The Tata Nexon EV was the brand’s first foray into the private, mass-market all-electric space, and has been on sale since January 2020. The Nexon EV was given a comprehensive facelift in September 2023, which brought a number of cosmetic and some mechanical changes, and helped grow Tata’s EV market share. Recently, however, the electric compact SUV’s sales have been stagnating, with the MG Windsor becoming the bestselling EV in the segment. Here, we take a look at the three main reasons why the Nexon EV is a good buy, and three reasons why one should consider its rival.
Reasons to buy the Tata Nexon EV
1. Range and driveability.
The Nexon EV is on sale with 30kWh and 45kWh battery options; the former has an ARAI-rated range of 275km, while the latter can go 489km on a single charge. Our Nexon EV 45 real world range test showed that the 45kWh battery has an average range of 350km on one charge, putting it just behind the Tata Curvv EV 55’s 365km real world range.
With the facelift, the Nexon EV’s motor was also modified; on the larger battery version it produces 2hp more, but 35Nm less than its predecessor, making 145hp and 215Nm. The 30kWh battery versions get a 129hp, 215Nm motor. The drivability improved significantly as the power delivery is far more linear, and wheel spin is minimised even when the throttle pedal is mashed to the floor. Ride and handling has always been a highlight of the Nexon EV, and braking performance on the higher variants that get rear disc brakes is more than adequate.
2. Features and tech.
Top-spec Nexon EV Empowered variants look tech laden – thanks to the 12.3-inch touchscreen and the 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster. The range-topper also gets features such as ventilated front seats, a wireless charger, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an on-board air purifier, connected car tech, a sunroof and a superb-sounding 9-speaker JBL audio system with a subwoofer. Considering its Rs 12.49 lakh-17.19 lakh price range, including the Red Dark variants, the Nexon EV also comes across as good value for money.
Safety-wise, the top-spec Nexon EV gets six airbags, ESC, front and rear parking sensors, an electronic parking brake, hill descent and ascent control, a 360-degree camera, blind spot monitoring, and a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS). This April, the Nexon EV 45 was awarded a 5-star BNCAP safety rating; the same rating was received by the 30kWh variants in June last year.
3. Step up in interior design and quality.
The interior of the Nexon EV facelift impresses with its quality and is a big step up from its predecessor. The top-spec Empowered versions sport a nice mix of textures, patterns and colours, and feature a dual-tone dark grey and light grey upholstery, with subtle blue stitching on the dashboard and seats. The seats have also improved over its predecessor and offer better bolstering. Space continues to be ample, though tall people seated at the rear may feel headroom is tight. Boot capacity is rated at 350 litres.
Reasons not to buy the Tata Nexon EV
1. Cabin ergonomics.
Among the reasons why we wouldn’t recommend the Tata Nexon EV are its ergonomic issues. None of the 10 variants get a centre rear headrest or pockets behind the front seatbacks. Buyers will also miss proper cup holders at the front, and the placement of the switches for the front ventilated seats seems like an afterthought. Further, the drive mode selector is now a rotary dial, which is glitchy and slow to engage.
2. Fit and finish in certain areas.
The Nexon EV has a few areas where fit and finish could have been improved, such as the centre console around the armrest. And while the gloss black buttons – seen on the auto AC and the steering wheel – are nice to look at, they pick up smudges and scratches far too easily.
3. DC fast charging is slow (Nexon EV Medium Range).
Both battery packs available with the Nexon EV come with a 7.2kW AC charger as standard, and support DC fast charging. However, the 30kW DC fast charging speed for the 30kWh battery option is quite slow by modern EV standards; it took the Nexon EV Medium Range (MR) 60 minutes to charge from 20-80 percent in our real world charging tests. The Nexon EV 45 can charge up to speeds of 60kW, and our real world charging tests found that it charges from 20-80 percent in under 30 minutes.
All prices, ex-showroom, India
Also see:
Tata Nexon EV: FAQs on price, range, battery warranty
Tata Curvv EV, Nexon EV 45 now get 15-year battery warranty
2025 Tata Nexon price, variants, features explained
