February 2022 - Tata Nexon Diesel Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated (Feb 18, 2022): This update of the Tata Nexon diesel variants explained article includes the latest prices of the Tata Nexon and engine, dimension comparison of its rivals.

Also Read: Tata Nexon Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Tata Nexon Diesel?

The pros or advantages of Tata Nexon diesel are:

• Healthy torque output and satisfactory mileage from the 1.5-litre turbo diesel engine.
• A fairly wide and tall body gives it a great road presence.
• Best-in-class ground clearance of 209mm.
• Best-in-class safety feature and 5-star Global NCAP rating - including for the base variant, which gets all of the critical safety equipment.
• The option of manual and AMT automatic transmissions with the diesel engine.
• Gets a respectable number of features for its class, at least with the top variant.

The Tata Nexon diesel has the following shortcomings or problems:

• At Rs. 1.15 lakh to Rs. 1.3 lakh price jump over the petrol model now seems reasonable but the Venue diesel and Sonet diesel offer a nominal price hike of about Rs. 40,000 - 50,000 over the turbo petrol variants.
• Diesel engine option is now available in fewer variants than before. The diesel-automatic combination is available in even fewer variants limiting the options for buyers.
• Expensive, non-VFM XM and XZ variants.
• Poor feature distribution. Even the diesel XMA (S) variant, which cost about Rs. 12.0 lakh on-road, doesn't get an essential safety feature like a prismatic day-night inside mirror.
• The 6-month service interval is too short. A 10,000km per year interval is the industry standard.

You can watch the Tata Nexon petrol variants breakdown in hindi in the video below:

What Is The Price Of Tata Nexon Diesel Variants?

The Tata Nexon diesel is available in a total of 5 main variants with prices starting from Rs. 9.7 lakh and going up to Rs. 13.35 lakh (ex-showroom). The diesel-manual range costs between Rs. 7.4 lakh and Rs. 11.4 lakh. The Nexon diesel-automatic is available in 3 of the 5 variants with prices ranging from Rs. 10.8 lakh and going up to Rs. 13.35 lakh. It carries a flat premium of Rs. 65,000 over the comparable diesel-manual variant.

The Tata Nexon diesel variants cost Rs. 1.15 lakh to Rs. 1.3 lakh more than the comparable Nexon petrol models. To recover this additional upfront cost over the petrol models, you’ll need to drive the Nexon petrol for 73,000 to 83,000km during the ownership. For the Nexon buyers upgrading from petrol-automatic to diesel-automatic, this km-to-breakeven figure is smaller. Because of the slightly lower mileage figure of the Nexon petrol automatic, the diesel automatic only needs to cover 58,000 to 66,000km to recover the additional upfront cost of Rs. 1.15 lakh to 1.3 lakh.

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how any diesel, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

Fuel Cost Calculator in India

Note: Check your Car EMI with our - Car EMI Calculator

Tata Nexon Diesel XM - Base Model Features & Review

The base XM variant of the Tata Nexon diesel costs Rs. 9.7 lakh (ex-showroom). It has the following notable standard features:

• Halogen projector headlamps
• LED DRLs
• LED tail lamps
• 16-inch steel wheels
• 3 drive modes
• All power windows
• Tilt steering
• Traction control
• Electronic stability control
• Hill start
• Umbrella holder in front doors
• 1.0L bottle holders in all doors
• Body-coloured bumpers
• Black door handles and outside mirrors
• Digital instrument cluster
• Music system
• 4 speakers
• Power mirrors with power folding
• Rear power windows
• Remote central locking
• Follow-me headlamps
• Wheel covers

The Nexon XM diesel seems reasonably loaded for a base variant but also quite expensive for a base variant. It doesn't get features like steering-mounted controls, rear defogger, rear washer wiper, touchscreen infotainment, and armrests. We expect these from a car this expensive. If you don’t want to stretch your budget any further and want to pick a car under Rs. 10.0 lakh (ex-showroom), then it’s alright to buy the XM variant. Otherwise, for better value-for-money, stretching your budget a little bit definitely makes sense.

Tata Nexon Diesel XM vs XM (S) Variant

The XM (S) variant of the Nexon diesel is also available with a manual and automatic transmission. It costs Rs. 10.15 lakh with the manual and 10.8 lakh with the automatic transmission. The Nexon XM (S) diesel is Rs. 45,000 more expensive than the XM diesel. The XM (S) variant of the Nexon diesel gets the following notable features:

• Steering-mounted controls
• Auto headlamps
• Auto wipers
• Sunroof

Except for the steering-mounted controls, everything else in this list is a good-to-have feature. What’s good here is that the XM (S) variant of the Nexon is a fairly affordable car with a sunroof. For style conscious buyers, the Nexon XM (S) is a great option as you can just add alloy wheels and your Nexon will look like a top variant from the outside. Budget buyers who can afford to stretch the budget a little bit can consider the XM (S) variant.

Although it doesn’t get several must-have features like a touchscreen, front and rear armrests and height-adjustable driver seat, it’s an undeniably better value for money option than the lower XM variant. So, for diesel-manual and automatic buyers, this variant is worth buying, at least from a value standpoint.

Tata Nexon Diesel XM (S) vs XZ Plus Variant

The XZ Plus variant of the Nexon diesel costs Rs. 11.4 lakh with the manual and Rs. 12.05 lakh with the automatic. It carries an incremental price of Rs. 1.25 lakh over the XM (S) trim. It adds the following important features to the car:

• Rear camera
• 4 tweeters
• 7-inch touchscreen
• Android Auto
• Apple Carplay
• Cooled glovebox
• Front fog lamps
• Rear AC vents
• Day/night inside mirror
• Piano black finish on outside mirrors
• Rear defogger
• Rear washer wiper
• Auto AC
• 60-40 split rear seatback
• Rear armrest
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• 16-inch machined alloy wheels
• Adjustable rear headrests

The XZ Plus variant adds more usable features than the XM (S). The Nexon XZ Plus doesn’t get a sunroof, auto wipers and auto headlamps. For buyers interested in a more functional cabin, the XZ Plus is a better option than the XM (S) even though the XM (S) is a better value for money. It also offers a balanced feature set at the cost of slightly lower value for money. Still, the XZ Plus variant is our top recommendation for Nexon diesel buyers.

Tata Nexon Diesel XZ Plus vs XZ Plus (S) Variant

The XZ Plus (S) variant of the Nexon diesel costs Rs. 12.10 lakh with the manual transmission. It’s Rs. 70,000 more expensive than the XZ Plus variant and is not available with an automatic transmission. It adds the following notable features over the lower XZ Plus variant:

• Tyre pressure monitoring
• Auto headlamps
• Auto wipers
• Cruise control
• Sunroof

The cruise control and sunroof are the big-ticket items on the list. If you don’t mind buying the Nexon without these features, then the XZ Plus will be better for you. TPMS is a must-have feature in this list but it’s also something you can easily install later. Otherwise, from a value perspective, this variant is worth upgrading to.

Tata Nexon Diesel XZ Plus (S) vs XZ Plus (O) Variant

We’re finally with the top-spec XZ Plus (O) variant of the Nexon diesel, which costs Rs. 12.40 lakh with the manual and Rs. 13.05 lakh with the automatic transmission. These prices are Rs. 30,000 more than the lower Nexon XZ Plus (S) diesel variant. It adds the following additional features to the mix:

• Telematics (connected car technology)
• Live vehicle diagnosis
• Remove vehicle control through smartphone app
• Vehicle live location and geo fencing

We don’t find the variant lucratively priced. But if you prefer these features and find the Rs. 30,000 price acceptable, then you can consider this.

Tata Nexon Diesel XZ Plus Dark & XZ Plus (O) Dark Variants

The XZ Plus and XZ Plus (O) variants are also available in exterior black colours for an additional price of Rs. 30,000. This price is acceptable, considering that the Nexon Dark doesn’t just get black paint but also dark alloy wheels along with black cabin and upholstery. For the unique styling, this price seems reasonable. But, these are strictly cosmetic upgrades. So, we’ll leave it up to you to decide if you want to upgrade to the Nexon Dark Edition.

Which Variant Of The Tata Nexon Diesel Should You Buy?

The Nexon diesel-manual’s base XM variant lacks several must-have features to offer a decent ownership experience. So, we can’t recommend this variant to most Nexon buyers. If you absolutely want to buy a car under Rs. 10.0 lakh (ex-showroom), only then you should buy the XM variant. The other advantage is safety and the Nexon’s imposing body style, which is a reason in itself to choose the Nexon over other sub-4m SUVs.

If you can spend a little more then, you should buy the XM (S) variant. It also doesn’t get many must-have features but the inclusion of sunroof helps this variant better justify the asking price. So, even for budget buyers, the XM (S) is the minimum variant we can safely recommend.

From there, the Nexon diesel jumps straight to the XZ Plus variant for a substantial price jump. However, the XZ Plus variant offers a better balance of functional and style features for a better ownership experience even though it offers a lower value-for-money than the lower XM (S) variant. So, the XZ Plus variant of the Tata Nexon diesel is our top recommendation.

The XZ Plus (S) variant is a value-for-money upgrade over the XZ Plus variant and worth considering if you have a bigger budget. The top XZ Plus (O) variant only gets telematics related features. So, you can consider this variant too if you want these features in your car.

The upgrade Dark Edition, or black Nexon is a totally cosmetic upgrade for Rs. 30,000 and it’s up to you to decide if you want it. It does seem reasonably priced.

For the Nexon diesel-automatic buyers also, the XM (S) looks like a decent entry-level variant. Although, if you can stretch your budget a bit, then the XZ Plus is an excellent choice, even though the XZ Plus (O) offers a better value for money.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Tata Nexon Diesel ?

The Nexon gets a 1.5L turbo diesel engine, which is standard for this class of cars. It has good power and torque figures, which are also on par with the rivals. The Nexon diesel’s torque output is not too high like the XUV300 nor too low like the WR-V. However, its heavy weight may give it a slight disadvantage in terms of torque-to-weight ratio, thus affecting its drivability. It also has a decent fuel-efficiency figure of 22.44kmpl with manual as well as automatic transmission.

*Estimated

What Are The Dimensions Of The Tata Nexon?

In terms of dimensions, the Nexon is amongst the widest cars in its class and it also has the best-in-class ground clearance of 209mm. Its 350-litre boot space is also good-enough for a sub-4m SUV. It offers 16-inch wheels as standard on all variants but higher variants get alloys with a slightly wider contact patch.

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Diesel, Diesel Or CNG Car

What Are The Colour Options Of The Tata Nexon Diesel?

The 2022 Nexon diesel is available in the following 5 colours:

• Red
• White
• Green
• Grey
• Black (Dark edition)

Please note that the black colour is only available in the XZ Plus and XZ Plus (O) variants of the Nexon for an additional Rs. 30,000. It also gets black alloys, black cabin and black upholstery.

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we classify cars based on their size.