter CarlinKit 5.0. So far, I am very happy with its performance.

Phone holder:

Initially, I ordered an zaap car mobile holder from Amazon. However, it got broken within a couple of months. Currently, I am using a magnetic-type mobile holder, which looks cool and does the job well.

Emergency Seat Belt Cutter And Window Hammer:

I ordered it from A,azon. I placed it under the armrest for easy access.

Niggles and other issues:

MIL error in instrument cluster and resolution:

When the odometer was around 5050 Kms, I encountered a MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp) error in the instrument cluster. Upon showing it to the service center, they cleaned the oxygen sensor, performed a DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) regeneration, and returned the car after resetting the error. Since then, I began monitoring the engine oil level, and it was steadily increasing. This led me to suspect some issue with the engine components.

MIL Error:

MIL error details provided in manual:

When connected to OBD scanner, it showed these details:

At around 11,700 Kms, the same MIL error appeared again. This time, I became quite nervous and requested the service center to resolve the issue permanently. The service head discussed with Tata Motors, performed a software update, and some reprogramming. Since this update, I have not faced any issues, and the engine oil level also seems to be normal. The current odometer reading is 19,000 Kms.

Fit and Finish:

This is one department Tata really needs to focus on. Although the Tata Nexon has been around since 2017 and is a best-seller, they have not bothered to address some of the fit and finish issues.

Roof rail plastic cover doesn't close properly. Hope it won't create any rusting or other issues in future.

If we fold the rear seat, we see this gap and it won't close. Almost all cars are having this issue.

Driving experience:

Ergonomic and outside visibility:

The car comes with a height-adjustable driver seat, making it easy to find a comfortable driving position. The seat cushioning is very nice, striking a good balance between softness and firmness. However, I believe better bolstering, like some of their competitors, could have been provided. Outside visibility is generally good, although the thick A-pillar can obstruct visibility at times. It's not a deal-breaker, and one tends to adjust to it soon enough.

The Engine:

One of the main reasons I opted for the diesel variant is the engine's punchy performance – 113BHP and 260NM torque. It provides more than enough power even with a heavy load. The well-defined gear ratios allow driving in 3rd gear as low as 25Kmph without any issues. The low-end torque is impressive, and I usually drive between 1800 to 2400 RPM, finding the engine to be at its best within this range. While the NVH levels are pretty good, they can't be compared with Hyundai/Kia CRDi engines, but overall, this is one of the best diesel engines in terms of both performance and efficiency.

Steering, Clutch and Gearshifts:

No major complaints in this department. The steering is light, and it weighs up nicely with speed. Steering feedback is good but not great (I was driving a 1st Gen Ford Figo before). The clutch is very light, especially compared to other diesel cars. My only minor complaint, as mentioned previously, is that the biting point of the clutch is tricky for first-time drivers. However, one gets adjusted very quickly. Gear shifts are smooth and slot into position nicely. Sometimes, shifting into 1st gear requires some effort, but it's nothing to complain about.

Braking:

In the initial days, I thought the brakes were inadequate. However, as the kilometers progressed, braking proved to be very good and confidence-inspiring. During cold start conditions (early morning), the brake feel is very sharp for the first few kilometers.

City/highway driving:

Driving in the city or on the highway is very easy. There is always enough power when required, and the vehicle feels planted, robust, and tough. The suspension damping is well done, and you won't feel it when the vehicle goes over a bad road. It is a little firm at low speeds, and you may feel it from inside the cabin at times.

Interior and Music system:

Music system is from Harman. My variant has a setup of 4 speakers and 4 tweeters, and the sound quality is very good. I would have liked a subwoofer, though. Moving on to the car interior, this is one of the most spacious cars in its category. There is enough space to keep a water bottle, phone, etc. There are some fit and finish issues, but they are not deal-breakers.

Fuel Efficiency:

I am getting around 19.5 to 22 kmpl (tankful to tankful). My usage is 25% city and 75% highway.

Service update:

Compared to other car manufacturers like Maruti, Hyundai, or Kia, Tata's service quality is not as impressive. Furthermore, due to the exceptionally high sales of Tata cars in the last couple of years, almost all service centers are overbooked. In some cases, there are waiting times of 2 to 3 weeks for service. Because of this, I discussed with multiple tata owners of Bangalore and ultimately chose Classic Motors in Yeshwanthpur.

As of now, I have completed the 1,2 and 3rd service in this service center. Overall, I am very happy with the SA and the service center. No unnecessary addon and service quality is decent.

1st service was done on 25th March 23, when ODO was 1,500 Kms. It was a routine check-up, and the bill value was 0.

2nd service was done on 8th July 23 when ODO was around 7,500 Kms . They charged bill of Rs 128 for sunroof greasing.

3rd service was done on 23rd November when ODO reached 15K kilometers. In this service along with Oil change, Oil filter, Air Filter, WA/WB are also done. I followed the Tata service manual for the service.

This service costed Rs 5,777.

Overall, my ownership experience with the Nexon has been great so far, and I hope it stays that way. I've been enjoying the car a lot; it's an absolute joy to drive on hills or open roads. One can drive all day without any fatigue. With excellent ride quality and a powerful engine, Tata has done great work, and it shows in its sales numbers.

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