So you bought a Tata Nexon 1.5L turbo diesel-manual (or were thinking of buying one) because you heard the trumpet of diesel economy and imagined endless, guilt-free highway miles. We took the Nexon on a somewhat scientific-sounding pilgrimage — tank-full-to-tank-full, 100 km in city crawl, 100+ km on the expressway — to see how close reality is to the marketing poetry. Spoiler: the highway is kind; the city is… honest.
What this car is and who it’s for
The Nexon 1.5L Turbo Diesel-MT is Tata’s compact SUV with a 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel engine mated to a manual gearbox. It promises frugal long-distance cruising and a typical small-SUV comfort package. It’s aimed at value-conscious buyers who want SUV-ish stance, decent features, and diesel’s torque for overtakes — ideally those who spend a lot of time outside the inner city.
Key Features (and how they relate to mileage)
1. 1.5L turbo diesel engine
Yes, it’s a turbo diesel, which translates to strong low-end torque and effortless highway cruising. In our mileage testing, that torque helps the Nexon maintain a relaxed 100 km/h on the expressway, delivering a genuinely respectable 21.61 kmpl in real-world conditions. The engine’s character is the main reason the Nexon becomes a long-distance friend rather than a city nemesis.
2. Manual transmission (MT)
The manual gearbox remains the economical partner-in-crime. It rewards a skilled left foot with better control over revs and, therefore, fuel economy. During the tests the manual allowed the testers to maintain steady highway speeds without hunting for gears — a key factor in the 21.61 kmpl highway figure. In stop-start city traffic, however, manual transmissions demand patience, which does not improve mileage magically.
3. 44-litre fuel tank
Not tiny, not luxurious — just practical. With the recorded real-world numbers, the Nexon’s tank gives you ranges from roughly 626 km (city-only) up to 856 km (highway-only) assuming a 90% usable fill. For mixed usage you’re looking at 741 km on a 50/50 split. This is where the diesel narrative helps: fewer stops unless you enjoy the company of petrol station kiosks.
4. Real-world verified testing method
The testers used a tank-to-tank method: fill, reset trip meter, 100 km city loop at ~40 km/h average, refill and measure; then 113 km highway at ~100 km/h, refill and measure. The transparency of this method matters — we’re not talking hypothetical city cycles in a lab, but actual crawling Delhi NCR traffic and Sohna expressway cruising.
5. Claimed vs actual economy figures
Tata’s claimed figure for this powertrain sits around 23.23 kmpl. Our test returned 15.82 kmpl in the city (a rather humbling -32% deviation) and 21.61 kmpl on the highway (-7% from claim). The takeaway: the highway numbers are close enough to brag about; the city figures will sting your wallet and ego a bit.
Pros and Cons
Because balance matters and because cars, like relationships, are a mix of charm and compromise.
Pros
- Highway efficiency that’s genuinely useful: 21.61 kmpl at a steady 100 km/h is very competitive for a compact diesel SUV.
- Excellent range per tank on long drives — up to ~856 km in ideal conditions — fewer fuel stops, more chai breaks.
- Strong low-end torque makes overtaking and highway merging painless, especially with a manual gearbox under your hand.
- Realistic testing transparency: tank-to-tank, consistent routes and loads. No fairy-tale fuel economy numbers here.
Cons
- City mileage disappoints: 15.82 kmpl in real traffic is a 32% drop from the claimed figure. If you spend most of your time in stop-start urban conditions, this becomes an expensive toy.
- Per-kilometre cost in the city is high: at Rs. 88/l, city running works out to about Rs. 5.56/km, which is not something you’ll want to drum into a budget spreadsheet daily.
- Manual driving in heavy traffic can be tiring; the fuel gains can get swamped by stress and clutch repairs if you’re not careful (or polite to local traffic gods).
User Experience — how it actually feels
Driving the Nexon at highway speeds is where it flexes. The 1.5L diesel’s low-end pull makes cruising effortless: you settle into the lane, nudge the cruise (if manual drivers could daydream about cruise control), and the car hums efficiently. Hitting 100 km/h feels relaxed rather than hard work — your foot isn’t pleading for mercy. The resulting 21.61 kmpl was measured on a 113 km run where the average speed was 100 km/h, and that comfort translates directly into better fuel economy.
City driving is less romantic. In Delhi NCR’s stop-and-go, the Nexon averaged 40 km/h over the 100 km route in about four hours and returned 15.82 kmpl. That number is a reality check: turbo diesels love steady loads and hate urban impatience. The manual gearbox gives you control but also demands patience — constant clutch work and gear shifts eat into comfort. NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) wasn’t extreme in our run, but sustained cursing at traffic does make every diesel clatter feel louder.
Refuelling rituals are realistic: in one city refill the tank accepted 6.49 litres at Rs. 88/l for the 100 km city stint; on the highway refill was 5.26 litres after the 113 km run. These tiny numbers make for tangible, sobering per-km cost arithmetic.
Comparison with alternatives (briefly, and without tribal warfare)
Compare the Nexon with other subcompact SUVs that offer diesel options — the story is familiar. Many rivals promise optimistic economy figures; on the highway, most diesel rivals will be within a couple of kmpl of the Nexon’s 21.6 if driven sensibly. The real divergence is in city performance and perceived comfort: some competitors emphasise urban refinement and automatic options that marginally improve stop-start efficiency and reduce driver fatigue. Put simply: if your life is 70% motorway, the Nexon punches well above its weight. If it’s 70% city, look at models that prioritise urban efficiency or offer a diesel AT/CVT (if available) or a petrol hybrid alternative.
Practical scenarios where Nexon excels (and where it sulks)
Excels:
- Interstate commuters: someone doing long weekly runs will appreciate the 21.61 kmpl and 787–856 km potential tank range — fewer fuel stops, fewer excuses to stop for family selfies.
- Weekend road-trippers: lower highway fuel cost (approx Rs. 4.07/km at Rs. 88/l) means more snacks and fewer arguments about toll costs.
- Mixed usage drivers with highway bias: a 70/30 city/highway split yields ~17.56 kmpl, which is reasonable economy for a compact SUV carrying people and luggage.
Falls short:
- Daily inner-city commuters: 15.82 kmpl and Rs. 5.56/km will make monthly fuel bills conspicuous; add traffic-induced stress, and the Nexon becomes an expensive daily ritual.
- Cab aggregators or heavy stop-start duty: if your next job title is ‘traffic-weary taxi driver’, the city penalties add up fast.
Who should buy this
Buy this if you: regularly drive long distances, value diesel’s torque for overtakes and hill climbs, and enjoy a compact SUV’s raised seating and perceived safety. The Nexon suits owners who travel between cities, take weekend road trips, or have commutes that include significant highway time.
Don’t buy this if you: spend most of your driving life inside urban canyons and toll plazas, or you’re allergic to manual transmissions in traffic. If your mileage priorities are purely urban economy, consider a petrol-efficient car, a mild-hybrid option, or a diesel automatic where available.
Value for money
Value assessment depends on your driving diet. On highways, the Nexon is economical and delivers real-world numbers close to claims (only -7% deviation), which translates to lower running costs and fewer fuel stops over ownership. At Rs. 88/l and the tested 21.61 kmpl, highway running costs about Rs. 4.07 per km — respectable for a subcompact SUV.
In the city, the economics are less flattering. A 15.82 kmpl city figure at the same fuel price becomes Rs. 5.56/km; over monthly urban commutes this adds up fast. The claimed 23.23 kmpl looks generous in hindsight: the practical user will see much less in everyday traffic. So the car is excellent value for buyers with higher highway exposure; less so for inner-city heavy users.
Also factor in other ownership costs (insurance, maintenance) and the emotional tax you pay for clutch-heavy driving in traffic. The Nexon’s features and range deliver tangible advantages for the right buyer; for the wrong one, those same attributes feel like false promises.
If you mostly do highways and long intercity mileage, this Nexon is a sensible buy — quiet, economical, practical, and not annoyingly optimistic about its fuel economy. If your life is gridlock and signal lights, reconsider: the diesel’s city appetite will gnaw a noticeable hole in your fuel budget. Buy it for the open road; don’t buy it if your idea of a scenic route is the shortest path to the office car park.