Middle Ground: Tata Nexon Pure S

Okay, I have a confession to make. I absolutely adore base and mid-trim levels on cars. Sure, it’s awesome to drive around the latest fully loaded cars, but if it were my own money, it would almost always go towards a mid-range variant. It seems I’m not the only one aboard this train of thought because in the comments section of nearly every first drive review, there are at least a few of you asking for advice on the base and mid-level trims. Everyone has their reasons for gravitating towards certain variants, but let me explain mine. In my view, a vehicle that looks good in a lower trim is a hallmark of excellent automotive design. Slap on a set of big alloys, and even the ugliest of ducklings can look like a swan, but not many can pull off a set of plastic wheel covers with grace. Automotive technology has also reached a point where most cars come standard with features that used to get top billing on brochures a decade ago. I’ve often theorised that mid-variants are where the bargains are at. The only hiccup in my theory used to be the fact that many mid-variants didn’t get a full suite of safety features.

Not anymore. Tata Motors is bringing top-shelf safety features to the masses by making six airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, ISOFIX mounts, and traction control standard across the board in the 5-star GNCAP safety-rated Tata Nexon. Perhaps this explains the influx of requests for a review of the Pure persona. But we are going one step further to provide you with a more comprehensive piece of consumer advice. To this end, we called for Nexon Pure S, lived with it for a couple of weeks, and scoured through its brochure and those of its rivals to see if my theory holds water. There was a time when cars usually had just three variants — base, mid, and top — the XEs, XMs and XTs of the world. But cars have gotten more advanced with more tech than ever, and packing them into just three variants would be a nightmare for product planners. Customers are also more discerning now; they have very specific requirements and demand choices. Tata Motors recognises this better than anyone, which is why they have restructured their entire lineup based on personas, rather than allowing price to dictate the variants. The Nexon comes in four personas, starting with the Smart, followed by the Pure, the Creative and the top-end Fearless. Within these four personas, there are ten separate trims, two engine and four transmission options, allowing for a total of thirty seven configurations. Prices range from ₹8 lakh all the way to ₹15.80 lakh. That is a very broad spectrum, and choosing between all of them can be very daunting, so let’s do this methodically.

Identifying a budget is important, but equally important is knowing what you need and what you want. I’d begin by making a list of things that are must-haves and things that would be nice to have but not essential. Top of the ‘must-have’ list would be a full gamut of safety features — non-negotiable. Connectivity is also crucial, so a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay would be next on my list. As an enthusiast, I wouldn’t want to compromise on performance, which is why a turbo-petrol and a six-speed manual are next. On the ‘nice-tohave’ list, I’d include features like automatic headlamps, rainsensing wipers, and perhaps even a sunroof. Using this list, I would look for the variant that had all of the things on my musthave list and at least half of the things on the nice-to-have list. On the Nexon, this leads me to the Pure S variant. The Pure S costs between `10.3 and `12.3 lakh, depending on the engine and gearbox you choose. If you do a lot of kilometres — I’m talking upwards of 40,000 kilometres a year — then the 1.5-litre diesel is a good bet. It has 113bhp and 260Nm making it an excellent mile-muncher while still being frugal. If you are primarily a city dweller, then an AMT with the Monostable shifter with paddleshifters can be optioned for around ₹70,000. The 1.2-litre petrol you see on these pages has 118bhp and 170Nm mated to a six-speed manual transmission. On the winding roads around Pune, this engine feels very grunty — happy to climb up most inclines and drive out of corners in third gear. The Nexon also has a drive mode selector to switch between eco, city and sport drive modes. Tata also seems to have paid particular attention to driveability in the city, as is evident by the light clutch and shifter action. This is all standard Nexon fare, and we know it’s a good recipe; after all, it won our compact SUV comparison very recently.

But what does the Pure S get, or more importantly, miss out on, and how does that affect the overall experience? Starting on the outside, the Nexon still looks great in mid-spec variants, particularly in Pure Grey, which is exclusive to this persona. It has Bi-LED headlamps, LED taillamps, roof rails and is shod with 16- inch steel wheels with wheel covers. Of course, alloys would be nice, but the wheels on the Pure are the same size as the alloys on the higher trims, which means there are no unsightly wheel gaps. The Pure gets 195-section tyres as opposed to the 215s on the top trim level, but the Pure never feels wanting for grip. Even in the damp conditions, the Nexon feels surefooted and is quite happy to maintain a quick pace on the twisties. Not to mention that the Nexon rides superbly on broken roads, regardless of which variant you get. Inside, the Pure S is not as plush as the top-end trims, but don’t let that put you off; it still has everything you need and more. Crucially, the materials and finishes feel of a lot higher quality than the price tag suggests. Take, for instance, the airconditioning controls. Although it doesn’t have automatic climate control, the touch based HVAC controls are housed in a neat gloss black panel instead of being cheap rotary dials. There is also a 7-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that’s intuitive to use, in addition to a digital instrument cluster, auto headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, voice commands, and even a sunroof. There is no cruise control, but honestly, that’s not something I’d miss on a daily basis. And that is the point of having so many variants. Everyone has different needs, and if your life has you frequenting expressways, it's worth upgrading to the Creative persona and getting cruise control. Similarly, the Fearless still has its place in the lineup, offering an incredible amount of kit at what is still a very attractive price point. But the Pure, as the name suggests, is pure, minimalistic, and sophisticated. It has everything you need and then some, while still retaining all the characteristics that make the Nexon a winner. The public seems to agree, as seven lakh Nexons have found buyers in seven years, making it India's number one SUV for three consecutive years. The cherry on top is that Tata Motors is offering benefits of up to ₹1 lakh as part of the King of SUVs festival. It's the perfect time to get into a Nexon.