This was eventually going to happen and you guys knew it and maybe wanted it too! The ultimate face-off between the EVs in India as we compare all their features and aspects to make the right choice. So, here’s a comparison of some popular EVs in India
Now we are not considering the more premium EVs from Mercedes, Audi, or BMW although they are available in India because they belong in an entirely different price range and we want to concentrate on the ones which people might end up buying after reading the article.
Price
Model | Tata Tigor EV | Tata Nexon EV | MG ZS EV | Hyundai Kona |
Prices (ex-showroom) | 9-10 Lakh (estimated) | 13.99 – 16.85 Lakh | 20.99 – 24.18 Lakh | 23.79 – 23.97 Lakh |
So before we go all guns blazing, we start with the price of owning these computers on wheels. The Tata products appear to be at the low end of the spectrum with an aim of being more affordable to the common man. But you also need to look at the price difference between the fully-loaded Nexon and the base model of the MG ZS, which is just a matter of 5 Lakh. That is you have an EV at every 5 lakh gap, Tigor EV at 10 lakh, Nexon EV at 15 lakh, MG ZS EV at 20 lakh, and Hyundai Kona at almost 25 Lakh.
Motor
Aspect | Tata Tigor EV | Tata Nexon EV | MG ZS EV | Hyundai Kona |
Power | 129 PS | 129 PS | 143 PS | 136 PS |
Torque | 245 Nm | 245 Nm | 353 Nm | 395 Nm |
0-100 kmph | N\A | 9.9 seconds | 8.5 seconds | 9.7 seconds |
Electronically Limited Top Speed | N\A | 120 kmph | 140 kmph | 155 kmph |
All the EVs come powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor that drives the front wheels via a single-speed gearbox. The Nexon EV’s motor might make the least power, with 129hp and 245Nm on call, but the Tata is no slowcoach. Like all EVs in India, the Nexon feels light on its feet and the build of speed is appreciably linear. On tap throttle responses are instant and overtaking doesn’t require prior planning.
With four drive modes and four levels of regen braking, the Kona Electric allows the most adjustability to the driving experience. The Hyundai’s motor puts out 136hp and a whopping 395Nm, and expectedly performance is strong. The Kona creates a larger gap with the Nexon after 120 kmph as the speed limiter hits the Nexon earlier than the Kona.
There’s no beating the MG ZS EV in terms of performance, however. It’s the quickest to 100kph, with a time of 8.53sec, and delivers the strongest push back onto your seat under hard acceleration. Part of the package are toggles for powertrain characteristics and regen that help personalise the experience.
In everyday driving, the MG’s 143hp and 353Nm powertrain feels alert but actually not all too different from the Kona or even the Nexon.
Battery & Charging
Aspect | Tata Tigor EV | Tata Nexon EV | MG ZS EV | Hyundai Kona |
Battery Pack | 26 kWh | 30.2 kWh | 44.5 kWh | 39.2 kWh |
Warranty on Battery | 8 year/1.60 Lakh kms | 8 year/1.60 Lakh kms | 8 year/1.5 Lakh kms | 8 year/1.60 Lakh kms |
Fast Charging Time | 80 per cent in 60 mins | 80 per cent in 60 mins | 80 per cent in 50 mins | 80 per cent in 57 mins |
Slow/Normal Charging Time | 80 per cent in 8.5 hours | 100 per cent in 8 hours | 100 per cent in 6 to 8 hours | 100 per cent in 6 hours 10 mins |
This is one of the main components of the vehicle and thankfully all of them come with an 8-year warranty and only MG giving 1.5 lakh km while Tata and Hyundai give another 10k kms extra. Each car is provided with portable chargers that work with 15 amp 3-pin sockets as standard. These are the slow charging kind of chargers and take around 6 to 8 hours for the EVs. DC fast charging is the fastest way to juice them up and all of them achieve 80% under an hour.
Driving Range
Model | Tata Tigor EV | Tata Nexon EV | MG ZS EV | Hyundai Kona |
Range (ARAI-certified) | 250 kms (claimed) | 312 kms | 340 kms | 452 kms |
One could easily say that this becomes a make it-break decision for EVs in India products. Now you will have to keep in mind that these are not real-world figures and the actual range differs completely based on the driving manners, number of passengers, load on the vehicle, etc. Also, something you need to keep in mind is that the range of the EVs is more accurate and probably more in towns and cities as opposed to highways. The main reason for that is because of the more frequent start-stop movement in cities that maximises the effect of regenerative braking, which converts kinetic energy on deceleration to top up the batteries.
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Safety and Features
Aspect | Tata Tigor EV | Tata Nexon EV | MG ZS EV | Hyundai Kona |
Airbags | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
ESC | N\A | N\A | Yes | Yes |
LED Headlights | No | No | No | Yes |
Automatic Climate Control | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Cruise Control | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Auto-dimming IRVM | No | No | No | Yes |
Touchscreen Infotainment | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Connected Tech | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Sunroof | No | Yes | Yes (Panoramic) | Yes |
Ventilated Seats | No | No | No | Yes |
Powered Driver Seats | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Electronic Parking Brake | No | No | Yes | Yes |
The safety aspect is also one of the important things to be considered. Although the Nexon EV and Tigor EV come with only 2 airbags, you need to consider that their ICE-powered vehicles on which they are based scored an amazing 5-star and 4-star rating respectively in the Global NCAP crash test. So electric cars are safe and offer abundant features based on the price you pay for them. Although, features like automatic climate control and connected car tech are available in the Nexon EV, which somehow are not available in the much costlier MG ZS EV (no auto climate control) and Hyundai Kona (no connected car tech). That’s definitely a thumbs up for the Indian manufacturer.
Dimensions
Aspect | Tata Tigor EV | Tata Nexon EV | MG ZS EV | Hyundai Kona |
Length (mm) | 3992 | 3993 | 4314 | 4180 |
Width (mm) | 1677 | 1811 | 1809 | 1800 |
Height (mm) | 1537 | 1606 | 1620 | 1570 |
Wheelbase (mm) | 2450 | 2498 | 2585 | 2600 |
Ground Clearance (mm) | N\A | 205 | 161 | 172 |
Kerb Weight (kg) | N\A | 1400 | 1518 | 1535 |
Although the Kona has the longest wheelbase, it still misses out on knee room on the inside and feels a little too small when compared to the ZS and even Nexon. The MG ZS EV feels the most spacious, airy and all thanks to the panoramic sunroof for elevating that premium experience. Nexon with its highest ground clearance is more Indian-road friendly (a reference to the high number of potholes and towering speed breakers).
Interiors
The interiors are where you will spend the most time as an owner of the vehicle and here are a few shots of the interiors of the vehicles.
It obviously does not make sense to compare the Tigor EV with Kona or the MG ZS as it will be comparing apples to oranges but you get what you pay for. The Tigor’s interiors do not lack in sophistication as it does feel premium for compact sedan standards.
That said Nexon feels more upmarket with the floating touchscreen and the ergonomic positioning of the rotary dial to change drive modes. Especially with the Dark edition, it kinda seems like a more subtle Desi version of the Batmobile.
Nevertheless, the MG ZS EV and the Kona feel way more premium and very European. MG ZS feels like it has the most balanced layout and has a very premium looking dashboard. The increased use of soft-touch plastic on the MG ZS makes it even more upmarket and premium compared to the Kona as well.
Given the touchscreen infotainment on the Kona looks a bit odd/outdated but the dashboard layout and the design that flows from the dashboard to the centre console between the driver and the passenger looks and feels very premium.
Electric Car & Car Insurance
Now, this is where you feel the burden of EVs in India, and this is major because of the higher manufacturing costs, driven up by the battery prices and the motors used. The insurance cost of the Tigor EV is not known yet but for the Nexon EV, it is Rs.70,412, while for the MG ZS EV it is Rs.89,553 and the insurance for Hyundai Kona costs Rs.91,586. I agree the cost is too high but if you consider the 5-year maintenance of a petrol-powered car and compare it even to the costliest Kona, the Kona would still cost less as the per-Km charge and the minimal service charge (as there are fewer movable parts) is very low and you would literally be paying only the insurance of your car as maintenance.
The Verdict
With the price of fossil fuels skyrocketing every day, these electric cars are definitely a better alternative. You wouldn’t be making a mistake if choose any among these, as you have the Tigor EV that starts at around 10 lakh, it might be the entry-level for EVs but they have not compromised on anything, from interiors to safety and range. The Nexon EV is the middle child and is a well-balanced, capable electric SUV and is a more premium offering from the Tata stable. The Hyundai Kona brings European dishes to the Menu and provides unique features like LED headlights and ventilated seats. The MG ZS EV is the jack of all, with the best performance, almost accurate range figures, and more creature comforts. With that said, all these EVs are safe with only the Tigor scoring a healthy 4-star rating while the others score an excellent 5 star in the Global NCAP crash tests. So go ahead and tell us your pick from any of these popular EVs in India available and let us know why just to keep things interesting.