The new turnaround

The Tata Nexon has been an instant hit in the Indian market, and later an automatic version was introduced called Tata Nexon AMT. This new automatic or hyperdrive can be called a crucial piece in the turnaround strategy of the brand. What began with the Tiago in good measure in 2016, was partially carried on by the Hexa and Tigor, has been thrust in the right direction by the Tata Nexon.

The Nexon obtained a 4-star rating, adult safety score (13.56/17.00), which is claimed to be the highest amongst all the models tested across the Indian market by the Global New Car Assessment Programme and said to be the safest SUV tested by Global NCAP.

Since its launch, this subcompact SUV has sold over 25,000 units in its first 6 months. And so it's only natural that Tata wanted to expand on that. The Nexon had then gone automatic with an AMT or automated manual transmission, or as Tata calls it — Hyprdrive! We recently got a chance to ride, so let's see if it corrects all the right boxes.

In terms of design, the Nexon AMT is nearly identical to its manual counterpart. Except for sporting an XZA+ or XMA badging; the additional 'A' for automatic and a striking orange colour option with grey roof.

The Nexon gets a 6-speed AMT gearbox. And like its manual counterpart, the AMT also has the three driving modes, namely Sport, City and Eco, which you can switch on the fly using a rotary dial placed between the front seats.

While the City mode is favourable for driving in traffic, the Eco is more economical but felt quite overpowered. The sport mode is the one that could bring a small grin on your face with its sharp throttle response and strong power delivery. On the highways, it is quite easy to maintain 100-110 kmph in any mode. However, the City and sport mode help to get you three digit speed faster.

The interiors are a real delight in the Nexon. The cabin feels very well made as no soft-touch plastics are here, and the buttons and controls feel good to use. The only oddball is the 6.5-inch touchscreen that is slightly sub-par in functionality compared to the competition but still offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Overall, you really do feel like the interiors are from a segment above. A final mention has to be the 8-speaker Harman audio system that had us audiophiles fighting for the keys to the Tata whenever they were up for grabs.

The three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine develops the same 110hp and 170Nm of torque.  The on-off throttle transition is a bit jerky and power delivery isn’t very linear, though some of the flat spots have been ironed out. When driving with a gentle foot, the gear shifts on the petrol-AMT are quite smooth, which makes it a nice city car. The difference between the petrol-AMT and the diesel-AMT is quite drastic and you need to be more careful with the throttle input.

The progressive shifts are well concealed with part-throttle input, which makes it quite nice to move around in the city. In overall terms, the shifts in the diesel-AMT are smoother and more progressive than in the petrol-AMT, which hesitates when asked to shift quickly.

Tata has priced the Nexon AMT quite competitively, with the petrol costing Rs 7.72 lakh and the diesel priced at Rs 8.75 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). At this price point, the AMT versions are about Rs 50,000 dearer than their respective manual counterparts. Although the petrol-AMT is a good variant on its own, the diesel-AMT would definitely be the pick among the two. In fact, it could be an ideal city car for someone who has to commute on bad city roads and wants to be noticed.