The car moves up the gears smoothly as long as you are gentle with the throttle. Driving from point A to point B in this car would be a smooth affair especially compared to the jerky AMT.
Driving the Tata Nexon 1.2L Turbo-Petrol Dual-Clutch AT
1.2L, 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol puts out 118 BHP @ 5,500 rpm and 170 Nm @ 1,750-4,000 rpm. It’s mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission:
It was about time that Tata introduced a proper automatic transmission on the Nexon and going with this dual-clutch automatic was a good decision. The Altroz was the first Tata car to get a dual-clutch transmission and the Nexon is the second. While the Altroz’s gearbox is a 6-speed unit, the one on the Nexon is a 7-speed unit. It comes from a Belgian company named ‘Punch Powertrain’ and has been specifically designed for this turbo-petrol engine. It has a max engine torque rating of up to 200 Nm and has a planetary gear system. Most dual-clutch transmissions are essentially two manual gearboxes packed together that are operated by two sets of clutch packs. One operates the odd gears and the other operates the even gears. Hence, this kind of gearbox needs two input shafts and can be seen in Volkswagen DSG gearboxes such as the DQ200. The Nexon’s gearbox utilises two clutches but gets a planetary gear system that uses just one shaft. The design is therefore pretty compact and it uses fewer shifting components. Furthermore, shift-by-wire eliminates the use of shifter cables.
Instead of opting for a dry clutch pack, Tata has gone for a wet clutch pack. For India’s varying climate conditions, a wet clutch pack makes a lot more sense. The Nexon’s gearbox also has machine learning software that optimises transmission behaviour based on its diagnostics and analysis of thousands of parameters (almost 100 times per second). And while wet clutch dual-clutch ATs sap more power than dry clutch packs, Tata claims that it has managed to have no oil between friction surfaces, which avoids the drop in engine power. Another clever feature of this transmission is self-healing technology. Wet clutch gearboxes usually have a filter that keeps out debris and dust. The gearbox prevents such a build-up through an automatic vibration system, which reduces the need for active maintenance.
Now that we’ve got the technical aspects out of the way, let’s talk about how the car performs on the road. Slot into D, take your foot off the brake pedal and the car crawls forward smoothly without any throttle input. The car moves up the gears smoothly as long as you are gentle with the throttle. Driving from point A to point B in this car would be a smooth affair especially compared to the jerky AMT. You will appreciate the gearbox in stop-and-go traffic. Build up some speed and some flaws start to show. Driving around the city with part throttle, you will notice that the gearbox sometimes upshifts when you want it to hold a gear. You can even feel a slight jerk when the gearbox downshifts when you are slowing down coming to a halt. This unpredictable behaviour usually happens when you get on and off boost which can get annoying at times. Apart from this, the gearbox manages to keep the engine in the powerband and you will be able to keep up with the traffic quite easily.
Out on the highway, the Nexon is more of a cruiser than an outright performer. Especially when you compare to the likes of the Hyundai-Kia dual-clutch transmission on the Venue and the Sonet, the Tata gearbox clearly lacks performance. This is not a quick-shifting gearbox and is tuned for comfort. Even the maximum rpms are limited to 5,750 rpm and you will see the gearbox upshift just before this. You can cruise at 100 km/h in 7th gear at ~1,750 rpm and 120 km/h comes in at ~2,250 rpm. The engine feels relaxed while cruising and you can do triple-digit speeds all day long in the Nexon. Highway overtakes are also reasonably quick and the gearbox drops down a couple of gears on kickdown to get you up to speed. The engine’s strong mid-range helps here and is quite enjoyable. You do get paddle shifters here too and we didn’t find the need to really use them as the downshifts aren’t that quick and you’d better just let the gearbox select the right gear for you. Engine braking also isn’t very strong with manual downshifts. To cancel the paddle shifter manual mode, you have to engage ‘D’ once again by pushing the gear lever down.
All in all, the gearbox is more suited for a relaxed driver. It’s smooth and responsive enough for you to get by in most conditions. However, if you are looking for performance and quick shifts, you’re better off with the Hyundai Venue or Kia Sonet DCT. This gearbox has been designed for comfort driving and it does that well.
As was the case with the previous Nexon, you have the default ‘City’ driving mode with additional Eco and Sport modes.
Eco Mode – Engage ‘Eco’ mode by turning the rotary knob on the centre console to take the engine into its most fuel-efficient mode. Eco greatly mutes throttle response, even when compared to the default ‘City’ mode. The car isn’t eager to respond quickly. On the open road, this mode can be used for cruising on the expressway only. Kickdown for overtaking in Eco mode is slow and you wouldn’t want to be in this mode for overtaking.
Sport Mode – This is the mode where the throttle is much more responsive and the car feels quite peppy. Even the gearbox holds on to the gears a bit longer as compared to other driving modes which is highly appreciated. You will notice this at a set cruising speed of say 70 km/h, the gearbox won’t go to the 7th gear in Sport mode whereas it would in Eco mode.
Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)
The 1.2L turbo-petrol is a 3-cylinder engine and there’s no hiding that fact when it comes to NVH levels. While the engine noise is kept to a bare minimum and you can barely hear the engine in the cabin, you can however feel the vibrations on the steering wheel and the pedals as well. When you floor the accelerator, the engine note at high revvs isn’t very sporty.
Mileage & Fuel Economy
Tata hasn’t revealed the fuel economy figures for the Nexon turbo petrol DCT. While Tata may claim that this dual-clutch automatic is fairly economical, being mated to a turbo petrol engine does complicate the matter. This is because a turbo petrol engine’s fuel efficiency is very much dependent on the driving style. We will wait for Team-BHP ownership reviews for a more realistic figure.
Driving the Tata Nexon 1.5L Diesel 6-speed MT
4-cylinder Revotorq diesel engine puts out 113 BHP & 260 Nm of torque:
The diesel engine in the Nexon has always been quite a popular mile muncher. Not much has changed in the basics of this engine since the first time we drove it in 2017 and is very similar in terms of driving. What’s changed though are the times, by which I mean the emission norms. Currently, we’re in the BS6 phase 2 which has further tightened the limits on diesel emissions. Tata has managed to make their diesel engine compliant with the latest emission norms without increasing the complexity of the engine. This means that the diesel engine doesn’t get a big DPF, but they have managed to reduce the NOx emissions with an efficient EGR system and a Lean NOx trap. Hence, you don’t need to worry about adding diesel exhaust fluid or Active DPF regeneration and you can drive this diesel engine like you drove the previous generation of diesels.
The Nexon diesel gets a 1,497cc, 4-cylinder turbocharged motor making 113 BHP @ 3,750 rpm and 260 Nm of torque @ 1,500-2,750 rpm and is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. The power numbers have gone up by 5 BHP from the 2017 model, and the difference in performance is too small to notice. This engine is from the Revotorq family and features a cast iron cylinder block and an aluminium cylinder head. It is also equipped with an aluminium oil sump and an auto-tensioning timing belt.
The 1.5L engine moves off the mark quite easily. It’s very tractable & can take off even in second gear without any throttle input! Power delivery is fairly linear and driveability is overall good. This is a city-friendly engine and one can keep going at 50 km/h in fourth gear with the rev counter reading just 1,600 rpm. Keeping up with city traffic is easy and one doesn’t need to downshift too much. There is some turbo lag below 1,600 rpm, but it’s not excessive; you can start pulling the engine from ~1,400 rpm itself.
On the open road, the Nexon diesel is an able mile muncher. The linear power delivery means there is no sudden push when the turbo spools. Above 1,500 rpm, the engine feels comfortable and comes into its stride at 2,000 rpm. The torque available at lower rpms means it is not necessary to shift down often to pass slower-moving vehicles, even on single-lane highways. Expressway performance is satisfactory. The engine starts losing steam beyond 4,000 rpm. Despite its power, the diesel is more about practicality than outright performance. It’s best to just gradually build up speed and let the vehicle cruise. It can amble along at 100 km/h in 6th gear with the engine spinning over at ~2,000 rpm.
Like the petrol engine, the diesel also gets two selectable driving modes (apart from the default City mode), which switch the engine map.
Eco Mode – Switching to ‘Eco’ mode makes the throttle response a lot duller. This mode limits the power output and the engine uses less fuel as compared to the other modes. Even so, the low-end torque makes Eco mode useable in the city. On the highway, this mode can be used for cruising. Only when you want to overtake slower-moving traffic in a hurry will you want to switch to one of the other modes.
Sport Mode – As expected, switching to Sport mode makes the car more responsive to throttle inputs (both, in terms of pedal and engine mapping). A slight dab on the accelerator and the difference is immediately felt. That said, this mode is not very nice to use in urban conditions, particularly if the driver has a slightly heavy foot. We felt the car gets just a little too jerky for regular city commuting. Where the Sport mode is at home is on the highway. The improved throttle response is always welcome when you want to cruise fast or overtake.
The diesel clutch is light and does not have a long travel range. Its feel is poor and the action can get jerky. The 6-speed gearbox has a slightly rubbery feel, but it slots in well. The throws are long too, and take some time to get used to.
Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)
In terms of NVH, there is a noticeable body shake on startup and when the engine is turned off. What you will notice is that the diesel engine has improved in terms of refinement and is silent when warm. It’s noisy on the outside, yet sufficiently insulated on the inside. At idle & regular commuting rpm, engine noise is adequately controlled. Above 3,000 rpm, the motor gets audible and higher up in the rev range, it doesn’t sound nice. On the other hand, wind noise is kept out of the cabin rather well.
Mileage & Fuel Economy
Tata hasn’t revealed the exact fuel efficiency of this Nexon Facelift diesel engine. However, the BS4 Nexon diesel had an ARAI-rated fuel efficiency rating of 21.5 km/l. You can expect the facelift to be closer to this number.
Suspension
Ride Comfort
Back when the Nexon was launched in 2017, we found the ride quality to be on the stiffer side. This was probably a sentiment shared by a lot of owners of the first batch which is why Tata softened the suspension for the following batches of cars. There’s been no change mechanically to the suspension system and the Nexon continues to ride on independent McPherson strut front suspension and a twist beam rear.
At low speeds, the ride is compliant and absorbent. Tata has managed to get the suspension tune perfect over the years and the Nexon feels comfortable over bad roads. Even with these 16-inch alloy wheels, you don’t really feel the road as much. There is a bit of side-to-side movement in the cabin over a bad patch of road, but it’s never excessive.
Handling & Dynamics
As speeds increase, the Nexon’s ride improves significantly. It manages to handle broken roads decently and dismisses smaller potholes with aplomb. The larger ones do filter through though. The ride is good on the highway and the suspension goes about its job silently – it’s not clunky or loud. The car feels well-planted at highway speeds and the vertical movement is very well controlled.
In terms of dynamics, the Nexon holds onto its line well and doesn’t understeer easily. There is some body roll & you do feel the car’s sheer height in fast corners, but it never gets unnerving. Straight-line stability is very good for the segment, and the dynamics are safe overall. There are no nasty surprises here.
Steering
The electric power steering is one of the nicer units around. It’s very convenient for urban commuting & manoeuvrability. The steering is light at city speeds and weighs up sufficiently as the speedometer needle climbs. The diesel’s steering had noticeably more weight, whilst the petrol Nexon’s was one-finger-light at low speeds. The EPS isn’t lifeless and does give you some feel of what the front wheels are up to. At higher speeds, the steering inspires confidence.
Braking
This Tata comes with the ubiquitous front disc & rear drum braking hardware. The brakes are equipped with ABS + EBD. We felt that the initial brake bite was missing, but after that, they were progressive and did the job as expected. From high speeds, the car stops in a straight line sans any drama.
Niggles & Problems
While the Nexon has largely remained the same, Tata has added quite a bit of electronics to the facelift. And the chances of things going wrong with new electronics are generally high. On our test drive, we faced a few issues with the electronics like one of the cameras of the 360-degree system wasn’t working at times, the bonnet sensor stopped working randomly and the car kept warning us about the bonnet being open despite us manually shutting it properly. Then the USB-C ports of our car weren’t working and the wireless charging pad had a loose contact. We highly recommend that you do a thorough PDI and make sure that your car is free of any niggles or issues. Also as always, we recommend that you get the 2-year or up to 1,25,000 km extended warranty over the standard warranty of 3 years or 1,00,000 km.
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