‘The more things remain the same, the more they change’ could be an adage that fits the 2023 Tata Nexon. While it fundamentally remains the same in terms of both the engine and the underpinnings, it has changed enough to almost be a new vehicle, albeit similar to its predecessor.

The Nexon's rear end is less fussy and has the X signature in lights now

A few months ago came the engine change to comply with the Bharat Stage 6 Phase 2 regulations. So, in a bid to become cleaner, they became a shade more powerful as well. That change although not that big on paper, was significant as it took the Nexon halfway to the next level.

The second phase of change happened recently, with design changes inside and out. So the vehicle now has lots of new things — a bonnet, front fenders, boot lid, bumpers front and back, headlight and tail light clusters, wheel covers, and a rear spoiler among others. In the process, with wind tunnel testing for aerodynamics, the coefficient of drag has also been reduced to some extent.

Both the Purple and Orange hues work well on the Nexon

In terms of looks, it is smoother and more premium-looking now although it retains things like what Tata Motors calls the X-factor. The bonnet line is a tad higher and the grille slimmer in keeping with the shift of headlamps downwards. The trim levels are now called, bottom to top, Smart, Pure, Creative and Fearless.

There are big changes on the inside as well starting from the dashboard. The entire thing is new and so is the steering. Switches are mostly gone now with the controls moved to touchscreens, a move that reduces costs and frees up money for other uses. It gives an overall smoother and more contemporary look to the interiors as well.

The upholstery can be ordered in the same colour as the paint

So much so that Tata has put a height adjuster in the front passenger seat as well along with ventilation. There are quite a few power ports, USB, USB-C and 12V both front and back. And that makes it very convenient. There is a wireless phone charger as well.

The front dash uses multiple textures to accentuate the width and there’s a ‘hidden until lit’ air-conditioner control panel, a JBL nine-speaker audio system including a subwoofer and industry-first HARMANTM Enhanced AudioworX, more than 200 voice command recognition in six languages with Amazon Alexa and Tata Voice Assistant.

There’s also iRA Connected Car Technology 2.0 that offers features such as remote engine start-stop and AC, smartwatch integration, E-Call (emergency call) and B-Call (breakdown call) with over-the-air updates. A very useful thing is the 360° high-definition surround view system with a blind view monitor. Both the central touchscreen and instrument panel are 10.25-inch screens now and the cluster supports a full map view.

We drove both the petrol and diesel versions with the dual-clutch DCA automatic for the first and the manual for the second. There was no AMT at hand although it is available with both the fuel options.

The petrol is the livelier of the two and is actually quite fun. The DCA shifter works well and while it does need to be nudged to downshift quickly sometimes, overall it matches driving styles and shifts quickly enough. We were driving it around Jaipur and it did a pretty good job in traffic.

Along with the driver's seat now the front passenger also gets a height adjusting and cooled seat

On a stretch of highway heading to Delhi it was good too. So we were quite satisfied with the drive, more so as it was very stable in all the situations we put it through, like rough roads, direction change at speed and so on. The suspension also soaks up bumps pretty well.

The diesel is more or less how we remember it even after the tweaks for BS6 Phase 2. We still think it could have done with a bit more on the noise-vibration-harshness front, but that is not a dealbreaker. Typically for a diesel, it requires fewer gear shifts and overall gets the job done now with more panache than before. The Revotorq engine delivers power nicely enough but it is best kept in the power band and not pushed too much higher.

So the ‘New Nexon’ is a pretty good mix of the old and the new and this year’s update keeps it abreast of contemporary vehicles and ups the perceived premiumness quotient as well with the design and material changes. If the earlier version of the Nexon was good enough, this has just gotten better. Just that the scales are a touch tilted towards the petrol.