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When it comes to electric vehicles, Tata Motors knows what it is doing. When it launched the Nexon EV back in 2020, ungenerous rivals scoffed at it and nobody really gave them a chance. Its success would have taken them by surprise. In fiscal 2022, the electric version was instrumental in the nameplate emerging as the best selling SUV in the country.
The company’s electric rush has been relentless. Last year, it upgraded the Tigor compact sedan with Ziptron technology. With the Nexon now, they have gone a step further adding a new variant altogether. The company could have been a bit more innovative while naming the car but the bigger battery does address the moot point for any EV–range. So on the hottest day of the year in Delhi, we took the car out for a spin to find out what it is all about.
The changes
From the visual point of view, the changes on the EV Max over the regular Nexon EV are not too significant both on the outside and inside. Since its launch in 2017, Nexon is a good looking vehicle and is one of the few in its category that fits the bill on SUV styling. Most others just look and feel like raised hatchbacks. The butch stance gives it a good road presence but except for a new colour theme and a fresh design for the alloys there is literally no difference between the regular and EV Max versions.
On the inside, the changes are a bit more than cosmetic. Given that the car costs significantly more than the Nexon EV (largely because of the battery) the company has done well to add features like ventilated seats, wireless charging and a new dual tone beige color theme. There are also some additional bits like a jewelled control knob in the middle for drive mode selection and an air purifier. Further, the car gets three drive modes–eco, city and sports, each with distinct driving dynamics and varying battery range.
No alteration in dimensions
Other additions include four levels of regen modes which calibrates how much energy is recovered to recharge the battery pack when braking or cruising. At level 3, the regen is significant, so much so that the rear brake lights get activated so that any tailing vehicle is warned. Overall, Tata has made no changes in the dimensions so the car can seat four passengers comfortably and a fifth one with some degree of discomfort. Despite the bigger battery pack, there is no change in boot space capacity which stays at 350 litres and is welcome. The ground clearance of the vehicle however has taken a knock by about 10mm to 195mm thanks to the 100 extra kilos of the battery.
There are some annoying bits though. The fit and finish of the interior cabin leaves a bit of room for improvement. This is a vehicle that will cost close to INR 20 lakh on road in most places in India and the cabin does not feel plush enough for a car of that price. Given the spate of fire incidents in electric vehicles, a real time temperature gauge for the battery would also be helpful. The car does give alert when the battery is overheated–it alerted us too after it had been left under direct sunlight for an hour, but once we parked it under the shade, it cooled down in minutes and did not give us any cause for concern while on the road. A real time gauge would provide added assurance to customers and make them feel more in control.
Battery
Now to the most important part of the story. The EV Max gets a 40.5 Kilowatt hour lithium ion battery pack as compared to the 30.2 Kwh pack of the Nexon EV which has resulted in a 40 percent increase in range from 312 to 437 km. In real time road and traffic conditions, you will struggle to get even 400 kilometres but 300 km is almost a given and with some judicious use of the regen and drive modes, it is quite possible to achieve a range of 350 km. With some spirited driving, we got a range of about 315 kilometers. At the same time, the car gets a little more power than the Nexon EV–143 from 129 PS, which means it can now sprint to 100 kph in 9 seconds (versus 9.3 secs). While the top speed of the Nexon EV is capped at 120 kph, with the EV Max Tata Motors is aware customers would want to drive on expressways and has raised it to 140 kph.
As is the case with the Nexon EV, the instantaneous torque characteristic of EVs makes this one too a fun car to drive especially in the city. The drive modes do change the character of the vehicle. In the Eco mode, one doesn’t get the rush of acceleration at all but you get the maximum juice out of the battery. The city mode provides a balance between both and is perhaps the one that would be used most. The sports mode is where the full force of the motor can be felt and it is quite a surge. Tata has done well to provide disc brakes on all tyres which is particularly needed in this mode.
For charging, Tata is wisely offering two options–a 3.3 Kw wall box or a 7.2 KW AC fast charger. Given the size of the battery, the fast charger is handy if one wants an overnight full charge. With a regular 15 Ampere plug point, it would need the better part of the day–15 hours, to charge it completely. At the same time, with a 50 KW DC fast charger–should you be able to spot one, it remains under the hour mark.
Verdict
Tata has launched the EV Max with only two variants against three of the Nexon EV as there is no base XM variant. As a result, the premium it charges over the regular variant is about INR 1.55 lakh. Consumers also need to pay an additional Rs 50,000 for the 7.2 KW AC fast charger, which is not available for Nexon EV customers. For the bigger battery and higher range plus a smattering of extra features, it is definitely worth the premium. With no comparable EV from any other brand in sight, it is also in a segment of its own.
The new Nexon EV MAX starts at a price of INR 17.74 lakh (ex-showroom All India) and ranges upto INR 19.24 lakh.
It does fit in well between the Nexon EV and MG ZS EV (INR 22-25.88 lakh). Some consumers may be tempted to stretch over to the ZS, which offers an even bigger battery, range, power and better interiors. With a guaranteed range of 300 kilometers plus, it is more practical and soothes range anxiety in a big way. For those not looking at combustion engine vehicles at all, there are not too many options, but before the real EVs–those that are built from scratch and offer a range of over 500 kilometers, come around, this is the best the market can offer.
And for those still sitting on the fence on the ICE versus EV debate, EV Max doesnt quite settle it. Heavy duty users who love to hit the highways would still feel short changed on range. For most practical consumers though, there is little to really complain about. It’s not quite a home run but Nexon EV Max ticks all the boxes.
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