The cabin of the Nexon EV looks and feels thoroughly modern! In fact, there are three interior options – Empowered, Fearless, and Creative – to choose from. We drove the top-of-the-line Empowered trim with a cream and black theme that gives the cabin an airy and premium appeal. The 12.3-inch touchscreen unit takes centre stage and is even bigger than the system offered with the fossil-fuel-powered Nexon. Furthermore, it is festooned with features along with an air purifier, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a fantastic JBL sound system with eight distinct modes. The unit can also be your entertainment screen while you wait for the battery to juice up.
The driver display is a 10.25-inch unit and is completely digital. With three display modes, it can even display navigation like some of the Germans! Oddly, this won’t function if you happen to use Google Maps on an iOS device! Besides this, the centre console now houses a stubby gear lever along with a haptic panel for the aircon system. The controls are easy to use and the convenience of physical knobs does ease the overall usability. However, with at least 8-10 controls integrated into the panel, it does take time to build muscle memory and a touch feedback would have made the overall experience a bit more intuitive.
The front seats now have added bolstering and it is evident with superior comfort and support. Both the seats get ventilation whereas for this EV iteration, only the driver side can be adjusted for height. It also gets a new retro-modern-looking two-spoke steering wheel with a flat bottom and an illuminated logo on the piano finish.
We really liked the multi-deck cooled glovebox and even the centre console-placed pad for the wireless charger. The bottles can be stowed away in any of the four doors but we sorely missed the cup holders that have been skipped for the front occupants. Furthermore, this Nexon electric SUV also has charging capabilities and can recharge multiple electrical appliances. You can either plug your devices in any of the two 45-watt Type-C ports or plug in the 15amp plug on the external charging flap and voila, you have a power source on wheels! In complex and technical language, Tata calls this V2L (Vehicle to Load).
The rear seats can easily seat three but tail passenger may have a tight headroom. The legroom is generous and there is an armrest with two cup holders. While it does miss out on ADAS, it has a myriad of passive features in its kitty. These include six airbags as standard across all variants, front parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, and an electronic parking brake.
