Tata Nexon Hybrid spied testing on Indian roads

A test mule of Tata Nexon was recently spotted. According to Team-Bhp, the test mule could be equipped with a new mild-hybrid petrol engine. Back in 2018, it was reported that Tata has started work on Nexon’s hybrid powertrain. Having said that, it is possible that this Nexon is equipped with a flex-fuel engine. As of now, nothing is confirmed or officially announced by Tata Motors.

The pictures were clicked by AutoSpy and he said a technician was sitting with his laptop on the co-driver seat. There was also a Harrier behind the Nexon’s test mule. AutoSpy also reported that the engine sound from Nexon was negligible.

It is not yet known whether Tata will use a strong hybrid system or a mild-hybrid system. Currently, only Maruti Suzuki uses a mild-hybrid system for their vehicles. The hybrid system consists of batteries that can drive the vehicle and take some load off the engine. Essentially, reducing emissions and increasing fuel economy.

Also read: Tata Nexon goes off roading in the Himalayas (Video)

Traditional engines run on only one particular type of fuel. It is either petrol or diesel. A flex-fuel engine can run on petrol as well as a blend of petrol and ethanol. The percentage of ethanol can be as high as 83 percent in petrol and a goof flex-fuel engine would be able to run on it. As of now, only Citroen has announced that their upcoming C3 will be using a flex-fuel engine which will give them a first-mover advantage.

Tata Nexon

Currently, Tata offers the Nexon with a petrol engine and a diesel engine. The petrol engine is a 1.2-litre unit and is turbocharged. The engine produces 120 PS of max power and 170 Nm of peak torque. The 1.5-litre diesel engine produces 110 PS of max power and 260 Nm of peak torque. Both the engines are offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed AMT gearbox.

Earlier, there were rumours that Tata will be launching the Nexon with a proper automatic gearbox. It could either be a dual-clutch transmission or a torque converter transmission. It has been a while, but there have been no test mule sightings nor there has been any announcement from Tata Motors.

Pricing and rivals

The Nexon starts at Rs. 7.3 lakhs ex-showroom and goes up to Rs. 13.35 lakhs ex-showroom. It goes against the Mahindra XUV300, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite and Toyota Urban Cruiser.

Prices increased and variants discontinued

Tata Motors recently increased the prices of the Nexon. The change in prices varied between Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 11,000. There are some variants that were not affected by the price hike. The XZ+ manual’s petrol and diesel variants did not get a price hike. The prices of Dark Editions with petrol engine were also not changed. The XM(S) variant that comes with a sunroof also did not get a price hike. The variants that were discontinued were diesel ones. Three variants were discontinued, they were XMA, XZ and XZA+ (S).

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