I understand that I paid a bit extra for the Jet edition but trust me it stands out differently in traffic.
BHPian rajarshi94 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
I was annoyed by the ride quality of my OG Glanza MT over bad patches and broken roads. Also was very scared after witnessing the outcome of a very minor accident. We were looking for a robust car with fun to drive and comfortable character. The budget was Rs 15 lakhs.
So I shortlisted a few cars for test drives.
Shortlisted cars were:
- New generation Venue
- Scorpio N Z4
- XUV 300
- Wildcard Entry: City ZX
- Harrier
Feedback
- Hyundai Venue: Good comfortable car with fair build quality. But the appearance seemed unchanged and a bit boring for my personal preference. Dropped it.
- Mahindra Scorpio-N Z4: Z4 was not available for a test drive. Sales guys were reluctant to provide a test drive even. However, they provided a test drive the next week with an automatic one. It is amazingly comfortable and the stance is unmatched. But was not sure about delivery dates and even the sales guys were not interested in selling one. So dropped it.
- Mahindra XUV 300: Amazing to drive. Liked the ambience from the driving seat. But it lacked ground clearance as per need (did not measure but from appearance, it seemed the same as my Glanza). My better half asked to drop due to the small boot space.
- Wildcard Entry – Honda City ZX: This was added to the list due to my weakness towards this Japanese sedan. The test drive was so good. Liked all bits of the car but the ground clearance. It came out to be not so valuable investment as I already own a Glanza and it is even lower than that. As it did not qualify for our requirement, we dropped it.
- Tata Harrier: WoW. It’s a huge car. Ticks all the boxes. Feels and drives like a tank. But had to drop it due to budget issues (XT Plus was going 19L plus).
Conclusion
So our shortlisted cars were not fitting into our requirements and I decided to park my new car purchase plan.
BUT
On December 1, I was waiting at a signal and saw a Nexon Dark Edition in flesh. Was impressed with the road presence and tall guy stance.
So I visited, the Tata showroom nearby with friends. We checked out the Dark Edition, Kaziranga edition and normal White one of Nexon. Also took a test drive behind Fortis hospitals, Anandapur, Kolkata. Guys who have been on that road know it is a mixed result of off-road track and well-built road with auto and taxis simulating congested situations.
Was impressed with the drive and liked the high seating position. Friends also approved.
After checking out different colours and features, I booked the Jet edition which was ready in stock and could be delivered in December itself. Paid Rs 21,000.00 to Tata for the booking.
Took a week to arrange finance through Union bank.
16 December 2022: Before the final payment, we went to do a PDI at Anandapur.
They took us to the stockyard and it was love at first sight for both me and my better half.
The Starlight colour theme with dark alloy wheels with beefy tires created an attractive look. Even the dirty car hit us hard.
The light interior adds up to the roominess. Liked by my parents.
Checked the batch number of all four tires. They are from the same lot. Was not confident about Goodyear Excellence tires. The spare one is Goodyear Assurance of a smaller size.
Did some research and found out these are one size wider than regular Nexon. Accepted the fact and will see how these tires go.
We could find a small scratch on the boot and the stock manager’s face went dull immediately. He promised to get it fixed. We decided to let it go as we were aware of how Tata dealers keep their cars. We pushed the sales guy and he was ready with an additional discount.
So the final deal was:
- Ex-Showroom: Rs 12,22,900
- Road Tax + Registration: Rs 69,840
- Insurance: Rs 30,000
- Accessories: Rs 3,350
Total: Rs 13,26,090
The discount was provided on the Insurance premium as they said Tata does not allow discounting on the ex-showroom price.
We went back and asked the Bank to clear the payment.
Delivery Day 23 December 2022:
As I live almost 150 kilometres away from Kolkata, I called the sales guy the previous day and took confirmation that our car will be delivered on the 23rd.
We arrived at Dulichand Tata, Anandapur, Kolkata at around 12:30 pm and to our surprise the car was nowhere at the dealer’s compound. The sales guy told us the car is at the workshop and it is being cleaned and polished, will arrive just now.
They started the paperwork. We also did not hesitate.
My friends also arrived during that time. But to our surprise, the car was not on the dealer’s premises at 2 PM.
I clearly remember the sales guy’s dialogue during the last visit, he was saying it’s a norm for them to bring the car to the showroom at least 72 hours before the delivery time.
Now the drama starts, the car arrives at 2:30 PM in the same state it was standing at the stockyard. I. checked inside and found the co-driver seat was unwrapped and there are spots inside. It felt like they showed the car to some new customer and also did a test drive on it.
My father went very upset about the fact and wanted to meet a senior folk in the showroom. They provided an excuse that as the showroom is being renovated, none of the senior folks is there and assured me to clean the car.
To our shock we saw people rubbing the brand new car with wet clothes and someone is applying some solution on black parts. They said this is how the cars are delivered and they can’t water wash it.
The dirt under the grille part speaks for everything.
We were hopeless in this showroom and decided to take delivery as there was no alternative way.
Delivery Pic:
(We tried to smile but dad was grumpy)
The key design is good. Notice there are scratches on the key and the tags are almost gone. Don’t know who-else handles new car keys like Dulichand does.
24 December 2022:
Took the new car to Nachinda Temple, where we bring all our cars and bikes for Puja.
BUT
While returning home, I tried to showcase sports mode to my family but to my surprise car was unstable and there was a wobbling felt in the steering whenever crossed 100 km/h.
I was shocked and devastated. One day old car giving such issue is unexpected!
It was evening till we reached home so called it a day.
25 December 2022: We cancelled our family outing plan and I took my car to the nearest MRF franchise. I wanted to check the alignment of the wheels before raising it to Tata as the showroom is 150 km away.
MRF guys opened the wheel and my eyes literally popped out.
Approximately 200 grams of dried mud in each wheel !! That too in a brand-new car! They just scraped them using screwdrivers and brushes and fitted them. All the issues were resolved immediately!
I have no idea where they kept the car or where they drove it before delivery! And how come they didn’t even clean it? Tried to raise a complaint with Tata Motors but unfortunately, they diverted the issue to the dealership. The guy who was handling my case repetitively told me that they will foam wash the car and polish it in the first service and close it begging pardon.
I somehow felt these will never get to the notice of higher officials and things won’t change.
I decided to enjoy my new ride instead of dragging the issue.
So after 1250 km of driving here is my take on Nexon.
Pros:
- Great build quality
- The high seating position gives a commanding feeling
- Ventilated seats are amazing
- Sunroof is small but allows light to enter
- Huge ground clearance means I never thought of touching anything underneath
- Very stable at high speeds
- 6th gear is too good for triple-digit cruising speeds
- Cruise control lets you roll at 100 km/h while being at 2k rpm
Cons:
- Bad fit and finish
- Light interior is easy to get dirty
- Sometimes the engine vibrates and asks for a downshift
- Gear slotting is a bit hard sometimes
- The low beam is weak.
- Horn is funny
- No rear fog lamp but there is a cutout on the rear bumper. Looks pathetic
- A pillar creates a good blind spot for the driver
- iRA is waste. It has a mind of its own and the iPhone app is buggy.
But for the price paid, I am very satisfied with the overall experience. I understand that I paid a bit extra for the Jet edition but trust me it stands out differently in traffic. Also, the ventilated seats offer me the comfort of a segment-up car.
Bonus pics
Keyword: Tata Nexon Jet Edition ownership: Pros & cons from an ex-Glanza owner