It is cheaper to run than an Activa, that too by a healthy 50% margin. Gone are the days I used to worry about burning fuel at traffic jams.
BHPian Eco_boost recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
6 Months and 6000 km update:
- Model – Nexon EV Dark XZ+
- Delivery Day – 28.11.22
- ODO – 6452 km
I got the Nexon EV home after testing as many as 14 different cars.
Here is a brief summary – ( Note – Cars with atrocious waiting periods were not considered):
- MG ZS EV – Rejected due to similar space as a Nexon for 2x money.
- Jeep Compass – Was on the verge of booking it, however horror stories of breakdowns in the middle of nowhere by bhpians kept me away.
- Harrier – Solid car , cheaper and bigger than the compass for the same engine, however poor interiors and absence of critical features like rear discs / 360 camera kept me away.
- Hyrider and GV – Matchbox like build , 3 Pot engine were deal breakers.
- Taigun – Was only looking at the 1.5 TSI , however fear of poor City FE and compact dimensions as compared to the Koreans kept me away.
- Virtus – Much bigger than the Taigun for similar money, however concerns regarding City FE and questionable interior quality were deal breakers.
- 2022 Tucson – The best car I drove during my search, only to be dismissed due to my budget.
- Hector / H Plus – Supremely comfortable , value for money car. Rejected due non-availability of a Diesel AT.
- Breeza – I had actually made up my mind to cut a cheque for this no-nonsense car after getting pissed off by my car buying stint. ZXI AT was costing approx 14.5L on road , and there was no way I was going to pay this much for a sub-compact SUV.
- Nexon EV Dark – The obnoxious pricing of the Breeza made the Nexon EV a value for money buy at 15.75 OTR. (Thanks to the 1.5L subsidy and year end discounts). Ready stock with the dealer was an icing on the cake and hence , a cheque was immediately signed.
I am sure everyone living in metros must be seeing as many Nexon EVs as their ICE counterparts. Such is the popularity of this little beast.*And after using it as my daily for exactly 6 months, here is a detailed review for my folks !
THE GOOD:
Running Costs:
This is the best thing about EVs at the moment. Cheaper to run than a Activa, that too by a healthy 50% margin. Gone are the days I used to worry about burning fuel at traffic jams. Man, do I love to idol this car *
Acceleration / NVH*:
Is insane in Sport mode. So much that it’s dangerous to use within the city. Overtaking on highways is now entertaining. The car wheel spins when accelerating at low speeds. CRAZY!!
NVH levels? Non- Existent!
Build, Ground clearance, and Suspension setup*:
The car is very well built. No rattles yet. The doors are thick, twice as thick as the Grand Vitara.
Healthy 205mm of GC is more than sufficient to take on the marvelously engineered speed breakers of our country. Suspension is softly sprung and the car glides over undulations and potholes at low speeds.
Road Presence and Interior quality:
Superior road presence is the best thing about the dark edition. The car looks hot in black and I would rate the design on par with the Virtus GT. The rear design is an eye-sore, in an otherwise well-designed product.
Black leatherette seats feel superior and well cushioned and the overall design and layout look clean and smart. The 7” Touchscreen unit is of adequate size and looks sleek coming out of the dash.
THE BAD:
City Range:
I’m only able to squeeze out about 160-170 km of range per charge as most of my driving is in bumper-to-bumper traffic. However, on open roads, the range goes up to 220 Km. I need to plug in the vehicle at about the 120-130 km mark on the trip meter. The average Wh/km stays between 160-180. Not very happy about this.
Poor Ergonomics:
The cup holders are very small and are in effect only able to take in cups and small bottles. I need to keep my 700 ml steel bottles in the door storage area or on the seats where they keep rolling up and down. Never faced such a problem in any other car.
Everything you keep in the cubby holes will rattle when the car moves. Bottles, car keys, pens, everything.
Poor under-thigh support for both the front and rear seats. Also, the rear seat recline angle is a little upright, which is uncomfortable for long journeys. Overall, comfort is unpleasant.
Cheap misses:
No LED headlamps in an ELECTRIC CAR?
No rear cabin light? You make a car with all-black interiors, how is the rear passenger supposed to find his things post sunset?
NO ECO Mode? It’s an EV. Even a Tiago gets one.
Stiff steering / Handling
Steering is very stiff at low speeds. Even stiffer at highway speeds.
Handling is not very good and there is body roll at high speeds. Makes you miss a sedan.
The suspension bottoms out if you hit a pothole at slightly higher speeds. Never happened in my Verna or WagonR.
Brakes and Hill Hold.
The brakes are good, however, when using sport mode, you feel the need for rear discs and/ or sharper brake bite.
Hill Hold, something I feel should be standard in every automatic car, is missing.
THE UGLY:
I faced a breakdown exactly 7 days after delivery. Unacceptable, proves that TATA still has a lot of ground to cover.
CONCLUSION:
The Nexon EV has more cons than pros. But I would still recommend it to people.
3 Most important things in a car according to me are its Engine (Heart, in this case, an electric motor churning 130 BHP/ 250NM, almost instantly, in a subcompact suv!!), Build (5-star-rated Body) and Design. And this mighty car nails all these things with Thor’s hammer!
Where it disappoints, is in the next 3 most important things, Reliability (TATA), Ergonomics (TATA), and possibly Resale value (Early EV).
Note the first Pro and the first Con on my list. And make your decision. Period.
Answering some famous YouTube Questions:
Why the Nexon EV?
Upfront subsidy of 1.5L and humble running costs have sealed my fate with the Nexon EV for the next 5 years.
Would I buy the same car again?
Not without the subsidy.
I miss the BIG CAR feel. If I could get my money back, I would save it for a compass or a Tucson.
Am I environmentally conscious?
As I have already mentioned, I am more concerned about saving money and not the planet. People concerned about the latter should buy a cycle or use public transport.
We all know how electricity is produced in our country. However, all of the new capacity expansions have been done using renewable sources. Bravo!
Even if an EV is charged using a non-renewable source, remember it does not affect your immediate environment. Flooring your Ev will not produce any smoke.
With EVs, the air we breathe will be cleaner.
Keyword: Tata Nexon EV: Owner shares honest observations after clocking 6000 km