Tata Nexon vs. Mahindra TUV300 vs. Mahindra NuvoSport

After a long wait, Tata has finally launched the all-new Nexon in India. With an introductory price of Rs 5.85 lakhs, the sub-four-metre crossover undercuts its closest rivals in terms of pricing. We have driven the car, and you can read about it over here.

The Nexon comes as a fresh alternative to two other Indian-bred compact crossovers – the Mahindra TUV300 and its sibling NuvoSport. Here is how the newcomer fares against the old-school horses from Mahindra’s stable.

Exterior and Styling

Unlike its competitors, the Nexon adopts a rather modern styling approach. Tata’s new Impact design philosophy is evident all over the car. The crossover flaunts a very busy design. It comes with large headlamps and a raked windscreen. The honeycomb grille is scrounged from its elder sibling, the Hexa. The tall stance and flared arches along with the slightly sloping roof give it a modern and brawny appearance. The dual-colour paint scheme seems to be the trend these days and it is available in Nexon as well.

Meanwhile, the two Mahindra cars carry a conservative styling. The TUV300 takes a boxy approach with a five slat grille up front. The headlamps are angular, the bumper is a perfect rectangle and so is the air vent. The fog lamps are square too. Mahindra has taken the boxy design theme too seriously. The side profile is simple with no overhangs and squared-off wheel arches. 

The NuvoSport replaces the erstwhile Mahindra Quanto. So, apart from a reworked fascia and few other design details, everything in the NuvoSport is reminiscent of the Quanto. The decked upfront fascia is interesting with a black hexagonal grille with vertical slats. The angular headlamps sit below the LED eyebrow-like daytime running lamps. The front bumper gets bull-bar like blacked out lower half with a silver accent for a faux bash plate. 

Interior and Features

On the inside, the Nexon comes with a three-tone interior. It is loaded with features like climate control, touchscreen infotainment system with floating display and eight speakers, button start, rotary dial for drive mode selection and a 350-litre boot. The Harmann touchscreen infotainment system gets USB, Bluetooth and AUX connectivity. For safety, you have dual front airbags as standard while ABS is standard for the range.

The Mahindra TUV300 is a seven-seater with two jump seats at the back.H owever, is more useful as a 384litre boot. The base variant misses out on all the safety features, the other five variants get ABS-EBD; two of them have driver side airbags, while the top three versions get dual airbags at the front. In terms of features list, the car gets a decent music system, rear parking assist, steering mounted audio controls and climate control.

In comparison, the NuvoSport boasts of ABS and EBD with dual front airbags as standard across all variants except for the N4 where it’s optional. A 2-Din music system is available from the N6 trim with the top end N8 getting a 6.2-inch touchscreen unit. The top-spec car gets daytime running lamps, 16-inch alloys, rear spoiler, and reverse parking sensors.

Engine and Transmission

The Tata Nexon is powered by a 1.2-litre inline four cylinder petrol engine producing 108bhp of power and 170Nm of torque. The diesel motor is an all-new 1.5-litre unit with an output of 108bhp/260Nm. Both engines are offered only with a six-speed manual transmission. Tata is already working on the AMT options and should offer them in the first quarter of 2018.

The TUV300 is available only with the 1.5-litre mHawk 80 three-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine. It comes mated with either the five-speed manual or the five-speed AMT transmission. The power figures of the manual are 84bhp and 230Nm, while the AMT is tuned to produce 81bhp and 230Nm. 

Meanwhile, the 1.5-litre three turbocharged diesel engine from the Quanto continues to perform its duties under the hood of the NuvoSport. The three-cylinder m-Hawk engine develops 100bhp of power and 240Nm of torque. The engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox and is also available with an AMT.