The Indian car market today is witnessing a major demand for SUVs and the place that this is most visible is the compact segment. It was the Ford EcoSport that began the segment while the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza was the vehicle that brought big volumes into the picture. The newest player here will be the Nexon compact SUV from Tata which will launch later this year. Ahead of its debut, Tata has revealed the feature list for the car.
While the stying isn’t like a typical boxy SUV, Tata seems to be planning to wow the buyers with its premium interior. To be offered in a combination of black and grey, the cabin looks upmarket and should feel premium as well if you go by the quality of materials used in the Tiago and the Tigor.
To start with, it gets a 6.5” tablet touchscreen display placed on the top of the dashboard, something that is found in cars like the Mercedes-Benz GLA. The infotainment system has been developed by Harman and will come with eight speakers at least on the top-spec car. Along with the standard connectivity options like USB and AUX, it also gets seamless smartphone integration via Bluetooth thanks to the Android Auto and Apple Car Play firmware.
The centre console extends all the way to the floor and has the rotary drive-mode selector next to the gear lever, a segment first. The Tata Nexon will get three driving modes – City, Eco and Sport, with customised engine responses in each mode. The Nexon will be powered by the 1.2-litre Revotron engine that we have already seen in the Tata Bolt and the new 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel mill. Both the engines will come mated to a six-speed gearbox, also a first in this segment. The 1.5-litre diesel will produce close to 110bhp of power and will offer 260Nm of torque in the Sport mode.
You also get storage space under the driver armrest with a sliding cover along with bottle holders and cubby holes in the front doors. The upholstery will be fabric even for the top-spec car with leather-wrapped steering wheel, gear-knob and front armrest. It will get push-button start, power adjustable and folding wing mirrors and steering mounted audio controls as well.
The Nexon will be launched soon, in the month of August, and will have to compete against the Maruti Vitara Brezza, the Ford Ecosport and the Honda W-RV. It does get one of the most powerful diesel engines of the lot and with the equipment matching the rivals, it should be able to find a foothold in market quite soon.
