Finally took a test drive of the Nexon diesel.
Took the test drive from TC motors Howrah. The advantage of this showroom is, its located right beside Nh6, so one can take a test drive of 15-20 kms on a 6 lane highway. The staffs were friendly and cooperative. The test drive vehicle was arranged in 15 minutes. In the mean time we were offered coffee/tea/cold drinks.
My last two visits to Tata showrooms were not at all pleasant, they were rather disappointing. 1st was was in 2010 for a Fiat Punto, 2nd one was for a Nano in 2013. But this time its a different experience altogether. The professionalism, friendliness everything was proper and up to the mark.
Coming to the car-
Looks are subjective. I had a neutral feel. It neither looks good nor bad. Felt the rear to be a bit quirky.
Getting inside and coming out of the vehicle was easy. One really do not have to climb up. Elderly persons shouldn't have a problem. The doors felt heavy and shut with a thud. Build quality seemed to be great.
The
interiors were awesome. I loved it. May be best in its class. Starting right from the drivers side arm rest to all the controls, i found every thing to be ergonomically positioned.
The
ac was a chiller.
The
music system sounds good.
The seats were comfortable. Though i found it to be more suitable for four persons rather than five. The leg space in front and rear were adequate.
The
boot space felt okay too. Coming from an Etios, any cars boot space feels small to me !
Coming to the driving part-
Had to press the clutch to start the car. Started driving in
ECO mode. It was strictly average. Had to push the vehicle hard on 3rd gear to reach the triple digit speeds fast on the highways. It should be adequate inside city. One can use the ECO mode on highways too, if he is a sedate driver and maintains a steady cruising speed. Fast driving on single lane highway can be a bit tricky with the ECO mode on. One have to pre-plan the overtaking maneuvers.
After driving for 5-6 kms i shifted to sports mode. I had an expectation that the car will simply take off with the sports mode on! But its not! With sports mode on, i will say the performance was adequate but its not a scorcher. If i buy a Nexon this will be my default driving mode. With sports mode, one gets more than adequate power and decent pick up for the Indian highways. I pushed the vehicle beyond 120 km/hr on an open stretch and it was rock stable with good speed masking capacity.
The 260nm torque is evident. Nexon pulls cleanly from 2nd gear without any input on the accelerator.
The overall NVH level inside the cabin was really good. Engine sound is audible if windows are rolled down or one is standing beside the car.
The handling was up to the mark. Liked the way the car handles. Drove fast on a longish 'U' turn, did sudden lane changes with good speed but the car was rock steady and never gave any nervous feeling. The handling is quite sure footed. The eps is well calibrated too. It gives decent feedback. Appreciating the handling of Nexon after driving an old gen Ford Figo!
The braking is good too. Slammed the brakes at 110km/hr. Abs kicked in and the car stopped without any drama.
The low speed ride quality was a bit harsh but it gets better at higher speeds. The low speed harsh ride quality was acceptable against the handling this car offers.
The only thing i didn't like was the gear shift. I wont say its notchy or rubbery. While engaging 5th the slotting was not very smooth for a couple of time. Engaging the reverse gear required more pressure than what i would have liked.
Took it off the road to do a bit of soft roading. The 209mm ground clearance was more than adequate with excellent approach and departure angles. People who like travelling to hills and places like Ladakh or Himachal will be more than happy with this car!
As a package i loved the Nexon. The pricing felt VFM too.
Few pics i took from the test drive-
The speedometer console looks good and neat.
Center console looks classy
Have to lift the ring to engage reverse gear.
350L boot space is adequate for the long weekend family trips.
Rear seat comfort and leg room were good. The rear AC vent was effective too.
More than adequate ground clearance. Ladakh goers will be happy!
The quirky rear!
From this angle, i felt the car to be most smart looking.
