Tata Nexon EV 45 Review: A Good Long-Trip Companion On a Budget

Updated 12:28 IST, February 21st 2025 Tata Motors recently updated the Nexon EV with a 45kWh battery pack with a claimed range of 489km on a single charge. Here are our thoughts on the Nexon EV 45: Tata Nexon EV 45 Review: Tata Motors, India’s leading passenger vehicle manufacturer, launched the Nexon EV facelift in 2023. It features an updated exterior and interior, along with enhanced safety and convenience features.

Previously, the Nexon EV was available to buyers with two battery pack options: a 30kWh battery pack for the Medium Range variant and a 40.5kWh battery pack for the Long Range variant. Tata Motors has recently introduced a new 45kWh battery pack and updated features, including a new panoramic sunroof and additional convenience features.



In terms of safety, the Tata Nexon EV received a five-star safety rating in the Bharat NCAP crash test. We recently drove the Tata Nexon EV 45 Empowered Plus variant around the city and highways. Here is our opinion on whether the Tata Nexon EV 45 is worth every dime it demands.

Let’s get started! Tata Nexon EV 45 Price: The price of the Tata Nexon EV 45 starts at ₹13.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the Creative 45 variant. We drove the Empowered Plus 45 variant, which costs ₹17.

99 lakh (ex-showroom). Tata Nexon EV 45 Range: So, the main highlight of the updated Tata Nexon EV 45 is its battery and range. Since it has a 45kWh battery, Tata Motors has a claimed range of 489km on a single charge.

During our test, our rigorous driving in the city and highways gave us a range of 240km, and we still had a 120km range left. So, on average, it can easily return a driving range of 350-370km. Tata Nexon EV 45 Charging: We charged the vehicle to get an estimated cost of driving.

Since it has a portable home charger, we tried to charge the vehicle using it, but there was some technical error popping up, so we took it to a public charger. We charged the Tata Nexon EV 45 using a 60kW DC fast charger. It took 1 hour and 16 minutes to charge from 26 per cent to 100 per cent.

In the Eco mode, Nexon EV 45 showed a range of 401km. Also Read: BMW iX1 LWB EV Drive Report: Premium SUV That Prioritises Space Over Features Tata Nexon EV 45 Cost per Km: We drove the vehicle for approximately 370 km, and on charging it twice, we had a total bill of ₹944. So our cost per km came out to be ₹2.

55/km. Tata Nexon EV 45 Driving Experience: Going ahead with our driving experience of the Nexon EV 45, it was a smooth experience. The Tata Nexon EV 45 has three driving modes on offer, which alters the performance of the motor and the battery.

The driving modes are Eco, City, and Sport. Eco Mode: So, starting with the Eco mode, the performance from the motor is pretty decent, and we get the optimal range. The Eco mode showed a full range of 401 km on the instrument cluster, and the range was getting topped up as we were driving it sedately.

In this mode, the Nexon EV 45 performed decently, and the acceleration was decent. We felt it was a bit sluggish in this mode, but if you wish to churn out the max range, it is very good. We kept the vehicle in this mode for maximum times to get the optimal range.

Yes, if you put it in the re-gen mode level 3 every time, you get an optimal driving range as the regenerative braking is on the higher side and helps you to do a one-pedal drive. City Mode: In the City mode, which is the Normal mode, it showed a range of approximately 350 km on a full charge in the instrument cluster. In this mode, the Nexon EV 45 was pretty normal to drive.

There was a decent punch from the motor, and the power delivery was also smooth. Sports Mode: Talking about the Sports mode, as the name suggests, the sports mode is for the performance. So, the acceleration becomes quick, and the 0-100km/h time in the sports mode was under 10 seconds on our test.

The torque delivery was instantaneous in the sports mode, and the difference as compared to Eco mode was pretty evident. Tata Nexon EV 45 Ride Quality and Handling: The ride quality of the Tata Nexon EV 45 is comfortable. Apart from the battery, the car remains unchanged mechanically.

The suspensions offer decent comfort, and the NVH levels are well-contained. On bad bumps, the ride quality is quite stiff, and on triple-digit speeds, the Nexon EV 45 is stable and ensures confidence around corners. On hard cornering, the body roll is evident.

The steering wheel is a two-spoke unit with an illuminated Tata logo. It is comfortable to hold onto, and regarding feel and feedback, it has a slight scope for improvements. Tata Nexon EV 45 Exteriors: Now, coming to the exterior design it remains unchanged.

So, let’s start with the front profile. The Nexon EV 45 has a connected LED DRL that performs a welcome and a goodbye function, an LED projector headlamp and fog lamps. The throw of these headlights was decent, and we felt it could have been better eying on the competition.

One useful feature in the front is that the Nexon EV 45 has a frunk storage that can accommodate small knicknacks. However, the plastic quality and the latch felt a bit flimsy. On the side, it is identical to its ICE counterpart.

It has a subtle EV badging. The length is 3995mm, having decent space for the rear seat passengers. Tata Nexon EV 45 has a request sensor on the driver side but Tata Motors has cut corners by not offering it on the passenger side.

At the rear, it has a connected LED DRL setup with integrated LED taillamps. The boot space is decent enough and the wipers are hidden under the spoiler. Tata Nexon EV 45 Interiors: On stepping inside, the interiors of the Nexon EV 45 are similar to its ICE counterparts.

For starters, it has a dual-tone neatly laid dashboard with a 10.25-inch standing infotainment touchscreen, a 10.2-inch instrument cluster and a touch panel for climate control and other functions.

This panel is finished in gloss black, which attracts a lot of fingerprints. Similarly, it has a two-spoke steering wheel, similar in design to its ICE counterparts. The Tata Nexon EV 45 misses out on offering cup holders to carry your coffee, a similar problem that we faced when we drove the Tata Nexon iCNG.

Coming to the rear seats, it has decent space for the passengers. The Nexon EV 45 has comfortable seating with decent knee room, and legroom on offer. The under-thigh support is reasonable and the shoulder room is good enough for three passengers at the rear.

However, the rear AC vents are quite low and intrude into the knees of the passenger in the middle. Since Tata Motors has updated the Nexon EV 45 with features as well, it now has a panoramic sunroof for better light inside the cabin. Tata Nexon EV 45 Features: Now coming up to the feature list, the Tata Nexon EV 45 is equipped with multiple convenience features.

For starters, Nexon EV 45 has a wireless charger, driving modes, a 10.25-inch infotainment screen with wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, front-ventilated seats, electronic parking brake and more. For safety, Nexon EV 45 has a 360-degree parking camera, auto hold, tyre pressure monitoring system, blind spot assist, and other safety features.

The camera quality was normal and at night it was a bit pixelated. For music lovers, Nexon EV 45 has a 9-speaker JBL sound system which gives an immersive sound experience. Overall the fit-finish quality of the interiors of the Nexon EV 45 could have been improved.

One of the ergonomic issues that we felt was accessing the front USB charging port. The area is quite less which makes it a bit inaccessible. Conclusion: Now the main question arises, should you consider the Nexon EV with a 45kWh battery pack or not? Our answer is Yes.

The exteriors of the EV 45 remain unchanged and have a slight upgrade in the feature list. Recently, Tata Motors discontinued the 40.5kWh battery pack and now the buyers are left with the 30kWh battery pack and a 45kWh battery pack.

The range from the battery while driving it sedately is also good. If you are looking for some other EV SUVs, you can check the MG Windsor EV, and the Mahindra XUV 400 EV in this segment. Published 12:28 IST, February 21st 2025.