Watch the Tata Nexon show off its segment-best ground clearance by going off the road [Video]

The Tata Nexon is the most affordable sub-4 meter SUV on sale in the country right now. Launched in 2017 by Tata, the stylish SUV has gone to win the hearts of its buyers and has constantly been the second best selling vehicle in its segment. Its roomy interiors, comfortable rear seats with ample legroom, powerful engine and stylish exteriors all come together to make it a compelling package. Though any of the sub-4 meter SUVs on sale on our shores currently are not meant to be used for off-roading, including the Tata Nexon, the video below by Zip Of Life shows a Nexon doing just the opposite. Let’s check out the video now to see how the Tata Nexon fares when off the road.

As seen in the video, the Tata Nexon manages the rough terrain quite well and does not gets stuck anywhere. Now when we said that the sub-4 meter SUVs are not meant to go off-roading, that was quite right. This is because they are just regular cars which have a body design that is inspired by SUVs. However, the powertrain and more importantly the drivetrain they use are exactly the same as on some other hatchbacks or sedans. Most of them are front wheel drive vehicle which translates into limited traction over off-road terrains. For the same reason, industry experts often refer to them as Crossover Utility Vehicles (CUV) rather than sub-compact SUVs.

Talking about the Tata Nexon and its adventures in this video, the car did fairly well than was expected. A major reason behind this is that the Tata Nexon has a high ground clearance of 209 mm, which is the best in the sub-4 meter SUV segment. Comparatively, its chief rivals like the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza and the Ford Ecosport have ground clearance of 198 mm and 200 mm respectively. This gives the Nexon a definite advantage in such unpaved terrains over its competition. Note that off-road terrain as shown on the video is of a farm and is not much challenging except for some big dug-ups and similar features. However, that is still quite a lot for vehicles like the Nexon. In usual conditions, that is the most challenging terrain such vehicles would ever need to travel onto in emergency conditions.

In many sections of the video the Nexon balanced itself on just two wheels and the high ground clearance of the car helped it to get out of those conditions unscathed. However, do note that these vehicles are not meant to be used like this and are best to be used on roads. The outcome of the video would not be the same had the field been filled with water or had it rained there. The front wheel drive drivetrain of the Nexon or of any other SUV in its segment is not enough to get them enough traction if stuck in a sticky situation.

Talking about the Nexon in this video, it is a special edition model launched by the company in 2018 to celebrate the anniversary of Nexon’s first launch. Called the Tata Nexon Kraz it is based on the XT variant of the regular Nexon and is only available with a manual gearbox regardless of the engine choice. The 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine on the Nexon Kraz produces 108.5 Bhp and 170 Nm of torque while the 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel produces 108.5 Bhp and 260 Nm of peak torque. In the Kraz, both engines send power to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. The Kraz, like every other Nexon model, gets 3 driving modes – Eco, City and Sport, which change the engine’s power output to suit the driving style required.