Tata Nexon EV

The Nexon EV continues to anchor Tata's EV line-up and remains one of India's top-selling electric cars, with Tata holding a large share of the country's EV market. The big recent addition is a Level 2 ADAS suite on the top Empowered+ A 45 variant - adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, automatic emergency braking and traffic sign recognition - making it one of the more advanced affordable EVs in India.

Both the 30 kWh and 45 kWh versions carry a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating, and the 45 kWh now comes with Tata's lifetime (15-year) high-voltage battery warranty for the first owner. Tata has also refreshed the palette with new shades like Pure Grey and Ocean Blue, alongside Dark and Red Dark editions for buyers who want the murdered-out look.

The 45 kWh Nexon EV is the sweet spot. Its 489 km ARAI figure translates to a dependable 350 to 400 km in mixed real-world driving, and 215 Nm of instant torque means it never feels strained, with 0-100 km/h done in about 8.75 seconds and a 150 km/h top speed. It makes 142 bhp.

The 30 kWh MR version makes 127 bhp, is rated at 275 km (around 200 to 230 km in practice) and is limited to 120 km/h. That is fine for city commuting with home charging, but think twice if you regularly do intercity runs. Eco, City and Sport modes plus adjustable regen through paddle shifters let you trade punch for range as needed.

Safety is the Nexon EV's strongest card. It carries a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating covering both the 30 kWh and 45 kWh versions, with six airbags standard, ESP with i-VBAC, all-wheel disc brakes, ISOFIX anchors and a 360-degree camera with a blind spot view monitor.

The notable upgrade is Level 2 ADAS on the top Empowered+ A 45 variant - adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, automatic emergency braking and traffic sign recognition - which brings the Nexon EV in line with pricier rivals on driver-assistance tech.

On a 60 kW DC fast charger, the Nexon EV goes from 10 to 80 percent in about 40 minutes - a tea break on a highway run. At home, a 7.2 kW AC wall box takes the 45 kWh from 10 to 100 percent in around 6 hours 36 minutes (the 30 kWh charges faster). A regular 15A socket works too but needs about 17.5 hours, so treat that as a backup.

The car uses the standard CCS-II port. V2L lets you run appliances off the battery, and V2V can even lend charge to another EV - genuinely useful in a pinch.

Tata backs the Nexon EV with a 3-year or 1,25,000 km standard vehicle warranty. The headline is the high-voltage battery cover: the 45 kWh gets a lifetime warranty - 15 years from registration - for the first owner, while the 30 kWh gets a standard 8-year or 1,60,000 km battery warranty. The lifetime cover is tied to the first individual, non-commercial owner, so read the fine print, but it is among the strongest battery cover in this segment.