CarBrandLogos archive · Tata · 2017

TataNexon

The car that made Indian buyers start asking about crash test results.

Photo: Keithkberger · Public domain

The story

A defining chapter in Tata history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Tata Nexon, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Salon de l'auto de Genève 2014 - - Tata Nexon

Origins

The Nexon arrived in 2017 into India's fastest-growing segment, the sub-four-metre crossover, where a tax break rewards keeping length under that limit. It was competent enough on its own terms, with Tata's 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol or a 1.5-litre turbodiesel, and a choice of manual, automated manual and later dual-clutch gearboxes.

Salon de l'auto de Genève 2014 - - Tata Nexon · Clément Bucco-Lechat · CC BY-SA 3.0

Design and engineering

What set it apart was structural. In 2018 it became the first Indian-made car to score five stars for adult occupant protection in Global NCAP testing, at a time when several popular models in the market were scoring one or zero. Tata built a marketing position on it, and the effect spread: safety ratings became something Indian buyers discussed and rival manufacturers had to answer for.

2020 Tata Nexon EV front view · DriveSpark · CC BY 3.0

In production

The Nexon EV, launched in 2020 and built at Sanand, then did something similar for electric cars, becoming India's best-selling EV by a wide margin and giving the country its first mainstream battery-powered model rather than a niche experiment. The Nexon is now Tata's highest-profile passenger vehicle.

2023 Tata Nexon XZA+ rear view · Dairokkan9 · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

2017–present

Engine

Petrol engine

Body

5-door SUV

Technical specification

The Nexon, in detail.

Production: 2017–present
Class: Subcompact crossover SUV
Body style: 5-door SUV
Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive ; Front-motor, front-wheel-drive (EV)
Engine: Petrol engine; Petrol: ; 1.2 L Tata Revotron engine; Revotron Inline-three engine; I3 Turbocharger; turbo ; Diesel engine; Diesel: ; 1.5 L Revotorq Inline-four engine; I4 Turbocharger; turbo
Transmission: 5-speed Manual transmission; manual (2023–present) ; 6-speed manual ; 6-speed Automated manual transmission; AMT ; 7-speed Dual-clutch transmission; DCT (2023–present)
Assembly: India: Ranjangaon, Pune (FIAPL); Sanand, Gujarat (abbr; TPEM; Tata Passenger Electric Mobility, electric, 2024–present)
Manufacturer: Tata Motors