Tata Nexon iCNG Review: Feature Loaded SUV with Great Fuel Efficiency

Nexon iCNG Review: Tata Motors recently launched the iCNG variant of the Tata Nexon in India. This is the first CNG vehicle, which is offered with a turbo petrol engine in India. Nexon iCNG is similar in design to the non-CNG variants from exteriors and interiors and offers features such as a 360-degree camera, a wireless charger, front-ventilated seats, and more. The Tata Nexon iCNG competes with the Maruti Suzuki Brezza CNG in its segment.

We got our hands on the Tata Nexon iCNG Fearless Plus PS variant and here are our thoughts about this SUV.

Tata Nexon iCNG Price:

Tata Motors launched the Nexon iCNG at Rs 8.99 lakh (ex-showroom) for the base Smart variant. The top-of-the-line, Fearless Plus variant starts at Rs 14.59 lakh (ex-showroom).

Tata Nexon iCNG Exteriors:

The exterior design of the Tata Nexon iCNG is identical to the regular Nexon. Talking about the front profile, the Nexon iCNG is equipped with LED headlamps and DRLs, which have a welcome and a goodbye function while unlocking and locking the car. The fog lamps are also LED units. At night, the illumination of the headlights and the fog lights in the dark was great. We did not feel that it was inadequate while cruising on highways. There is a front parking camera, which helps in parking the Nexon iCNG in tight parking spaces. The only way to identify that it is a CNG variant is through the sticker on the windscreen.

Coming to the side of the Nexon iCNG, the proportions remain unchanged. It has a length of 3995mm, a width of 1804mm, and a height of 1620mm. Despite the rear doors opening wide, the in-rest and the eg-rest for the rear seats were quite cumbersome.

The Nexon iCNG runs on 16-inch alloy wheels in the Fearless Plus PS variant. Since, Tata Motors offers company-fitted CNG in the Nexon, the nozzle for the gas filling is placed inside the fuel filler. The fuel filler cap comes with an auto-cut system, which cuts off the ignition if remains unclosed to ensure the safety of the passengers.

Tata Nexon iCNG is available in seven colour options. These seven colour options are available depending on the variant selected.

At the rear, the design of the Nexon iCNG is unchanged. The rear glass gets the sticker of the CNG and there is a subtle badging of the iCNG. The main highlight of the Nexon iCNG is the boot space, as Tata Motors offers a dual-cylinder setup with decent boot space. Tata Motors claims that there is a boot space of 321 litres. In practicality, the boot space is decent enough for your small suitcase, and bags. A large-sized suitcase will fit inside the boot, but hardly any space will be left for other luggage.

As the CNG cylinders are placed in the boot, the spare wheel is placed under the body. The taillamps are also LED units and do a welcome and a goodbye illumination while unlocking and locking the Nexon. The rear bumper gets black treatment, to enhance the sporty aesthetics of the Nexon iCNG.

Also Read: Mahindra XUV 3XO Review: Feature Loaded SUV with Better Boot Space 

Tata Nexon iCNG Interiors:

The interiors of the Nexon iCNG are similar to the regular Nexon, but there are some changes. For instance, the dashboard layout is the same as the regular Nexon, but there are no cup holders present inside the vehicle, which we felt is a bad omission in 2024. The dashboard gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment from Harman with wireless connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and other functionalities. Since there is no drive mode selector in the Nexon iCNG, the circular area is empty and becomes your key holder.

As the cabin is all dark with black seat upholstery and a dark dashboard, the Tata Nexon iCNG can feel claustrophobic inside. To ease out this, Tata Motors now offers a panoramic sunroof as well to bring in more light inside the cabin. The ergonomics of the Nexon iCNG are something that we didn’t appreciate. The area for the USB charger was quite thin and quite inaccessible if you have thick/broad hands. Secondly, the wireless charger was of no use as an iPhone 14+ won’t fit in that space.

The instrument cluster is an all-digital unit. There is a 10.25-inch instrument cluster offered that displays multiple layouts for the instrument cluster, maps, and other information. The steering wheel has a flat bottom and an illuminated logo. The rear seats of the Nexon had negligible space on offer if the driver seat was adjusted according to a six-foot-tall passenger. The shoulder room was enough to fit three people in the rear seats of the Nexon iCNG.

Tata Nexon iCNG Features:

The feature list on the Nexon iCNG comprises a 360-degree camera, a wireless charger, automatic climate control, and more. The display quality of the 360-degree parking camera in the dark was pixelated but gave a wide view of what’s around. Nexon iCNG is equipped with Express Cool, which chills the cabin quickly and rolls down the driver window to reduce the temperature inside the cabin. Tata Motors also offers front-ventilated seats, which is a nice touch in summer to cool your seats. Additionally, it also offers a PM 2.5 air filter for air purification inside the cabin.

Coming to the audio, our test unit was equipped with four tweeters and a four-speaker sound system from JBL. The sound output was good and elevated the driving experience. Beyond the above-mentioned features, the Nexon iCNG also offers a 45W USB Type-C charging port for fast charging. Despite offering multiple features, it misses features such as cruise control, ambient lighting, cup holders, and more.

Coming to safety, Tata Nexon iCNG recently scored a five-star safety rating for the adult occupants in the Bharat NCAP. Nexon iCNG is offered with six airbags, ABS, EBD, traction control, and a blind view monitor.

Also Read: TVS Apache RTR 160 4V Updated With New Features

Tata Nexon iCNG Engine And Driving:

Tata Motors offers the CNG option with the 1.2-litre inline three-cylinder turbo petrol engine. This engine churns out 100 BHP and 170Nm torque, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

The drive of this engine was decent and the vibrations from the engine were quite evident. The vibrations were also evident when the car’s ignition was turned on or off. The feel and feedback from the steering wheel were smooth and since it is a two-spoke unit, holding it and maneuvering in the city traffic was quite easy.

Despite having feel and feedback, there was a lag at the centre position, which we felt in our unit, and the body roll was quite evident. Talking about the clutch, it was smooth and the biting point was on the initial end. Moreover, despite a smooth clutch, the travel was long and you might burn it in the long run.

However, there was turbo lag, which was quite evident below 2000 RPM and required to make a downshift to get going. Since there were no riding modes on offer, at certain RPMs the NVH from the engine felt as if we were driving a diesel engine. The sound from the engine was quite evident in the cabin.

Tata Nexon iCNG Fuel Efficiency:

Tata Motors claims that Nexon iCNG has a fuel efficiency of 24km/kg. During our test, the car returned a fuel efficiency of 21km/kg. The Nexon iCNG’s MID displayed a CNG metre, which showed how much percentage of vehicles are driven on CNG or petrol.

Also Read: Top 10 Cars With Air Purifiers

Tata Nexon iCNG Suspension:

The suspensions of the Tata Nexon iCNG are tuned on the stiffer side. The ride was comfortable over the bad patches and the suspension noise was well contained. The vehicle felt planted even at triple-digit speeds and glided over bumps and bad roads.

Conclusion:

Coming to the main question, should you consider Tata Nexon iCNG in its segment or not? Our answer is Yes! The interiors of the Nexon iCNG are premium, exteriors are also refreshed, and have a comprehensive set of features. The fuel efficiency from the CNG powertrain is also good. However, the NVH levels could have been improved. The clutch travel is long and would take some time to adapt to the biting point. The ride quality is decent but Tata Motors could have tuned the suspensions better.