MC Drives: Tata Nexon EV Max

The Tata Nexon has gone from being an unassuming addition to the mid-size crossover SUV club to a genuine force to be reckoned with. And the reason behind it is the Tata Nexon EV. As the country’s largest-selling pure EV, the Nexon EV single-handedly created a template for what a relatively low-cost EV should be able to do; introduce people to the sheer convenience and smoothness of an EV powertrain while providing enough range to be a reliable city car. It did that, and then some. For a product based on an internal combustion platform, the Nexon EV couldn’t get any better.

Until Tata launched the Nexon EV Max. Armed with a bigger battery and a few more range-enhancing updates, the EV Max, according to the brand, is here to tackle the highways and become a bonafide inter-city EV. A tall order, given the patchwork network of fast chargers, but Tata Motors claims to be working on that as well, with the help of Tata Power.

Brass Tacks

The key differentiator between the Nexon EV and the Nexon EV Max is a battery pack that’s larger by 30%. While the Nexon EV came with a 30.2kWh battery – a size that’s not to be scoffed at – the Nexon EV Max comes with a 40.5 kWh battery. According to Tata Motors, the resulting increment in range is over 33% giving the EV Max a real-world range of 333km (a solid 83km more than the Nexon EV). But it’s not all about range. The bigger battery also gives it more power and torque (140hp and 250 Nm, respectively) and this makes it considerably more responsive on city roads. For a starting price of Rs 17.74 lakh, Tata Motors is also offering several features as standard including a 105kw permanent synchronous motor, Auto Hold, ESP, ISO-Fix anchorages and best of all, a new multi-regen mode system which allows you to increase the level of regenerative braking power in order to brake and recover energy faster. Without the ability to modulate regenerative braking, the Nexon EV isn’t as effective a highway car, given that regenerative brakes kick-in the second you take your foot off the throttle, not allowing the car to coast smoothly, certainly not in the fast lane. The more highway-focussed Nexon EV Max intends to fix that.

There are a few other party tricks as well. Such as a new i-VBAC (Intelligent Vacuum-less Boost & Active Control) system which works with the car’s ESP to improve braking dynamics. There are also four disc brakes as standard now, along with an IP67 rated battery pack and motor adding to the EV Max’s overall safety credentials. On paper, things look very good indeed.

Driving the EV Max

The all-important question remains: how does this alter/improve the manner in which the EV Max drives? As with all battery electrics, power and range comes at the cost of added weight and with the EV Max, we’re talking about an additional 100kg of additional weight. While this does lower the ride height by 10mm, Tata Motors has also made the battery a little wider, while also utilising unspecified spaces to store additional battery cells. The battery pack is also denser than before, packing more cells but effectively ensuring that the EV Max’s 350 litre boot space isn’t compromised.

Having driven over to the Tata dealership in another EV, a far quicker, more luxurious one I was apprehensive about how that might affect the way I view the Nexon EV Max. Would its power seem comparatively underwhelming? All these concerns dissipated the second I slotted the circular knob into “D”. The Nexon EV Max’s additional power levels do make themself apparent, albeit surreptitiously. Despite the weight, the SUV pulls ahead cleanly, with fistsful of torque keepin you in the power band in a manner that would require a very expensive transmission unit were it an internal combustion car. Power levels aren’t at wheel-spin inducing levels, but feel more than sufficient, even for spirited highway driving.

Given the added weight of the EV Max, Tata has altered the suspension spring rates and damping to keep things plush and pliant. Thanks to the bottom-heavy nature of the car, body roll around corners isn’t a concern and the EV Max feels planted at all times while offering a supple, absorbent ride quality.

The Multi-Regen modes come in three settings ranging from one to three in increasing order of effectiveness. Turn it off and take your foot off the throttle and the car continues to coast, losing momentum gradually. But crank-up the regen setting to 3 and braking begins to take effect the second you take your foot off the throttle, making the much heavier EV Max slow down much quicker.

On the inside

On the surface of it, the basic layout of the dashboard remains unchanged. The infotainment screen, steering wheel, dual-tone dash are all straight out of the standard EV. But the changes start to pop-out fairly quickly, upon a closer glance. There’s now a jewelled circular transmission knob, drive modes which include Sport, City and Eco (with the projected range altering accordingly). There are now ventilated seats, wireless charging as optional extras.

The downside however is that for a car whose top-end version costs a neat Rs 19.4 lakh, lack of quality plastics continue to plague the Nexon EV Max. Everything from the bottom half of the dashboard to the door panels feel a tad flimsy, as does the jewelled knob which rotates with the tactility of a washing machine knob. It never slots itself firmly into place and takes much longer to catch up once you’ve quickly slotted it into “D”. In some vague manner, it does tether itself to the system used by Jaguar Land Rover not too long ago, but I wasn’t a big fan of that either. Here, Tata Motors’ efforts would be better spent working on the overall quality of the cabin and throwing in a larger, touchscreen infotainment unit.

Verdict

Although the precise range of the EV Max remains yet to be tested, the Nexon EV Max, with judicious driving, can be taken for a sub 300 km drive without any range anxiety cropping-up. The reasons for EVs not being highway-ready don’t have much to do with the proposed range of the EV Max, whose additional 80-odd kilometres hardly make for carefree road tripping. With a more developed fast charging network, the EV Max’s sub-60 minute fast charging time would enable it to be a much more effective highway car. As an optional extra, Tata Motors is also throwing-in a 7.2 kw AC charger that reduces the charging time to 6 hours, on AC power.

At present, Tata Motors claims to be working with Tata Power to earmark urban hotspots and densely trafficked highways to establish a wider range of DC chargers across the country. Only then will the EV Max retain its full potential. However, the EV Max is arguably a better option, even at its entry level, than a top-end Nexon EV which is only cheaper by Rs 34,000. And given the increase in fuel prices, it might also be a better long-term purchasing decision than the league of petrol-and-diesel-powered mid-size SUVs (many of which are considerably more plush than the EV Max). While losing a few key points on cabin quality, the Nexon EV Max gains several in terms of drivetrain refinement and active safety features. Through powertrain refinement and premium electronic aids, the Nexon EV Max does bridge the gap very effectively between itself and more expensive offerings, like the MG ZS EV which it’s got squarely in its crosshairs. With a better DC charging network and a bit more attention paid to cabin quality, the EV Max has what it takes to become the obvious choice of transport.