Saar: It will sit between the XT and the XZ+ variants of Tata’s sub-4 metre SUV

Launched in September 2017, the Nexon has had quite an impact on Tata Motors’ performance in the Indian automotive industry. It has almost all the boxes ticked – aggressive pricing, good equipment levels and punchy performance figures. Now though, rumour has it, Tata Motors will soon expand the Nexon’s variant list by introducing the XZ variant. For those who are not aware of Tata’s variant list nomenclature, the XZ will slot between the XT and XZ+ variants.

As far as the kit is concerned, the XZ is expected to miss out on stuff like front and rear armrests, push-button start, rear defogger, fog lamps, DRLs and alloy wheels. That said, it will still get the brilliant 8-speaker Harman sound system, projector headlamps, 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity options, height adjustable front seat belts and voice command. Safety features like ABS and dual airbags are standard across the variant list and the XZ, obviously, will not be an exception.

Mechanically, the Nexon will remain unaltered. Diesel fans will still get the 1.5-litre, 4-cylinder engine that puts out 110PS/260Nm, whereas the petrolheads will have to make do with the 1.2-litre turbo petrol with 110PS/170Nm on the tap. As of now, transmission duties are handled by a 6-speed manual unit for both the engines but Tata will soon add AMT and ‘Aero Kit’ options for its baby SUV. Those are bound to further expand the variant list.

Since it is a compact SUV, with the overall length less than 4 metres, the Nexon competes with the Ford EcoSport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Mahindra TUV300 and the Honda WR-V. The Tata product has the most powerful diesel under its hood. However, when it comes to petrol-power, the Ford takes home the tiara.