Tata Nexon vs Maruti Vitara Brezza – Shootout

Shootout: Tata Nexon vs Maruti Vitara Brezza

Shootout No. 165

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 8.55 – 11.62 lakhs (Maruti Vitara Brezza), Rs. 6.80 – 10.98 lakhs (Tata Nexon)

Two compact SUVs – one is functional & practical, the other is funky & appealing

Compact SUVs were an alien concept 5 years back but have become a significant car body style today. While many would credit Ford to start the trend in 2013 with the launch of the EcoSport, it’s actually Tata Motors which should get its dues for it first came up with a sub 4-metre vehicle which wasn’t a sedan, the Indigo CS. Improvising on the same, automakers started developing SUVs which evade big car taxes and voila, you have a growing segment. Although late to the party, the Tata Nexon promises a lot on paper but can it fend off India’s top-selling UV, the Maruti Vitara Brezza?

Motor Quest: Maruti Suzuki showcased the XA Alpha concept at the 2012 Auto Expo and the production model, aka the Vitara Brezza took 4 years to hit the market. Meanwhile, the Tata Nexon was showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo and was launched in September 2017.

Styling – Both these cars fit under 4-metres in length, yet don’t look too small in size. Both also get dual-tone paint jobs but the one on the Tata Nexon is better executed as you also get a creamish white colour which surrounds the front fog lamps, line below the windows and also at the rear to form an X. Meanwhile, the Vitara Brezza comes across as boxy with a neutral design although Maruti Suzuki does offer iCreate customisation options to break the monotony of the neutral design of its compact SUV.

The Tata Nexon looks eye-catchy when compared to the Maruti Vitara Brezza

What really works for the Tata Nexon, in spite it reminding you of the Bolt to a certain extent, is the stance of the car. It looks beefy and muscular and even though both cars share the size tyre size, the wheels on the Nexon seem to fill the wheel arches better. The high ground clearance of 209 mm on the Nexon also gives it a more SUV feel than that of the Vitara Brezza at 198 mm. Overall, if you like to blend with the crowd, the Brezza’s design will appeal more to you while for the youth, the Nexon’s standout exteriors sure come across as more pleasing.

Interiors – Step inside and both the cars have a very pleasing cabin. While beige has been avoided for good (too common), Tata has use grey to a large extent to make a three-tone dashboard – black, silver and grey. Both cars come with similar quality interiors with some cheap bits here and there but somehow the cabin of the Nexon feels better as the build quality is superior due to heavier doors in the car. The seats too are comfortable in both these pseudo SUVs and while the rear seat is better in the Maruti, the front ones of the Tata are more comfortable. The Brezza’s cabin is wider and thus three at the rear is a possibility, not so in the Nexon where a third passenger is a squeeze. The Vitara has more headroom too but the Nexon has more kneeroom and legroom, it also offers better under-thigh support. Boot space is more in the Nexon too.

Both the cars score high on practicality & come with good storage spaces too

Both cars come with practical cabins with a ton of storage bins, the premium car like storage next to the handbrake in the Nexon looks really nice while the Brezza gets two gloveboxes. The Nexon also gets an umbrella holder which although needs a bit of push and pull to use, is a nifty feature in the rains. Both cars come with keyless go, push button start, steering mounted audio controls, ABS, dual airbags, alloy wheels, climate control AC and a touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (will be available later on the Nexon). While the touchscreen system on the Brezza is better, the Nexon’s 8-speaker Harman system offers better audio quality. Unique features in the Brezza include automatic headlights, automatic wipers and cruise control while the Nexon’s unique features are waterproof wristband key and dual blade wipers.

Performance – The Tata Nexon is available with both petrol and diesel engines but since the Maruti Vitara Brezza is only available with a diesel engine, we will keep this comparison limited to the diesel engines. The 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel motor in the Brezza is a proven unit, it produces 89 BHP and 200 Nm, giving this Maruti car a 0-100 km/hr time of 13.3 seconds. Meanwhile, Tata Motors has given the Nexon an all-new oil burner, the 1.5-litre unit produces 108 BHP and 260 Nm, resulting in a 0-100 km/hr time of 12.91 seconds. While the Nexon is half a second quicker, it should have been even quicker due to the much higher output but what bogs down the car is its weight.

Fuel efficiency is equally good on both cars here, no automatic on offer yet

That said, in real-world usage, the Nexon’s engine outshines the Brezza’s as it has less turbo lag, making city driving a breeze while the Vitara has quite a lot of low-end lag, making city driving an effort of continuous downshifts. But the lag in the Vitara Brezza has its merits since the mid-range is strong and punchy and highway performance is better too, with an exciting top-end punch, the Maruti motor redlining at 5000 RPM against the Nexon’s 4500 RPM. Power delivery being linear in the Nexon robs away the excitement on the highway but with better NVH (less diesel clatter than the Maruti), the Tata car feels the better of the two in both performance and driveability.

The party piece of the Tata Nexon are the multi-drive modes – Eco, City and Sports which let you alter the performance and efficiency of the car on the go, a feature unseen in mass market cars with only Tata cars having it (since the Zest was launched). Both these compact SUVs are matched to manual gearboxes only, the one on the Maruti being a 5-speed while the Nexon gets a 6-speed. The gearshifts on the Vitara Brezza are better as throws are short while the lever is a bit heavy, the Nexon has longer throws with some sort of notchiness in shifts. Both cars return a similar mileage of 14-16 km/l in the city, stretching to almost 20 km/l on the highway, the Brezza having a bigger fuel tank by 4-litres, giving it a slightly bigger tank range.

Driving Dynamics – Maruti cars are known for handling while Tata cars are known for their ride quality. The same is true to a certain extent here as well, as Maruti tunes its suspension to be on the stiffer side while Tata Motors keeps the suspension on the softer side. The Brezza’s stiff suspension gives it a firm ride at low speeds although the ride is better than the Nexon at high speeds, translating into better high-speed stability as well. The Nexon rides beautifully at low speeds, absorbing almost everything in its stride without a hiccup but gets a bit bouncy at high speeds, both cars having good quality tyres.

Both cars do feel fun-to-drive but the Vitara Brezza offers better feedback

Handling is better in the Maruti Vitara Brezza although not by much, the car having less feel on the steering wheel at high speeds, compared to the Tata Nexon while feedback is richer in the Japanese vehicle. The Indian car has a lighter steering at low speeds which coupled with EPAS, ensures quicker centering and thus easier manoeuvrability in the city. Braking performance is on par in both cars but the Nexon stops better than the Brezza.

Safety and After Sales Service – Both the cars here come with dual front airbags and ABS with EBD. Talking about after-sales service, Maruti has an edge over Tata Motors because the former has service stations in every nook and corner of India. However, Tata also has a lot of service centres in India but service quality levels have been pretty much inconsistent, though things do seem to be improving of late.

Verdict – This is a case of India vs Japan, a case of old vs new, a rivalry between India’s largest car maker and India’s largest automobile manufacturer and being a MotorBeam comparison, there has to be only one winner. There is little to differentiate between both cars when it comes to certain parameters such as performance, space and features. The Vitara Brezza certainly comes with the peace of mind that is assured with a Maruti thanks to proven reliability and a service network that is impossible to match for any other brand. However, the Tata Nexon comes across as a more youthful design with better comfort on offer. That and the aggressive pricing by Tata Motors makes the Nexon win this comparison test but by a hair’s margin. The Indica maker has just managed to offer more SUV per car to emerge on top.

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Further Reading –

Tata Nexon Review
Tata Nexon Video Review
Maruti Vitara Brezza Review
Maruti Vitara Brezza Video Review
Maruti Vitara Brezza Long Term Review