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The Tata Nexon EV has grabbed the spot as the highest-selling EV in India ever since its launch in 2020. What it has also done is made the EV more credible in the minds of the Indian Auto-buyer. However, the ever lingering skepticism about range, or ‘Range Anxiety’ as the official term that the phenomenon has gained, hasn’t let the EV gain the confidence of the masses yet. Long charging times and the limitations of an EV as a mile muncher are two major shortcomings of the Nexon EV. Tata Motors has set out to improvise upon those factors with the new iteration of the highest-selling EV in India, the Nexon EV Max.
Exterior
Upon first glance, there isn’t much to give away about any differences between the Nexon EV MAX over the standard Nexon EV. Glance harder though, and you do come across some. The EV MAX sits slightly lower than the standard car, with a ground clearance measuring 195mm. It also gets 3 exclusive paint shades, Intensi-Teal, Pristine White, and Daytona Grey. Apart from that, the MAX also gets new 16 inch alloy wheels. Surprisingly, in this day and age where car makers go overboard with badging (looking at you, MG Motors India with your Internet Inside plaques) there is no ‘MAX’ badge anywhere on the vehicle for the by-stander to know about the bigger battery in your EV Max. Sigh.
Interior
The differences in the interiors are immediately noticeable. Firstly, there is a rotary gear selector knob with knurled metal treatment to it, reminiscent of the ones you found in previous Jaguars. The knob gets a clear-glass finish at the top, and the modes are brightly backlit to let you know the gear you have slotted into. Moreover, the color of the illumination changes according to the driving mode you’ve currently selected, i.e Sport, City and Eco. The latter one is an addition to the EV MAX. More on that later. The handbrake lever is now replaced by an electric parking brake, and the cupholders have been replaced by a wireless phone charger. The dashboard itself features a cluster of Tri-Arrow designs which has a color gradation to an interesting shade of blue. The seat upholstery is perforated and finished in beige. The Nexon EV MAX also has a well-sized sunroof, making for an airy and well-lit ambiance in the interior. The bigger battery has had an impact on the floor height though, which is 10mm higher than the standard car. That translates to a slightly higher knee position for the rear occupants, compromising slightly on the under-thigh support.
New Features
The Nexon EV MAX has gained a host of new features along with a bigger battery. Notable features include the ventilated seats which up the premium quotient a notch up. Additionally, it gets an auto-dimming rearview mirror, wireless charging, cruise control, and more. Safety features include ABS, ESP, Electronic Parking Brake, ISOFIX Child Seat Mounts, Hill Hold Assist, Hill Descent Control, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, and Dual airbags.
The Drive
The bigger battery in the EV MAX gives it additional power and torque, 14bhp and 5 Nm to be specific. The rating thus stands at 143bhp and 250Nm. However, owing to the bigger battery pack, the Nexon EV MAX has gained 100 kilograms of weight. Hence, the additional power and torque didn’t make its presence felt when we drove both the standard car as well as the MAX back to back. To cope with the additional weight, Tata Motors has fiddled with the suspension setup. The ride feels noticeably firmer, especially at lower speeds where rough patches and bad roads make the ride a bit jiggly. However, the EV MAX deals well with potholes and rough roads at higher speeds, which is impressive. High-speed stability is also commendable as the ride feels planted, inspiring confidence while making high-speed maneuvers. We have always loved the handling, the flickable steering, and stiff chassis of the Nexon, which results in a very entertaining drive over twisties and trails. The EV MAX builds further on this quality with a lower center of gravity and firmer suspension. Put the drive mode in Sport and you can have loads of fun over twisty roads. That, paired with the instant electric torque makes sprinting up mountain roads quite a fun affair. Speaking of sprinting, the EV MAX reaches 100kmhr from zero in around 10 secs while in SPORT mode. Tata Motors claims a range of 437km. However, realistically, we expect the range to be around the 320km mark, based on our drive. The Regen system gets 4-level adjustability. Level 1 gives a similar effect as to what an ICE car would do with engine braking. The higher levels progressively increase the braking once you take the foot off the accelerator pedal. As we speak of braking, the Nexon EV MAX gets disc brakes on all four wheels.
Verdict
The Tata Nexon EV MAX builds upon the existing strengths of the Nexon EV. It looks to be everything to everyone. As we prepare to leave the ICE age (wink) behind us, the Nexon EV MAX is a window to the future holds for affordable EV cars. With the EV MAX, the limitations of the EV as an inter-city vehicle do get answered to some extent. At the present age, with all the EV infrastructure we currently have, the Nexon EV MAX is as close to the ICE-engined cars that we are used to, as it gets with reference to practicality. And it is surprisingly fun to drive in its own way. So for those who were sitting on the fence wether to take the EV plunge or not, take this as a bright green, big yes from us.
