Tata is all set to challenge Maruti Suzuki in its domination over the CNG market. How will they do that? With the SUV that gave them a fresh image in the Indian market, the Nexon. Tata is working on a CNG version of the Nexon, which might come out this fiscal year. We already got a glimpse of the upcoming model in the preview that Tata Motors showed at the Bharat Mobility Expo. The car has been seen testing at many different places.
Let's start with the most critical change we will see in the Nexon iCNG compared to the standard variant. We expect Tata to offer the CNG variant with the 1.2-litre turbo petrol guzzler. It will be India's first factory-fit CNG car with a turbocharged engine. Its power output will be less than that of the regular petrol variant. For reference, the standard variant produces 118 bhp and 170 Nm of torque. Mated to it could be either a 5-speed or 6-speed manual. We don't know yet if Tata will offer an automatic version. If they do, it could be one of the 3 automatic gearboxes we have generally seen from Tata: a 6-speed AMT, a 6-speed torque converter, or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.
From the outside, we expect Tata to take forward the same design in the Nexon iCNG as the standard NExon. They might add iCNG badges on the rear gate to make it stand out.
The interior of the Nexon iCNG will also not have a lot of changes to the already successful Nexon. There might be a different colour of upholstery for it to feel different. Considering it is a CNG model, its boot space is bound to suffer. That being said, Tata will try its best to keep the boot space to the maximum with their twin-cylinder CNG tech.
The feature front will also follow the trail of the exterior and interior by offering the same features as the Nexon. The feature list highlights will include the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment panel, 10.25-inch digital instrument display, automatic climate control, wireless phone charging, iRA-connected car tech, height-adjustable and ventilated front seats, 360-degree camera and cruise control. It will be a safe car with safety features like hill assist, electronic stability program (ESP), tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and 6 airbags as standard.
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