Currently, Tata Nexon EV and MG ZS EV are the most trending car in India.
If you watched our first-drive review video of the Tata Nexon EV Max, you’re probably quite impressed, and why not? It gets a bigger battery, better range, better performance, and more features as well.
However, what’s also more is the price, and that has put it a lot closer to this than the recently updated Mg ZS EV.
Now, if you’re in the market for an electric SUV, these two are your top choices and today we are going to find out which one of them is the more rounded package.
Now dimensionally, both these SUVs belong to different segments. The next one is a compact SUV measuring under 4 meters, while the Z SUV is a mid-size SUV that plays with credit-size drivers.
MG ZS EV
So the ZS SUV has a clear advantage more road presence, and the overall design is easier than the Nexon.
You also get Led headlamps with DRLs as opposed to halogen units on the Nexon., larger 17-inch wheels compared to the 16-inch ones on the Tata, and overall, more new age and modern look.
Tata Nexon
The Nexon., on the opposite hand, is sort of acquainted in terms of style. No closed-off grill here, however, you get a decent dose of blue accents signifying its eV nature.
But surprisingly, there isn’t a single badge on the Nexon. stating it is a Max. The only way to figure that out is by zooming onto the wheels, which get a different design and rear disc brakes.
On the inside, the Nexon Max gets beige upholstery, which further heightens the sense of space.
MG ZS EV Interiors
But the dark interiors on the ZS are surely easier to look after where the ZSV edges ahead in terms of the overall quality, the switch gear and fit finish are slightly better in comparison to the Nexon., and it does have an air of premium as well.
Tata Nexon Interiors
Sure, the Nexon. gets important bits like ventilated front seats, but the ZSV isn’t too far behind in the features game.
You get a larger touchscreen at 10.1 inches with a 360-degree parking camera, a fully digital instrument cluster that looks more modern than the one on the next one, a panoramic sunroof that dwarfs the standard sunroof, and a lot more as well.
If back seat space is also important to you, you’d be more comfortable in the ZS EV.
The raised floor in the next One Max results in rear passengers sitting knees up, and the shorter wheelbase means you won’t be able to stretch as much as in the most spacious ZSEV.
ZS also ties with Nexon. when it comes to boot capacity, with both measuring at 350 liters and offering a 60-40 split as well.
EV Safety
In terms of safety, the next One Max gets dual airbags as opposed to the six on the ZS EV, but the rest of the tech like ABS with EBD, ESP, Hill Start, Descent, and TPMS are present in both.
Since the range is the most important bit on an EV a back-to-back test was a no-brainer.
Now powering the ZSEV is a larger 50.3-kilowatt-hour battery pack. It is certainly larger than the Nexon Max, and what that gives you is a range of 461.
That of course is MG’s claim and those claims are never to be fully trusted because real-world numbers differ quite a lot.
However, with this ZS, what you also get is a bit more performance because you have 33, this makes 176 HP. As a result, zero to 100 is a slightly faster eight and a half seconds as well.
So overall it is a big zippy around the city. Slightly zippier than the next one max.
The next one, on the other hand, isn’t too far behind. Despite having a power deficit, a 0 to 10 kph time of nine 4 seconds makes it a second slower.
But it is something you wouldn’t really notice in day-to-day driving, especially in the city both cars offer similar levels of off-the-line response.
Having the region levels at max and eco mode throughout might seem tempting, but on the highways, it is important to keep the momentum and a higher region and eco mode will end up slowing the car substantially.
Each time you lift off, it will require you to accelerate, and thereby it will use a lot more battery.
On the highway, both these EVs sit comfortably at triple-digit speeds, and stability is good too.
However, the real test was the uphill guard section. That is notoriously famous for depleting the battery.
EV Max is so much more different compared to the ZS, especially when you’re coming downhill and most of that is related to the region mode because the three levels of the region on this are a lot more prominent than the ones on the ZS SUV.
Even the strongest level three region mode in that is still not too strong.
The battery management system accepts charge only at around 28 to 29 kilowatts at the most.
The ZS, on the other hand, accepts a higher rate of DC charging, usefully, reducing the waiting time and offering a better range.
Both these EVs can be your daily drivers since they have enough range to push out of the urban confines and comfortably handle that occasional farmer strip.
EV Price
However, quite the vary, it’s the worth proposition that plays an important role. The Mg ZSV may be a no-brainer till you examine what it costs.
The exclusive variant, which is the top spec, is priced at 25.8 lakh rupees, a massive 6.6 lakh rupee premium over the top specs on EV Max.
Sure, you get a slightly bigger car with more space on the inside and a higher range but paying over 6 lakh rupees for roughly 80kms more is a steep task to sum it up then, the Nexon EV Max offers the best balance of everything you would need.
It gets all the useful and important features like ventilated seats, wireless charging, a sunroof, and fast charging options, along with a healthy range, strong region, and decent performance.
Yes, the MG has a better range, but going by the sheer value the Nexon EV Max brings to the table, it is the better buyer and hence the winner of this comparison.
MG Hector and TATA these two car companies in India are now soaring at a high level in the automotive market with their leading EV vehicles.
Image credit: NexonWikipedia AutoCarIndia
Featured Image Credit: AutoCarIndia