2017 Tata Nexon Subcompact SUV To Launch In September

Tata Motors has been trying to reinvent its image in India and it’s taken steps to ensure that it cuts all the flab and looks leaner as far as an organisation is concerned. While we’ve seen the change in the company, we’re also closely watching the products that the company is bringing out. The last three products – Tiago, Hexa and Tigor – bear testimony to the fact that Tata Motors is looking into each and every aspect of car making with a fine comb which is why we get to see massive changes in the build quality both on the exterior and interior. In fact, the cars are different than what one would normally expect out of Tata cars which is why you see the company gaining traction once again in India.

Now the company is all set to launch its newest product into the Indian market – theNexon. Guenter Butschek, MD and CEO of Tata Motors said that the subcompact SUV will be launched in India in September. While he did not give us a date, he mentioned that this will the last new car coming from the Tata Motors stable this year. The Nexon subcompact SUV will be based on the same platform that underpins the likes of the Tata Zest and the Tata Bolt. The Nexon will take on the likes of India’s most popular SUV the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, the Ford Ecosport, the Mahindra TUV300 and Nuvosport. Eventually, the Nexon will also take on the upcoming Hyundai subcompact SUV.

 

While the concept unveiled at the 2014 Auto Expo, the production car debuted at the 2016 Auto Expo and went on to literally steal the show. Spied undisguised recently,with a modern design language the likes of which we have not seen in this segment yet and the two tone integration that has become so popular in India over the last year and a half, the Nexon will definitely make heads turn. The front face still has the typically Tata look to it with hark back to the original Indica and a nod to the Tiago all blended into on high set compact SUV stance. The 16-inch alloy wheels and the design element just under the window line accentuate the side profile. The rear look is quite unique with the pincer style design and the slim window.

On the interior front, the Nexon is spacious and well made with new design elements like a floating screen and drive modes. The dashboard gets a lot of gloss black and silver brushed accent pieces with the option of a leather and cloth seats. The rear boot is spacious and the rear seats also have enough leg space, head space and shoulder room for three passengers. The Nexon will also feature driving modes with a rotary selector knob on the central console. Unlike the Bolt, the Nexon also features a lot of storage space between the front seats.

On the engines front, the Nexon will not feature the tried and tested 1.3-litre Multijet diesel engine sourced from Fiat India. Instead, the Nexon will feature a new 1.5-litre diesel engine that is essentially the 4-cylinder version of the 1.05-litre engine that the Tiago and the Tigor get. The Nexon will also get a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine – but not the same 1.2-litre turbo that was launched a few years ago in the Tata Bolt and Zest. Instead, the engine is actually the turbocharged version of the 1.2-litre 3-cylinder motor that is available in the Tiago and the Tigor.