Having made the announcement in January, Tata Motors South Africa has confirmed that the Nexon will arrive in the third quarter of the year, but under different name.

Call it Osprey

One of two models the Indian giant will debut this year after its market return 12 months ago, the other being the new Sierra SUV, it confirmed that the Nexon will be called Osprey in a move it says has been “carefully curated and engineered for South Africa”.

*_{Nexon made its world debut in 2017, but has since been updated twice. Picture: Tata}*

Last updated with Tata’s current styling language three years ago, the Nexon is one of its oldest products having debuted in India nine years ago.

Revised twice since then, it has amassed sales of over one-million units then since, with a best of 200 000 last year. Locally, it will slot-in between the Punch and Curvv.

Dimensions

In terms of dimensions, the Nexon/Osprey is as follows:

Length: 3 995 mm;
Wheelbase: 2 498 mm;
Height: 1 620 mm;
Width: 1 804 mm

*_{Nexon received its current restyling in 2023. Picture: Tata India}*

Its length putting it into India’s sub-four metre bracket, the Osprey has a claimed ground clearance of 208 mm and boot space of 382-litres with the rear seats up.

Engine options

In India, a choice of three engines are offered: the 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder Revotron petrol outputting 88kW/170Nm and the 1.5-litre four-cylinder Revotorq turbodiesel that makes 85kW/260Nm.

The third option sees the former being powered by Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), which has seen outputs fall to 74kW/170Nm.

Depending on the trim level, transmission choices comprise a five or six-speed manual, a six-speed automated manual (AMT) and a seven-speed dual-clutch.

As with its siblings, though, chances are that only the conventional petrol will make it to South Africa.

Confirmed spec

In India, the Nexon has no less than 10 trim levels, however, the Osprey is likely to have fewer derivatives when it goes on-sale.

*_{Similar to its exterior, the interior underwent a considerable refresh three years ago. Picture: Tata India}*

Positioned above the Punch, confirmed features for South Africa include:

LED headlights;
ventilated leatherette upholstery;
10.25-inch infotainment system;
panoramic sunroof;
10.25-inch digital instrument cluster;
360-degree camera system
front and rear parking sensors;
six airbags;
Blind Spot Monitoring;
Reverse Parking Camera

Other likely features

Also, likely to be offered are the following available in India;

auto on/off headlights;
rain-sense wipers;
folding electric mirrors;
keyless entry;
push-button start;
wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto;
six-speaker JBL sound system;
wireless smartphone charging pad;
cooled glovebox;
tyre pressure monitor;
Adaptive Cruise Control;
Front Collision Warning;
Automatic Emergency Braking;
Lane Departure Warning;
Traffic Sign Recognition;
Lane Keep Assist

Price?

Priced from Rs 736 900 to Rs 1 366 990, which equates to between R128 595 and R238 536 when directly converted and without taxes, Tata South Africa is yet to confirm exact pricing for the Osprey.

However, expect it to likely start around the R340 000 mark based on the flagship Punch’s R339 900 and the entry-level Curvv’s R349 900 asking prices.