In my opinion, Tata Motors has taken the unsaid responsibility to not just ride, but lead the EV revolution in India. This company has never shied away from trying and failing. It has a history of taking criticism to the heart and catapulting ahead with a win. I’ve never pegged myself as a Tata fangirl, but there are times when grit is unmissable. It gives me immense joy to say that with the new Tata Nexon EV Max, Tata might convert some petrol heads to ‘EV-lovers’ for good.
Tata Nexon EV Max: What’s new?
The Tata Nexon EV Max has what you want; more mileage and speed over the standard Nexon EV, which will continue to be offered alongside the latest sibling. It is largely a better and more equipped version of the standard Nexon EV which is priced between Rs. 14.7 to Rs. 17.7 lakhs ex-showroom whereas the Nexon EV Max is priced between Rs. 17.74 to 19.24 lakhs ex-showroom. The latter gets a bigger 40.5kwh battery pack and claims a mileage of 437 kms on a single charge whereas the standard Nexon EV gets a 30.2 kwh battery pack and a claimed mileage of 312 kms.
Tata Motors claims a charging time of 56 minutes from 0-80 percent via a 50kW DC fast charger.
Tata Nexon EV Max: Design
The Tata Nexon EV Max gets an exclusive Intensi-teal bodypaint option that doubles up as the most prominent and the easiest way to differentiate between the two siblings. The second, are the new 5-spoked alloy wheels. Other than these differences, the EV Max doesn’t add much to the design, and rather takes away 5mm of ground clearance. Yes, owing to the bigger and heavier battery, the Nexon EV Max glides at a ground clearance of 205mm.
It gets the same pair of projector headlamps with LED DRLs that double as turn indicators. The front grille is the same with the tri-arrow design elements scattered across the exteriors. Similarly, at the rear, it gets the same Union Jack-like, clear tail-lamps feature with LED elements. Although, the addition of a ‘Nexon EV Max’ badging at the rear might have been good.
Tata Nexon EV Max: Creature Comforts
The cabin remains largely unchanged but gets a unique Makarana beige interior that will not be available on the standard model. It also gets an updated centre console featuring a new rotary dial with a display unit that shows you the mode you are in – Parking, drive, neutral and reverse The dial looks good and is readable even in direct sunlight but the lag! The lag is unmissable and probably the only issue I have with this EV.
It also gets leatherette seats with ventilation for front passengers, an air purifier, wireless charging, auto-dimming IRVM and cruise control. Moreover, the Nexon EV Max gets upgraded ZConnect 2.0 connected car technology with 48 features.
Tata Nexon EV Max: Battery and Range
The Nexon EV Max comes with a 40.5kWh battery pack, which is around 10kWh more than the standard Nexon EV. Despite the bigger battery pack, there is no change in the boot capacity and the Nexon EV Max continues to have the same 350-litre boot as the regular Nexon EV. Compared to the regular Nexon EV, the Nexon EV Max adds 70kg to its weight due to the larger battery and another 30kg from the additional equipment.
As far as outputs go, the Nexon EV Max gets a 143hp motor that delivers 250Nm of torque, which is 14hp and 5Nm more than the Nexon EV. The carmaker is promising a 0-100kph time of under 9sec for the electric SUV.
Tata Motors is also offering two versions – a 3.3kW AC charger that is provided standard with the SUV and a more powerful 7.2kW AC charger. The Nexon EV Max takes around 15-16 hours to fully charge with the 3.3kW AC charger, while the 7.2kW AC version takes around five to six hours. The Nexon EV Max gets 8 years/1,60,000km warranty for battery and motor.
Tata Nexon EV Max: Driving Dynamics
The Tata Nexon EV Max is quick on its feet, right from the get-go. The swiftness is noticeable as the standard one in comparison, now feels a bit weak. The Nexon EV Max is offered with the same driving modes – City, Eco, and Sport. The difference is that the Eco and Sport drive modes get dedicated buttons. Even with a mild foot on the accelerator, I was quite content with the power feedback, in the City mode, but the drastic shift to Sport felt like a bullet leaving the barrel, silently. It is apt as a city car as even with a real-world range of around 300-320 kms, the Nexon EV Max can handle bumper-to-bumper traffic while keeping in check the driver’s range anxiety. It is the possibility of taking it out of town that still needs to be tested. Hopefully, the AC fast chargers make the charging experience seamless and like an unbothered routine as charging one’s phone.
Tata Nexon EV Max: Handle With Care
To accommodate the added weight, Tata claims to have tweaked the suspension, but it still runs quite stiff. Slow down on the speed breakers or else you might hear the whine of the battery. Although there’s ample body roll on offer, the Tata Nexon EV Max handles tight corners as gracefully as possible.
Now coming to my favourite feature about the Nexon EV Max, the multi-mode regenerative levels for braking. It allows you to adjust how much bite one shall receive from the brakes while the EV slowly charges on its own. At level one, the feedback is the least and at level four it’s so strong that it aids single-pedal driving. Tata Motors has added an auto brake lamp function that activates once a certain level of regen is reached, effectively warning the road users behind.
Tata Nexon EV Max: Money Matters
When compared to the standard Tata Nexon EV, the Nexon EV Max range is priced Rs 2.95 lakh more. Tata Motors has launched the Nexon EV Max in two variants with four sub-variants. As mentioned above, the range starts with the Tata Nexon EV Max XZ+ with the 3.3kW charger, priced at Rs 17.74 lakh. The next variant is the Tata Nexon EV Max XZ+ with the 7.2kW AC fast charger, priced at Rs 18.24 lakh.
The top-spec Tata Nexon EV Max XZ+ Lux starts at Rs 18.74 lakh for the 3.3kW option, while the most expensive variant of the line-up, the Nexon EV Max XZ+ Lux with a 7.2kW AC fast charger costs Rs 19.24 lakh.
Tata Nexon EV Max: Safety In terms of safety, the Nexon EV Max goes the extra mile with standard features such as a tyre pressure monitoring system, electronic parking brake with auto-hold function, electronic stability program, hill-hold assist, and hill descent control.
Verdict The electric revolution is at our door and Tata might just be the flagbearer of its mass-market acceptance, in India. Yes, the price still pinches and so does the fact that the Nexon, in its fossil-fueled form is available between Rs. 7.4- 13.9 lakhs, but the low long-term running cost and maintenance make matters a little sweet. The one thing holding the Nexon EV back is the electric infrastructure in India, the lack of EV acceptance, and probably its lagging rotary dial.
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