I am getting a range of 330-340 Km with conscious driving & might get 270-280 Km with aggressive driving.

BHPian Sak8 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello fellow enthusiasts, i have been a long-time reader of Team-BHP forum for years. Finally penning my experience here.

Got delivery of my White Nexon EV MAX XZ+ (7.2 kW AC Charger) Last week and have clocked some 600 KMS till now. Here is my experience

Let’s start from the beginning:

I live in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Booked Nexon EV 1.0 in April (given a waiting time of 2 Months) and switched my booking to EV Max XZ+ with a 3.3 kW charger option on 11 May. The dealership gave an estimated delivery time of 22 Weeks. I went ahead and did a booking for Max at another dealership as well later in the month of May. The second dealership didn’t exactly give an estimated date but the Sales rep there assured me that the first car from his showroom would be mine I didn’t believe it but went with it. The booking amount for the first booking was 50k & for the second 20k.

The Booking

The booking procedure was not very transparent at either of the dealerships, Max launched on 11 May at 11:30, and I immediately called the sales rep to shift my booking to Max pronto. There was ambiguity regarding delivery, Dealerships were giving an estimated delivery timeline of up to 22 weeks but Tata’s Head of marketing, sales & service strategy- Mr. Vivek B Srivatsa who launched the car online was, in a video said if you book early you can get delivery by end of month. Go to 01:10

Video

Even after booking, there was no official confirmation from Tata about the booking for either of my booking. The first dealer only shot a SMS from one of the sales rep’s numbers and an email from the dealership email id that they have received a booking. I called & asked for a booking ID so that I can mail Tata to know about the delivery status clearly. Booking ID was not provided.

After 15-20 Days I shot a mail to Tata about the situation. The first working day after the mail was sent, I got a call from the Sales rep “Arey sir aapne to complaint kardi” I replied “complaint aapki nahi ki hai aapke system kee ki hai. I am asking continuously you for days to tell me my booking id or at least tell my number in your booking queue so that I can plan accordingly but you are not providing it & there is no official confirmation from TATA about my booking, why is it being kept secret?” He said “humne SMS kia hai aapko confirmation ka”. SMS was booking received by us but no booking id was there. I gently tried to explain to him that I don’t want an SMS from him or the dealership person’s personal number but any kind of communication from TATA that proves my booking is made. A Long conversation ensued with multiple personnel at the showroom but they failed to understand my point.

I got a call from Tata’s Regional GM multiple times after mail but due to some situations I couldn’t take his call and when I called, his phone was busy. He left a WhatsApp telling me to contact him directly regarding my issue, I appreciate his efforts to try to reach me. I had to go out of the city urgently for a professional commitment and decided to let things take their course.

On 2nd June I received a call from the dealership that I booked max first with. Sales rep says “Sir ek car allot hui hai hume jo color aapko chahiye vahi hai White Nexon EV Max Xz+ par variant 7.2 kW charger wala hai 50k ka difference hai, aap bolo to do din me gaadi mil jaegi aapko” “We’ve been allotted a car that you wanted, color & variant is same but it has 7.2 kW charger, if you upgrade to it we can deliver the car in two days. Difference of 50k rs.” I asked for 2 hours’ time from him as I was just entering an important meeting and I had to ensure proper load connection for 7.2kW charger installation at my residence. By evening I gave him a nod to proceed and I took up on his offer.

He asked for full margin money so that invoicing can be done. But I asked for PDI to which he replied the car is in transit and it will take 2 days to reach the city. He again insisted to make full payment of margin money as a commitment from my side.  wasn't the booking amount sufficient? Hesitantly, I paid 2 Lakh on top of the booking amount without PDI (that was a mistake which you will understand why shortly). I was told again & again that delivery will only be made 2 days after 100% payment from me & the bank.

Forget 2 days, after 9 days of continuous hassle with him for PDI he finally says “aap kal aajana PDI ke liye", "come tomorrow for PDI”. By this time, I already got my sanctioned load increased from MPEB and got a separate commercial meter installed as well. Tata power personnel also did the survey for installation. So the next day I went for PDI. There the car was parked at the yard & I started with inspection thinking now it’s a smooth sail towards delivery. To my surprise, a battery terminal from the auxiliary battery was removed & none of the electronics worked, had to unlock the car with the mechanical key. The rep said, “Sir aap sirf body inspect karlo electricals aapko delivery ke din hi karaunga, aadhe ghanta pehle aajana bus”, "inspect the body only, i'll let you inspect electricals on the day of delivery, just come half an hour prior". I swear my patience was running thin , took a deep breath and left everything in the Almighty’s hands and thought ‘Ab jo Hoga vo hoga’. Inspected the body, negotiated on insurance amount, and transferred the amount to the dealership account also asked the bank to disburse the amount as well

Prior, I was told that the car would be delivered 2 days after full payment is made. But to my surprise, I was called for delivery just the next day because of my request to the sales rep.

Finally, The Day of Delivery.

I was asked to come by 2 PM for delivery procedures. Everything was set, at 12PM I got a call from Sales rep about the increase in the insurance amount by 2-3k because their system was not accepting the Max model for the insurance company decided because the model was new. I was told a 2-3k amount won’t make a big difference, but I denied paying anything else. The Sales rep managed it somehow.

Everything was going smooth, Muhurt for delivery was set. I went through the final inspection & was given a full demo of modes, infotainment etc… in detail. While checking all levers & switch I found out that the rear wiper was not working. The sales rep tried it himself but couldn’t get it to work, my dad & a couple of other people at the showroom tried they couldn’t either. The sales rep called his senior & when he tried, it started working & is working now as well. I wonder what happened. I was shown overly priced accessories from which I chose 7d foot mats & mud flaps. Standard Nexon foot mats were not a proper fit for Max & the guy who was installing them was trying to just squeeze it creating wrinkles across the base of matt. I dropped the idea of taking those mats and only mud flaps were installed. I was also informed that their system is not registering the extended warranty due to some technical issues so they will refund me the 25k within a week. (haven’t received the refund yet)

Just as we approached Muhurt, I saw the fuel lid (charging cover flap) and it was not closing properly, gap in the panel was so huge that I could pry it out open along with the lock housing with my fingers. This was a problem. Suddenly, to add to that, I saw a small dent just a little north of the charging cover flap. BOOM, all of my enthusiasm and happiness vanished. Dent was not there on the day of PDI. Showroom manager was called, he saw this, not seeing us in eyes said “Ye esa hi aata hai, normal hai”, I took him to other Nexons in the showroom and a demo Max, their flap was properly opening, closing & fitting. Only this car was one with the defect. Actually, the dent above somehow misaligned it. The manager opened the flap twisted it with his both hands and confidently closed it as it is repaired but it was not. This was an issue. But the dent was minor one could not see it causally. The vehicle was invoiced, payment was done & I was no longer a pre-sales prospect. I was an after-sales case. I was asked to leave the car then & there post Muhurt and they will deliver it at my residence by evening or I can pick it up whichever I like.

After introspection, I thought this was bound to happen, I took it as a chance, made the payment in advance and I lost. Even if I refuse the delivery when I’ll get the car God knows. The dent, I could live with but if leave the vehicle with them God knows what would happen after we leave. So, I took the car and they assured me of free cost repair of dent & fuel cap issues whenever I drop by the workshop. I was given a single keyfob with a commitment of a second one by next month and took some photographs as well. I was asked for video feedback but I said will give it when I come back for repairs.

I must also mention that the sales rep was thoroughly respectful & courteous throughout the delivery process. But the damage was already done & i was on the receiving end.

THE CAR

I took it out for a spin in the night and boy I grinned. The car is just amazing. Smooth, silent & powerful. I have clocked some 600 km by now and am continuously impressed with it. I got a range of 320-340 with mixed driving in city & highways with 'conscious driving' & ac on. Joyride should give me around 280-290. Sports mode is super addictive. Eco mode is also decent & city mode is more than sufficient for day-to-day traffic overtakes. In my use case of the car being a daily driver with 90% city driving, I am happy with it. After of a couple of days of delivery, a minor issue did pop up. Whenever I leave the accelerator and regen kicks in (at all 3 levels), I hear a strange crackling sound in the cabin coming from the front left-hand side wheel. This is more evident when the co-passenger is not present in the car. I’ll get it checked out this Sunday when I go to the workshop for dent repair (I am having second thoughts about getting that repaired, what if they make it worse? Or if they chip the paint in the process, it is not that visible now, what if they make it more visible?)

Opting for the 7.2 kW fast charger was also a good decision, it takes around 2-2.5 hours to charge from 60 to 100%. Z connect app was activated after tiring 7-8 days and doesn’t work most of the times courtesy of network error.

After 5 days of delivery I got a call from the second dealer I made the booking to (remember the one who said, i'll get the first car from his showroom?) he says “Sir ek car allot hui hai hume jo color aapko chahiye vahi hai White Nexon EV Max Xz+ par variant 7.2 kW charger wala hai 50k ka difference hai, aap bolo to do din me gaadi mil jaegi aapko” his pitch was exactly the same as the one I bought my car from, I even copy-pasted this from above. I wonder if this is some sort of profit-making scheme of dealerships or White EV Max XZ+ with the 7.2kW charger variant being rolled out in priority. I declined respectfully citing the delivery from other showroom and asked for the booking amount refund, what happened to this refund & refund for the extended warranty is a story for another time…

Fit & finish inside the cabin could be more premium considering the price point. Tata’s signature door thud is a big turnoff, I wish I could do something about it. My 2016 Hyundai elite i20 has a better feel of buttons & door thuds than this. But the refinement of EV is another experience. I have charged the car only twice till now and haven’t got the time to check the slow charger that came with the car. Pretty much i am happy with the car & do not regret the decision of buying this piece of technology. Yet.

So, that was my experience.

BOOKING: Ambiguous booking mechanism (actually no mechanism at all), give them money they will decide if they want to give you vehicle or not. Upper management of TATA seemed to be proactive though. Dealer pushed me to have 100% advance even before PDI.

DELIVERY: Chaos ensued the day of delivery, vehicle got a dent & I took the delivery knowing this fact, extended warranty was not provided despite of me paying for it, I am promised a refund.

The Car: Car is wonderful. Smooth, silent & powerful. It’s a conversation starter wherever it goes. Around 4 people in acquittance are seriously considering the purchase after watching me take the leap. Minor issues are there which are not deal-breakers for me. I am getting a range of 330-340 with conscious driving & might get 270-280 with joyous driving (yet to test that).

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The first time you drive an EV, its a very different experience than any car you have ever been in before with its total silence and zero vibrations.

BHPian prateekchanana recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

When I was looking for my daily driver hatchback in 2014 and shortlisted the Polo, I did not consider even visiting Tata that time. But how the things have changed now, one test drive of the Nexon EV with no plans of buying one, made me book it the same day.

Summary:

Likes

• 143 PS & 250 Nm torque available instantly; proper SPORTS mode.
• Almost Free like maintenance and running costs.
• Fun and involving to drive (50-50 weight distribution / low centre of gravity).
• Decently feature loaded even in XZ+ trim (Auto wipers / Auto headlamps / Wireless charger etc).
• Useful Z-Connect app (Pre-cool / charging details / driving behaviour).
• Multi-level Regen / Auto-Hold / Smart looking jeweled Gear Selector.
• Very good sounding music system setup.
• Solid built quality (Felt while opening / closing all doors / boot / bonnet).

Dislikes:

• Limited color options to choose from.
• Rear is still polarizing and not as smartly done as front end.
• Missing Full LED tail lights / head lights / Bigger MID / fully digital instrument cluster / Faster Infotainment (Carplay is laggy).
• Ergonomic blunders (Poorly located USB port / ORVM controls / Ultra thin sear backs).
• Scratch prone shiny black plastics located all around dashboard, doors pads and front bumper.
• Wireless charging but no wireless CarPlay.
• Panel gaps / Switches / knobs and stalks still not on par in fit and finish with VWs.

Prologue:

My 2014 Polo 1.5TDi was my daily driver for almost 8 years and was running perfectly fine till last day. Never had any major problems with the car and it had just run 65k. Out of this 65k, more than 60k was done in first 5 years after which my daily commute reduced from 45-50 kms to barely 4-5 kms. Only added 5k to the ODO in those last 3 years as most of the long trips were taken care by the other cars. We also own a 2013 Honda City which is sparingly used by my wife but being a petrol can still be kept for more time than Polo in Delhi and an A4 which is my highway / long drives car. 10 year diesel rule in NCR was the primary reason of selling my perfectly running Polo as it neared the 8 years mark and would have rapidly lost its value in last year. Attaching some last parting shorts of the car below. This was the first car I could call my own. Got it on my 23rd birthday and have lots of great drives and memories with it. Almost 64k of the 65k on the ODO has been driven by me on this car.

When I sold the car, I had no major interest in buying any car this soon and had decided that I will be using the City more regularly. While selling the car, I had approached multiple online platforms and one day dad casually mentioned why don't you check if VW gives any good offer on the new SUV they launched. Listened to him and had registered a request for Taigun test drive. I always used to think that only a VW can replace the Polo and no other car will come close to the driving pleasure it gave. Moreover we knew we will get a raised car whenever we buy they next car in order to get in and out more comfortably with me and my father both being 6 footers. At the same time we did not want the car to be that big that it becomes difficult to move around in Delhi traffic. Taigun ticked all the requirements and visiting the showroom would have been a quicker way to get things done but I was in no hurry. But I was so wrong that by the time they got the car for test drive to me, the Polo was already sold and gone.

Test Drive - Taigun:

When I started the process of selling my car it was end of February and I registered my interest in a test drive of the Taigun. I only chose Mondays as that's my weekly off. Received a call from the VW Dealership around 2 days after my query and I asked that if I could drive both 1.0 and 1.5 at the same time. SA refused to provide both the drives at home and asked me to visit the dealership. This call was on Friday and I asked him to just send the 1.5 GT to me on Monday afternoon around 2 then.

Received the call on Monday afternoon that its not possible to send the car but I can come at dealership for test drive. I told him that it won't be possible and I requested him to arrange it for next Monday then. He still sent me his location and requested that I make time and I am welcome to visit. I texted him back saying I know the place as I have been to service centre next to showroom multiple times for my Polo's service. Next week I get a call and he asks me sir you had enquired for a Polo's service and I shared our location, are you coming ? . Politely told him sir I had inquired for a Taigun test drive and I was supposed to get it today. He apologized and told me the car will be sent positively next week. In the meantime it was almost 3 weeks and had I finalized the deal of the Polo and the car was sold off.

Finally the SA called on next Sunday, a month after my request, that he will send the car tomorrow. Polo was already gone but I was still interested in trying the Taigun. The car finally came and it was Topline 1.0 instead of GT DSG. Called the SA that I had specifically asked for GT and not 1.0 and he said that was not available today but it's the same car, so I could drive this one. Disappointed, but took a short drive of 1.0 with AC on full blast (was already reading abut AC issues in 1.0 that time). The car felt familiar but I did not enjoy the drive that much. The SA said he will arrange the 1.5 next week positively but that never happened.

During the test drive when I inquired about any loyalty discounts (still had an Audi - VW group) / any other offers, all I got back was "No discounts, Final price applicable at time of delivery might change". Was further told there was a waiting of around 1-2 month for GT but 1.0 is available instantly. But with the replies I got either SA was not much interested in making the sale especially of GT or did not consider me a prospective customer. Moreover the poor reliability of DSG in stop-go traffic where I was planning to use the car most with OTR price of 22 lacs was not making much sense to me.

While using my Honda City on my daily 4-5km route I get an average go 5-6km/l. Polo was giving me 8-10 which was pain to watch. Previously used to get 14-15 but the lower average is fault of short route with stop-go traffic and not of the car in any way. On longer drives, both cars still return respectable figures. I knew the Taigun would also be in single digits on this route so I finally decided to let go of the Taigun and use the City for another couple of years. Did not follow up much as I had lost interest in the car even further after the response I was getting.

Moreover, I never head back from the SA for my pending 1.5 DSG test drive or if I was still looking to buy the car. The Polo was the first VW car in our family after many Marutis, Hondas and an Hyundai Accent. After I got the Polo in 2014 and my cousin was looking for a new car couple of years later. I literally forced him to buy a Vento DSG over a Honda city. Till today he loves the car much much more than the Jazz he owns, but thankfully he did take the extended warranty as gearbox issues did pop up near the end of his warranty (barely 40k kms). Was of course replaced, but after almost a month of downtime and endless follow ups. With all this and so many other reports of reliability issues, I was skeptical about buying a DSG for city use only and decided that the Taigun will not be a sensible buy for now.

Test drive - Nexon EV:

Only experience we had with TATA was with 2 Nanos my cousin had bought, first the petrol and then CNG. The car were eventually sold because of the terrible after sales and way too many niggles in them. But since then things have a changed a lot, and the customers in TATA showroom clearly show that. After a couple of days of giving up on Taigun, was randomly going though some thread about Nexon EV and I decided to book a test drive. I read some good things about it but was in no way planning to buy one this soon. Registered my interest on Tata website and got a call back within 60 mins. They confirmed they have forwarded my request to a dealer and I will hear from them soon. Got SA details next day over text and a call from him in less than 24 hours, asking when do I want the test drive. It was Sunday evening and I requested him for next day which he said he will try but its 1 EV they rotate between 2/3 showrooms and may not be possible for next day. He called me next day saying that he can get the car tomorrow but I told him to get it next Monday directly. Got a confirmation from him a day before that he will be there by 12-12.30. He reached around the same time but the car was at my place in flat 8 days vs more than 1 month VW took and still sent one with the wrong engine.

The first time you drive an EV, its a very different experience than any car you have ever been in before with its total silence and zero vibrations with only sound coming from the AC . Took the car for a semi-long test drive and thoroughly enjoyed it. The SA insisted to try the Sports mode and the wheels went crazy. The car felt very spirited and always wanting to just jump ahead, in fact a bit too much in traffic in Sports. After noticing the reaction, even though the car had a waiting period for 16-20 weeks, the SA was eager to make the sale and was even happy to offer discounts if I sit with a cheque in my hand. Infact he tried his best to get a booking amount but my parents were not there and I was not sure about the color yet but was pretty much sure I am getting this soon. Wife also liked the Nexon better than Taigun for some reason best known to her. Told the SA to call me back after a couple of hours. Thought some more and I decided to make the booking of dark edition as I was not liking teal and white much but wanted to see it in flesh once. Meanwhile SA called and I conveyed the same to him, luckily they had a Dark Edition XZ+ parked in their yard and he requested me to come and have a look. Visited with my parents and both of them were totally against the black color, even though I loved it totally for the looks.

Dad pointed out the car will heat very badly during summers with all black roof inside and out. I agreed with that and there was no way I could defy that logic. Finally decided to book the Teal color XZ+ with some hesitation as I was not sure about the white colour roof combination with Teal color which was parked inside the showroom in the LUX trim. By this time I was already hoping may be Max offers better color options and will make a switch else I would get the roof wrapped.

Mom and dad quite liked the color though and SA offered a discount of around 25k after consulting his Team Leader and we paid the 21k advance amount. During all this I was reading further about the Max and kind of knew I will be switching to Max as long as it doesn't cross 20 lac mark OTR. Conveyed this to SA and he clearly stated the discount will not be applicable which was understandable. Followed up a couple of times with SA if he had an update regarding Max but he was absolutely mum about it till launch day.

Switching to the Nexon EV Max:

SA called me in the morning launch day that they have been called for a brief and he will get back post the meeting. I had been following the teasers and more than the range the new features was what I liked more. As my daily beater, a range of even 150 was acceptable as I never planned to take this car on longer drives. Came the launch day and I found the prices to be very VFM considering the additional features it came with. Within hours of price reveal, the SA shared the brochure and price list and I immediately switched to XZ+ Max 3.3kW Intensi Teal. I liked both the Intensi Teal and Daytona grey better than previous color options. Received a confirmation email stating my model details 2 days later and the wait started. Did not consider the 7.2 variant as I plan to charge the car overnight and the faster charging speed is irrelevant for me. Though I still feel there are some misses which could have been added to the Max version to differentiate it more like full LED front and rear lights / fully digital instrument cluster / a bigger infotainment screen or at least a faster one / Wireless Carplay (having a wireless charger and not having wireless CarPlay is a very weird option to have). But adding more features would have also increased the prices even further.

In the coming days Followed up the SA quite a few times for test drive and finally after 2 weeks he confirmed the car is coming the next day which was a Saturday. He requested me to visit the dealership for the same as sending the car home was not possible. Visited him on Monday and took a short test drive. The car felt good to drive in city mode and the regen levels made it even more better. The changes to the central tunnel gave the car a much more upmarket look.

Change of colour - Intensi Teal to Daytona Grey:

On day of test drive, though I liked the Intensi Teal much more than the old Teal, I noticed it looked way too similar to my A4 and was wondering should I switch the colour? Shared the same concern with my SA casually when we went to check out the XZ+ Max at their yard as I wanted to see the new seat covers. Dad pointed at the yard that it looked like black covered with dust like my A4. I was also requesting the SA for faster delivery as I made the switch on launch day itself. He confirmed that they will get some cars allotted as it was end of month and he will give me an update soon.

This was 30th of May and I got a call from the SA in the evening that I had been allotted a Daytona Grey XZ+ Max 3.3kW and asked if I am willing to switch the colour. Now I had not seen the Nexon in this color, but there was a Tigor parked in same color and it looked nice. From the pictures though I felt the blue highlights stand out a lot and I would have to get them wrapped in black post delivery if I absolutely hate them. Asked the SA if he could arrange some real pictures of the car from the plant, but he could not do that. The Tata booking 3D page was the only place where I could find full images of Nexon EV Max in Daytona Grey and its looked quite dark but in a good way.

But with Intensi Teal ruled out and no intention to buy a white car, there was not much of an option I had. I confirmed the grey colour to him after an hour and transferred the downpayment to him and he got the car invoiced in my name. Got the invoice on 31st and the car left from Pune that day. Had clearly told him not to go for registration before I do the PDI myself.

Waiting & delivery:

The Max was launched on 11th may and when I had booked the normal EV the dealership had already started taking unofficial bookings for that around a week before launch. So when I made the switch SA told me to expect waiting of at least 8-10 weeks for delivery. But when I made the switch to Daytona Grey on 30th May, the car had already been allotted to dealer so it was invoiced on 31st may. I was told the car will take 8-10 days to reach the showroom post despatch. Meanwhile got the loan approved with the showroom guy offering the lowest ROI. The loan was approved and ready in 3 days but I requested not to disburse the amount before my approval.

The car reached the main yard of dealer which was on the outskirts on 8th of June but due to some change in hypothecation process in Delhi, registrations of all cars financed with govt banks stopped. This lead to overcrowding of the yard dealership had close to their showroom and took them 3 more days to make space for the car. Finally received the call on 11th June that the car had reached their yard and I can come for PDI. Went the same day as the bank guy was also insisting of disbursal of loan because RBI had raised the repo rate further and any more delay in disbursal could mean having all the documents processed again with new ROI. Went straight to the dealers yard and asked the SA to meet me directly there first. The car was covered with dust parked in an open area. Matched the VIN no with invoice and followed other steps of the PDI.

Attached some pictures I took that day:

I was happy to note that the blue trims did not seem that odd in person. I was also handed over the home charger during PDI and appointment for installation was scheduled the same day. The SA can be seeing getting the charger in the below picture to hand it over. He clicked a picture while giving it to me and also took my signatures to avoid any sort of disputes further:

The car had done 50kms. After being satisfied called the bank guy to disburse the loan amount:

The seat covers have a very good looking blue stitching with a new tri-arrow pattern. Found the seats to be smart looking, but the interiors were full of dirt, the car being parked in a open dusty space did not make things better. The piano black plastics all around are a magnet for dust, scratches, and marks:

Went to the showroom after PDI to select some accessories and make the balance payment left after disbursal of loan. The final amount paid by me was ₹1876469/- without any accessories. Below is the breakup of the same:

• Ex-showroom (including TCS) - 1791740/-
• Insurance (including RTI, Zero-Dep, Consumables) - 53500/-
• Registration / Fast Tag / HSRP - 6230/-
• Extended warranty (3+2) - 24999/-

Selected the following accessories that day:

• Trunk 3d Mats.
• Car 3d Mats.
• Door Visor.
• Mud Flaps.

The total for these 4 came to around 11k on which SA told he will try to get the best possible discounts. PDI was done on Saturday and the bank / RTO issue was still not sorted so it took another 5 days for the car to get the HSRP.

Got the call next day after PDI and the charger was installed and running in less than 24 hours post PDI. Tata Power guys were very efficient and even shared their phone numbers in case we face any issue charging the car post delivery. The cable were very neatly laid out and the charger was installed at a place where its not visible unless specifically looking for it.

Finally the car was ready for delivery on evening of 16th June with HSRP installed and I told the SA will take delivery next day. Reached the showroom on 17th evening with my wife, daughter and mother. It kept raining throughout the day on 17th with light showers. Even after reaching the dealership they cleaned the car twice but it kept raining again and again.

Saw the car parked in delivery area near the entry gate and requested the SA to get all the plastics removed form the interiors immediately. They still left the someone which I removed as I got in. Went inside the showroom and started with the formalities. The delivery process was smooth and took around 45 minutes in total.

They did the KYC for activation of Z-Connect and told me to wait 48-72 hours for proper activation of the same. Had a cake cutting and was handed over details of service centre and senior contacts in case of any problems. SA handed over all the invoices / payment receipts / insurance and other documents followed by a cake cutting.

The accessories I had selected were already installed except the car mats. SA had told me the mats are not in stock but when I reached their accessories shop I saw them lying there in open. I enquired regarding the same, and the accessories guy told me they tried installing them, but the EV max has raised floor near the drivers seat because of which they don't fit perfectly. He then even took me to a demo Nexon EV they and showed the floor of that car and showed me the hump in my cars floor. He told me will take 7-10 days for the Max specific mats to come. I further decided to get the following accessories added on day of delivery -

• Window Curtains.
• Door Guards.
• Ganesha Idol.

The total of all these came around 15k and I ended up paying close to 11k for these after around 25% discount. SA gave in writing about the pending delivery of mat along with extended warranty which will get activated next day after delivery. Also, due to chip shortage only one remote was given but both the keys were handed over. The spare remote will come with an empty key slot and the spare key can be put inside it when I get it. Have been asked to wait 60-90 days for the same. Got the extended warranty PDF by main within 48 hours and a call to confirm receipt of the same.

The door guards could not be installed because of non stop rain on delivery day and we finally decided to take the delivery in rain only. . Could not take proper pictures while taking delivery because of this. Attached below a picture of mandatory key handover and my little one standing all happy next to her new possession.:

The SA gave the demo going over the basic features of the car and some details about charging / removal of charger properly. I took a lightening cable with me to use CarPlay and thanks to the poorly located USB slot the SA had to plug in the cable for me. Asked me at then end if I had any other doubts and handed me over the fast tag. The car was handed over with 99% SOC showing a range of around 320 kms. Auto-wipers came in action as soon as I moved the car in rain and the smooth, soundless drive is a very peaceful experience only EVs can offer.

Installed the door protectors myself the next day after properly cleaning the car. Also installed a set of universal mats for time being till I get the 3D ones. The door protectors come with a small Tata logo and do the job pretty well, specially in tight parking spots:

Also installed the Ganesha Idol which they left on the dashboard. It can with a 3M double sided tape pasted so was easy to install:

The car looks very smart from the front end and I think it will age well just like the Polo did:

Parked at the same spot where I bid my olo good-bye a couple of weeks back. The door visors give the car a very smart look:

The door visors are same as the sold with the Nexon and there is nothing new about them. Would have liked them better with the chrome strip. They do come with a big Tata logo. Also notice with the curtains installed, anything inside the car is barely visible form out:

Please note the door visors make the blind spot even more worse which is already quite bad because of the thick A-pillars. There is minimal space visible between the ORVMs and door visors. Installing the windows curtains make this even more worse and you have to be very careful on turns:

However the curtains are of very good quality compared to the aftermarket ones I bought from my Polo. They were very flimsy and at times got stuck in door and even kept falling off. Even bigger problem in them was for the from windows they came with a zipper which could be opened up to see ORVMs or handle parking tickets. This was not a very good implementation and I mostly kept the front ones in my boot. The Tata ones come with strong magnets, good quality mesh and a small Nexon branding. They have a giant cut on the front ones to view the ORVMs:

The rear ones completely cover the windows and work very well during summers. The car feels somewhat better insulated form heat with curtains installed than without them. Have paid many fines on my Polo for installing films so did not want to get them installed anymore. Also notice the Nexon branding at top in all curtains:

However, if its not sunny out side, with all black seats and curtains installed the car can feel a little claustrophobic and its best not use them at such times. My little one hates them while sitting in the rear as they obstruct her view and have to remove them as she gets in every time especially at night.

Went for a customary pooja at night to a nearby temple and felt the heavy weight of the bonnet while lifting it:

Continue reading on BHPian prateekchanana's upgrade from a Polo to a Nexon EV Max for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

Took 3.5 hours approx to add 20% of battery with 3.3kW charger. In future I plan to plug in the car at around 25-30% SOC around 8.30pm post my office and by 8-8.30 in morning it should be 100% I think.

BHPian prateekchanana recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Got the car delivered today. The surprise rain in Delhi didn't let us take proper pictures and even after trying to clean up the car thrice, it ended up reaching home all dirty. Will be sharing some pictures soon. Anyone else buying the Max please note that there is a square hump near the driver seat because of which the old Nexon 3D/7D mats are not compatible with the Max. If you put them they are quite raised and don't fit perfectly. Had already paid for them and SA confirmed in writing will take 7-10 days to get the new mats. Have installed a set of universal mats I had in spare for now.

The boot mat / mud flaps / door visor fit perfectly well. Got the sun shades too as they are quite useful in Delhi heat and were of decent quality. Decided to get the door guards installed as well but thanks to the rain it was not possible to paste them. Will get it done when I go to get the mats. Got both the keys but one remote which again will take 60-90 days to come due to chip shortage.

The official brochure of dealer states zero dep as 68k here. I found it to be very reasonable compared to other city dealers.

The battery has 8 years warranty anyways so nothing specific covered related to that. Have opted for everything else including Zero Dep, Consumables, RTI, Key cover etc.

Attaching some pictures I clicked this morning after cleaning and installing the door guards myself.

Charged the car yesterday form 61% to 81% just to check the charger and everything else is working as expected. Took 3.5 hours approx to add 20% of battery with 3.3kW charger. In future I plan to plug in the car at around 25-30% SOC around 8.30pm post my office and by 8-8.30 in morning it should be 100% I think. Also the Zconnect app finally started working yesterday afternoon, 3rd day after KYC done by dealer (SA told to wait 48-72 hours).

Also while driving found this feature of car displaying directions and music controls even after exiting the CarPlay interface pretty cool and useful. The same were being displayed in the MID as well. However this was only working with apple maps and google maps don't display the directions neither on centre screen or on MID.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The car was showing a range of 288 kms with 82% SOC at the time of PDI.

BHPian prateekchanana recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Just came back after doing the the PDI. The car looks great in grey. Having second thoughts about changing the blue strips / humanity lines to black as they look fine as they are as well. Also the online images of the interior did not show the stitch colour clearly on the XZ+, but it is blue and goes well with the rest of the cabin theme.

Have finalized the insurance for 53.5k including RTI, zero dep and everything else. Was 3k cheaper without RTI. Liked the 3d mats more than 7d ones, but will decide about them on day of delivery. They were offering just a 5% discount as of now on accessories and was in a hurry so didn't finalize. The car was showing a range of 288 kms with 82% SOC. If the bank / RTO issue gets sorted out will be getting the delivery on Monday eve.

Also, the SA handed me over the home charger box and raised the request for installation of the same. Should be done by Monday morning I think. He raised the request before as well and I got the call within 24 hours form Tata Power for survey, but they later confirmed the 3.3 kW charger doesn't need one and will straight away be installed.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Another odd/misinformation the SA said was that apparently the 7.2 kW variant has some changes within the vehicle and even if I get the charger later, I wouldn’t be able to make use of the faster AC charging.

BHPian Varkey recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Test drove the EV Max today, Sree Gokulam Motors, Perumbavoor, Kochi brought the vehicle home. Usually the test drive vehicles I’ve seen doesn’t come with permanent registration, but this one was registered and came with a green plate.

Started the drive with 4 of us in the vehicle.

• Drove mostly in City mode and it definitely gave a totally good feel. The power available on tap felt super awesome.

• Tried different not so good roads which I usually go through on my diesel Etios Liva, and felt the drive very comfortable. I don’t think I’d have been able to manage the same speeds on my Liva, suspension felt really good and comfy.

• Went over a steep-ish incline in Eco mode and just stopped in the middle, removed foot from brake and the vehicle stood still. Resumed and the vehicle effortlessly went up the incline.

• I found the ventilated seats not so good, I had it at level 3 but I wasn’t getting an airy feel at all. Also the button placement felt odd (ie on the side of seat), I had to keep checking whether I turned it on or off or at max level cause the actual feedback was non existent.

• Sport mode felt energising, the vehicle simply zoomed.

• AC was behaving in a weird way. It was working all good till I turned on eco mode at which time the AC cooling dropped which is kinda expected but it was noticeable. Then I switched back to normal mode and AC started working again and seemed good. Had the temp set at 22, but after a while again it felt as though the AC cut off and was feeling warm. Anyway I’d give a benefit of doubt as I asked my wife and she said didn’t feel any such issue.

I had made a booking on June 3rd by paying Rs 11,000 at Gokulam (I’ve a booking in Bangalore too). Asked about delivery and the SA is like there are a lot of bookings and repeated the same 3-4 month timeline. Apparently the parent dealership have got only 3 allocations so far, one being the test drive car and two customer cars. He said this month they might get 25 cars allocated and if there are any cancellations he’d let me know. Most bookings are for the intensi teal colour apparently, same as my booking.

Another odd/misinformation the SA said was that apparently the 7.2 kW variant has some changes within the vehicle and even if I get the charger later, I wouldn’t be able to make use of the faster AC charging. I then asked there are 22 kW AC public chargers, would I not be able to use it for fast charging then, for which he’s like public AC chargers you can use at full speed but home chargers I’d be capped at 3.3 kW. Felt like he was just sharing from some training he received. Either way he seemed to be pushing for 7.2 kW variant.

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My wife likes the Hyundai Kona from the lot because of its looks and that it is a little niche on the roads.

BHPian xtremeshock recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey guys,

Have an EV purchase dilemma. The EV purchase is for Driver+Self use - School Pick-up drop and by my aged parents + by me for any in-town work. Current car which will be replaced is our Skoda Rapid. For the weekends I have the Thar + VRS.

Have tested the 3 commercial EV's available in the market: TATA Nexon EV MAX + Hyundai Kona + MG ZS EV.

The Tata is overall a good car with better features, especially the seat coolers, not a big fan of the minuscule sunroof though, seems to be put just to tick off all the boxes. Just a couple of issues is that the rear is slightly cramped and I'm not a big fan of the looks. Getting this within 1 month as assured by the dealer at 20.30 lakhs on road. If not for the rear being cramped compared to the MG, would buy this hands down.

The Hyundai Kona looks amazing on road, really feels like a proper EV, but even though it has most of the features, the interiors seem outdated. The test drive car which came was really dirty inside out with 20k kms done, it felt more like 60k kms, so definitely not aged well. I am getting this at 25.50 lakhs on road. It also has a cramped rear seat. This is the only car which is giving discount as there is 1 readily available with them. Any reason why these don't sell well? My wife likes this from the lot because of the exterior looks and is a little niche on the roads.

I have booked the MG ZS EV, but at 27 lakhs on road, it is the most expensive one of the lot. I'm  not a fan of the looks, but the interiors seem to much better than the above two, definitely has a more premium touch to this. The back seat I feel is the best of the lot. Just not ready to spend 27 Lakhs on something which seems to be still in the initial stages.

Currently, I am thinking of waiting for the Excite variant of the MG ZS EV. I think I can do without the sunroof and small feature misses as long as the battery range is not affected.

So guys can you help me which car I should get? I would be comfortable with 20 lakhs on the road but with the cramped rear space of the TATA I guess the Excite variant of the MG would be the best bet.

Here's what BHPian prasanna_indaje had to say on the matter:

If you are ok with a realistic range of ~180 kms and do not mind absence of cruise control, electronic parking brake, ventilated seats and traction control, along with some other smaller bits, please check Nexon EV XZ+ ( NOT the MAX variant). It reportedly has better back seat comfort compared to MAX due to smaller battery pack.

May be a couple of lakhs cheaper too.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Ground clearance of the EV Max has been reduced as compared to the standard Nexon EV.

BHPian rkmunjuluri recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Just now finished the test drive of Nexon EV max. Both me and my wife liked it and below are few pros and cons from my point of view. Explored Eco mode at level 2 regeneration and driven may be a km with city mode and regen at level 1.

PROS

• Suspension felt better than Nexon EV. May be added weight is helping in this? Do not know.
• Ventilated seats are very nice, we switched off the AC for 50% of the drive and kept the ventilation in level 2 and it was very pleasing and comfortable.
• AC was powerful and we switched it off as the weather was very pleasant and 19 c inside the car was too much for us to take.
• Autohold is a bliss and it doesn't crawl/roll, once you remove the leg from brake after getting the car to standstill. Was very helpful in stop and go traffic on outer ring road.
• Though the floor height is increased, the seat reclined positions in both front and rear helps with comfortable seating posture.
• 4 Disc brakes are very powerful, you will need some time to adjust to it.
• Adjustable regen modes are bliss and it was almost one pedal drive because of this except for spots where the traffic was stand still.
• Auto IRVM is good and big enough to cover entire back.

CONS

• Ground clearance is reduced, the SA mentioned near the battery it is only 190 mm. So at the front and rear it is 205, but in the middle it is 190. But I feel that is good enough as currently I drive WagonR (10 years old) and I never scraped its bottom with only 165 mm ground clearance. (I try to avoid bad roads and have never done off roading)
• For people with motion sickness, backseat will be tricky. If they don't incline with the backrest and try to sit in upright position, they will end up having a bad day. (my wife almost puked)
• No USB ports to charge phones in front or back. (only one port in front and I would count it as i would use it for android auto for navigation)
• Wireless charging doesn't work well, it keeps disconnecting for my samsung S21+ (yes I had taken the phone out of casing and tried)
• The boot floor used to cover the spare wheel is very cheap. It broke when the SA opened it to show me the spare wheel. (Tata motors for a 20 lakhs car we expect better)
• Mileage is highly susceptible to how you drive, when I got the car for TD it was showing 161 wh/km or 6.2 kms/kwh. Translating to roughly 250 kms range. We drove in eco mode and after 22 kms of TD with only AC on for 6 kms and for rest seat ventilation on with windows open, we were able to get average of 111 wh/km or 9 kms/kwh. Translating to 360 kms of city range. So my bet is we can extract atleast 320 kms in city and 270 on highway runs, driving it like an ICE car for sure.

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A range of 300Kms in real world usage is very much possible with speeds between 80-100Kmph on the highways.

BHPian speedmiester recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Took a long 50+Kms test drive of the Nexon EV Max.

Test drives car was available today at Key Motors, JP Nagar.

Spent more than an hour with the car. Won't talk much about the exteriors as it's pretty much the same as the Old one.

On the inside, the addition of the ventilated seats is a welcome move, the addition of wireless charger, new console for gear selection, regen selection is well thought of. All controls fall into place easily. Not happy with the deletion of physical buttons for the music system.

The test drive car was showing a charge of 96%. The range shown was 349Kms in the city mode with regen at level 3 and with AC off.

I drove mostly in eco mode with regen set at level 3 and Auto AC at 22 degrees. We were three adults in the car.

Addition of the auto hold means a slight tap of throttle is necessary to get the car moving. The weighted steering is a delight to hold and drive.

The extra battery weight is felt, but not to the extent the drive is affected. The ride is sorted, but at low speeds you will feel the bumps.

The route was a mix of heavy bumper to bumper city traffic and about 35Kms of moderate to high speed drive on NICE road. When I started off the energy consumption was at 156Wh/Km, I brought it down to 86Wh/km by the time I entered NICE road. On open roads, the eco mode is more than sufficient for regular drive, but the sports mode takes to a whole new level, the brisk acceleration is a delight and I am sure I will be using it more often

I drove it just as I would in my ICE car. Top speed can only be achieved in Sports mode and that number comes very quickly in this mode. Regen doesn't work with cruise control, that's one easy way to maintain good speeds and extend range.

Overall I drove 53.3Kms, the SOC was at 96% when I started and had come down to 79% when I stopped. The range was down to 259KMs from 338Kms.

To extrapolate, a range of 300Kms in real world usage is very much possible with speeds between 80-100Kmph on the highways.

Delivery will start from June 1st week and waiting period will be 16-20weeks.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.