Tata Nexon in a short time span became one of the largest volume contributors for Tata Motors. Now Tata has introduced an AMT variant and is offering the same for petrol as well as diesel Nexon. It is an Automated Manual Transmission (AMT) instead of a traditional torque converter/CVT. We take the Nexon AMTs for a spin.
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Tata Nexon AMT Styling
The Nexon is built based on the Tata’s X1 platform shared with the other Tata cars (Zest, Bolt and the Vista). The car combines the practicality of a hatchback and the style and advantage of an SUV. The car gets a class-leading 209 mm ground clearance and measures less than 4 meters to leverage the tax advantage.
The face gets a typical SUV look, dominated by the big family design smiling grill coupled with large air dams. The car has a unique ceramic design element which runs along the fog lamps, the side belt line and across the rear.
The car has a distinctive sloping roof, the C- Pillar and rear have a very unique, interesting and gorgeous design. The car stands on wider 245/60 R16 tyres with a chunky looking set of alloys. The rear also gets a wide X-Shaped ceramic element which gives the car a unique appearance.
Tata has also introduced a new colour combo: Etna Orange body with a Sonic Silver roof for the top trim XZA+ variant.
Tata Nexon AMT Interiors
Spacious interiors have always been the forte of Tata cars, and the Tata Nexon is not an exception. The car gets a good amount of space inside. Despite having a sloping roofline, the car has a good amount of headroom at the rear and there is acres of the front and rear legroom. The seats are pretty comfy with the right amount of cushion and ample under-thigh support. The front seats are ergonomically scooped inside for ample support for the occupants. The dash design and the quality of materials really impressed us and by far the best in the compact SUV segment.
Tata has used a unique glossy plastic line across the dashboard and the textured top exudes premium. Tata has used just the right amount of chrome, piano black, glossy metallic plastic and textured matt materials for the dash and other parts of the interior. The Nexon gets a floating display infotainment system, similar to the one we see on the Mercedes Benz cars and it just looks classy and premium. In one word, the interior fit and finish are a class above it really belongs to.
Tata Nexon AMT Engine and Performance
The diesel AMT Nexon is powered by the same four-cylinder unit that generates a max power of 110 hp and 260 Nm peak torque. This automated manual transmission also gets a creep function, which makes the car move forward even without accelerator input which eases things for the driver in bumper to bumper traffic conditions. The AMT is a smooth operator with smooth shifts especially when you are not in a hurry. However, there is a definite pause when the cogs change, but very much bearable. The driver can also manually shift gears. Both the diesel and petrol AMTs get Multi-Drive modes (City, Sport and Eco).
The petrol AMT box is not that smooth compared to its diesel counterpart. The shifts are significantly jerkier and there is an air of hesitation especially when you are in a hurry. The three-cylinder petrol motor generates a max power of 110 hp and a peak torque of 170 Nm.
As mentioned before both the engines features three driving modes:
- Eco
- City
- Sport
The Eco mode definitely contributes significantly to improving the fuel efficiency, however, lulls the performance. City mode as the name indicates is well designed for city traffic conditions. Our choice is the Sport mode, which definitely adds some zing to the Nexon drive.
Tata Nexon AMT Ride and Handling
The Nexon has a fine blend of ride and handling. The car has got a pretty good absorbent suspension coupled with a tinge of firmness to ensure that the car ‘behaves’ in corners. The 209 mm ground clearance coupled with a long-travel suspension set up and meaty rubber ensures that the Nexon tackles rough Indian roads with ease.
The steering is pretty light in city driving conditions and nicely weighs up as the speeds build up offering pretty good feedback. The tyres offer decent grip and the brakes offer good feedback at the pedals and stopping power.
Tata Nexon AMT Safety
Driver & Co-Driver Airbags and ABS with EBD is a standard feature across all the trims. Also, the park assists with rear sensors are offered on all variants except in the base XE variant.
