2024 Tata Nexon EV long-term review: Introduction
While we have had EVs in the OD Garage for some time now, we think living with the Tata Nexon EV will give us the closest real-world experience of what being an EV owner might be like right now. So with this in mind, we threw ourselves into the deep end with a Mumbai-Pune trip to start this stint off.
It's pleasant to see that this isn't quite the painful journey that it used be when the Nexon EV first showed up. The Nexon EV itself has evolved quite a bit to be more efficient in the varied driving situations you face on this journey. So there is a smaller dip in efficiency on the highway and in the hills. The variable regen helps as does the Eco mode.
A mention must also go to the range indicator, which is accurate enough for you to depend on while planning charging stops. We used only about 23 kWh for the 156 km trip, and this is with the 40 kWh battery pack. The new 45 kWh version that is currently being rolled out may not need you to stop at all if you leave fully charged.
Now you might think all the features and tech that Tata Motors now packs in the Nexon EV may be a bit of a gimmick. But a road trip, where you have to keep an eye on efficiency does make you start to think otherwise. The seats, to begin with, are great, they won't leave you tired over a few hours of driving. The JBL sound system is a banger and the 360-degree camera's let you thread through traffic in the ghats much more confidently than others.
I also find the efficient air-conditioning to be good in more than one way, you don't need to run it hard which adds to the efficiency. Also, you can fully power up the Nexon EV while charging so waiting in the car is a viable option now.
As for the bits I don't like, the horn pad is awkwardly placed. Since people don't hear you coming, it gets fiddly quite often. Also to do with the steering is the switchgear that seems to be too deep set to be easy to use. An odd trait is that, occasionally under braking, the regen can cut off quite abruptly causing you to slow down less quickly. This usually happens at just over the crawl speed so it its too alarming.
We plan on putting the Nexon EV through the grind over the next few months, so keep watching these pages!
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