As the year draws to a close, manufacturers are readying plans to launch new products in 2021. Tata Motors also has some ambitious plans in the Indian market with a slew of new launches. Tata Altroz, Gravitas are some of the expected arrivals in the first quarter of 2021. Along with the mentioned names, there is a chance of a new Tata Nexon variant coming also. As per our friends at Rushlane, a unit of Tata Nexon was spotted testing on Pune road. Our guess is that the upcoming petrol unit could feature a new DCT (Dual-Clutch Transmission). Tata Motors is facing intense competition in the subcompact SUV segment from new arrivals like the Kia Sonet and Nissan Magnite. To keep up with its competition, Tata is expected to refresh Nexon model.
Talking about the DCT gearbox, it is likely to make an its first appearance in the upcoming Altroz Turbo model scheduled to be launched next year. The same transmission system could roll over to the upcoming Nexon model as well. Also, the Belgian automotive components manufacturer Punch would be supplying the wet clutch type of gearbox. The gear shifter, in turn, would be supplied by Lumax. Despite the inclusion of a DCT unit, do not expect the brand to discontinue the AMT variants. The top-end Tata Nexon trims would feature a DCT gearbox while the lower-spec variants would continue to come with the AMT unit. There is nothing known about the design change but it will be highly similar to the current model on sale in the country. The interior might see an addition of a few features but we have to wait for more information on that.
Tata Nexon is currently sold with two engine options - a 1.2-litre three-cylinder Revotron turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre four-cylinder Revotorq diesel. The former delivers 119 bhp of power output and 170 Nm of peak torque while the latter belts out 109 bhp of power with 260 Nm of peak torque. Both the powertrains come equipped with a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed AMT gearbox. Although AMT is a good option for the Indian buyer but with the addition of DCT, smoother and crisp ride is guaranteed. Speaking about the pricing, expect easily a premium of Rs 1.2 lakh over the top-end Nexon trim. So with the expected price increase, the top-end Tata Nexon Turbo petrol variant could still be cheaper than the Kia Sonet Turbo model by almost 1 lakh.
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