Crossing Over

By Team FHM · Nov 2017 · 3 min read

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There’s been a major shift at Tata Motors. Their latest vehicles look spiffy, stylish and definitely deserve a second look…

A revolution is going on at Tata Motors. Things seem to be changing, and that too for the better. And the change doesn’t seem to for the sake of marketing or grabbing attention. This change is happening at its core… at the product level. Over the last eighteen months or so, Tata Motors has given us three products that have been quite unlike the vehicles that we could associate the brand with. They started with the Tiago hatchback which gave a us a pleasant shock with its overall look and feel. Then came the Hexa, a cross between an MUV and an SUV that definitely took designing and development of a Tata product to new levels. And finally they gave us the Tigor, a vehicle that I like to put in the segment of an affordable sportback! With these three products, Tata Motors has sort of ushered in an absolutely new design language and philosophy. But then, I feel the story of the new age Tata Motors has just begun. To finish off this year on a high, they have given us one more launch. A product that’s going to fight it out in a segment that’s become a hot favourite for the Indian car lover.

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Compact SUVs have been a rage and the Tata Nexon is the new entrant to this segment. When I took it for a pre-launch drive about three months back, I was definitely impressed but wanted to wait till the price announcement before giving my views about the vehicle. Though I like both the Tiago and Tigor, it was Hexa that left me drooling for more and the Nexon delivers on just that. Just like the Hexa, the Nexon is an absolute stunner and easily overshadows its ilk, not just from the Tata stable but also its competitors. On seeing its built quality and the attention to details, it seems as if Tata Motors was very clear on delivering a vehicle that didn’t cut corners or cost at any point. Be it the exterior, or the interior design, or the quality of the raw materials used for its upholstery and the plastics... Everything seems to be of top-notch quality.

Now let’s get to the real stuff. How does the Nexon respond on the road? Does it get flustered or is it a smooth sailor? Though I didn’t really throw it in choppy waters, but it did have to navigate through the rush of Kochi city, the tiny lanes leading to the backwaters and the tight corners of a village that we somehow found ourselves in. The maneuverability of the Nexon is quite commendable. It can easily extricate itself out of narrow lanes and heavy traffic. The steering gives a good feel and the controls seem very intuitive. Take it to the open roads and give it a gentle nudge and the car literally opens up for a joust.

Having said all this, I feel the real killer deal is the price tag of this vehicle. The Nexon starts at approximately ₹5.85 lakh for the base model and that I feel is damn good price for a product in this segment. Finally, the Nexon is certainly a product that can be taken seriously. All that Tata Motors has now got to do is change its perception in the market and win the confidence of the Indian car buyer. And with the product checking all the right boxes, they just need to get the potential buyers to get in for a test spin.