Tata Nexon diesel not discontinued, Tata Motors issues clarification over rumours

In response to certain reports that surfaced online recently, Tata Motors has issued a clarification over the Tata Nexon diesel. The carmaker has refuted reports that suggested the diesel version of the Nexon was being discontinued and chose to clear the air over its plans for the compact SUV’s variant line-up. Citing strong demand for the Nexon diesel, Tata has said it chose to prune the Nexon’s variant range to help make the buying process simpler for customers, and also mentioned updates for some of the variants.In its statement, Tata Motors said, “To simplify the choices for its customers, Tata Motors has opted to discontinue select variants and introduced updates in others. The Nexon is now available in 20 variants, offering customers an exciting product proposition at different price points and the most choice in the compact SUV segment.”[caption id="attachment_9701211" align="alignnone" width="1010"] The Tata Nexon diesel range now starts at Rs 9.49 lakh. Image: Tata Motors[/caption]With this move, the total number of Tata Nexon variants is down to 20 – 12 petrol variants, and eight diesel variants. Four main trims from the diesel line-up – including the XE, XMA, XZ and XZA + (S) – have been discontinued; most likely due to low demand for these variants.Now that the base XE trim is gone, the Tata Nexon diesel range starts at Rs 9.49 lakh for the XM variant. The diesel-AMT range, meanwhile, starts at Rs 10.56 lakh for the XZA+ variant (all prices, ex-showroom).It is a routine practice for most manufacturers to regularly update their model lines, and Tata Motors has been ringing in the changes for its offerings, with the Nexon getting new five-spoke alloy wheels, dropping the Tectonic Blue paint option as well as select physical buttons from its dashboard. Tata Motors now also offers just five colour options for each model across its entire combustion-engine passenger vehicle portfolio.Tata Motors chose to invest in and stick with a diesel engine option for the Nexon at a time when the then-segment leader, the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, went the petrol-only route. It remains among the few diesel models on sale today with a starting price of under Rs 10 lakh.