Tata Nexon vs Vitara Brezza vs Ford Ecosport!

I’ve explained about Tata Nexon’s features in this earlierpost, its driving experience in this post. Another big question remains- how does Tata Nexon fare compared to its main rivals- Ford Ecosports and Vitara Brezza? I am trying to answer that question in this post.

Let us look at the comparison w.r.t various aspects- both the specs and what it means

#	Comparison factor	Tata Nexon	Maruti Vitara Brezza	Ford Ecosport	Remarks
Engine & Technical Specs
1	Engine Options	Petrol & Diesel	Diesel Only	Petrol 2 variants Diesel 1 variant
2	Petrol Engine	Petrol 1.2 Liter 108 BHP	NA	1.5 L petrol,110 BHP, 140 NM 1 L Ecoboost petrol, 124 BHP, 170 NM
3	Diesel Engine	Diesel 1.5 liter 108 BHP	1.3 liter, 89 BHP, 200 NM	1.5 Liter, 99 BHP, 205 NM	Nexon most powerful
4	Airbags	2, standard across all variants	Only driver airbag in cheaper trims, 2 in expensive trims	2 standard, 6 in expensive trims
5	Transmission	6 speed MT only AMT expected 2018	5 speed MT	5 speed MT Automatic available in 1.5L petrol
6	Certified Fuel Economy		24.3 kmpl	15.6 kmpl (1.5 D) 19 kmpl (1L P) 22.2 kmpl (1.5 P)
7	ABS + EBD	Standard across all trims	Standard except cheapest LDI trim	Standard except cheapest trim

Ecosport has most options when it comes to Engine and transmission. It has 2 petrol engine options, one of them 1 litre ecoboost engine producing 125 PS is the most powerful in the lot. Ecosport also offers an automatic transmission- proper automatic, not AMT but on the less expensive older 1.5 litre petrol Engine.

Vitara Brezza has no petrol engine option at all and has one diesel engine option, least powerful of the lot and with only 5 speed manual.

Tata Nexon has most powerful diesel engine among the three, gets 6 speed manual and a decently powered petrol engine option too. Rumor has it that an automatic Nexon should be expected in 2018

Both Ecosport and Nexon are neck to neck when it comes to driving pleasure. I drove the Nexon last week in Kochi and have driven Ecosport several times- first during its 2013 media drive in Goa, several times later through self drive rental from Zoomcar. It is hard to pick the winner between the two from a fun to drive aspect. Decision will have to be taken w.r.t other factors such as features on offer, fuel economy and so on, though at this moment I am slightly gravitating towards Nexon due to more power, features and wider tyres & ground clearance. Brezza I have only done a test drive around showroom- it is least powerful of the 3 and is focused more towards family men who will go with Maruti's reliability, resale value and after sales service, than a sporty impressive compact SUV.

#	Comparison factor	Tata Nexon	Maruti Vitara Brezza	Ford Ecosport	Remarks
Exterior looks n features
1	L, W, H (mm)	3994x1811x1607	3995x1790x1640	3999x1765x1708
2	Spare wheel	Under the floor	Under the floor	Tailgate mounted
3	Skyrack	Available		Available
4	Shark fin antenna	Available	NA	NA
5	Projector headlamp & DRL	Yes	Yes	Yes	Top variants only
6	Ground clearance	209 mm	198 mm	200 mm
7	Tyres	215 R60/16 (top end only, 195 R60/16 for rest	215 R60/16 (ZDi) 205 R60/16 (others	205 R60/16 (Titanium) 195 R60/16	Nexon get wider tyres
8	Body colour	Dual tone	Dual tone (ZDi +)	Single colour (Black roof available)
9	Body style & looks	Coupe inspired: 5/5	A bit boxy: 3/5	4/5	Ecosport due for a facelift in 2018
10	Key less Entry	Available, with wearable wrist band	Available	Available
11	Boot	350 litres	328 litres	346 litres
12	Fuel tank	44 litres	48 litres	52 litres
13	Steering Adjustment	Tilt only	Tilt only	Tilt and Telescopic
14	Second row seat	60: 40 split optimized for 2 passengers	Bench	Bench
15	Rain Sensing vipers	No	Yes	Yes

Ecosport is the longest and tallest of the 3. Its length actually exceeds 4 meters, the limit for tax concessions. But tail gate mounted spare wheel doesn't count as length of the vehicle, hence its length is measured at 3999 mm, just 1 mm to spare. Nexon is wider but because of its sports coupe design, the height is less. Also note that shark fin type antenna and high ground clearance means actual usable height inside the cabin is much lesser.

Despite shorter length and height, Nexon claims maximum boot space at 350 litres, followed closely by Ecosport. Ecosport doors open on the side while Nexon n Brezza open topwards.

Folding second row almost doubles the space

 Above: Ecosport, Below: Nexon- with 2nd row folded.

Nexon gets wider tyres, more ground clearance, dual tone body colours compared to Ecosport. Brezza gets dual tone colour and wider tyre in ZDi+ . Need to watch of Tata will offer narrower & cheaper tyres in cheaper variants, (mostly 205 R60/16) like Brezza to cut cost

 From the side, Ecosport's larger windows and taller stance is apparent.

From the front, both have very distinct characters. Ecosport front is relatively unique and not similar to any other cars in India. Nexon front has a now familiar Tata signature still much different from Hexa, Tigor and other tata cars built on same principles.

Brezza front look- lots of chrome, some inspiration from Jeep

#	Comparison factor	Tata Nexon	Maruti Vitara Brezza	Ford Ecosport	Remarks
Interior features
1	Auto folding ORVMs	Yes	Yes	Yes
2	Cruise control	No	Yes	Yes	Expensive trims only
3	Steering audio controls	Yes	Yes	Yes
4	Push button start	Yes	Yes	Yes
5	Drive modes	3	NA	NA
6	Touch screen entertainment	Yes	Yes	Yes
7	App support	Yes	NA	Yes
8	Reverse camera	Yes	Yes	Yes
9	Chilled Glove box	Yes, with removable tray
10	Climate control	Yes	Yes	Yes
11	Second row AC vents	Yes	No	Yes
12	Rear folding seats	Yes	Yes	Yes
13	Driver height adjustment	Yes	Yes	Yes
14	Utility spaces	31	?	?
				Auto headlamp Auto dimming mirror

Instrument Cluster: Ecosport has the most stylish looking setup, followed by Nexon. Brezza interiors feel average. Brezza dual tone trims also get a coloured stripe on the inside. Not available with others- if these things matter to you.

Above: Nexon, below: Brezza

Second row space:
Ecosport second row gets a sort of bench seat- feels more spacious, easy to seat 3. But then Nexon's second row gets more support for your thighs, back and shoulders. Nexon will be very comfortable for 2 people in back, but if you've to squeeze 3 people in the back, expct some discomfort. But note that second row seat are not same for all variants. Cheaper variants (like ecosport below) might get a different type of seats. Arm rest and AC control in nexon will add to comfort

Dashboard
Ecosport has a rather unique interior design- very different from other cars. Nexon central console is not as exciting but is loaded with features like sliding tambour door, wearable key, chilled glovebox with removable tray and so on

Brezza interiors are standard stuff- nothing much exciting. Dual tone colour is the sole fresh thing inside

Doors:
Note that Ecosport has got several enhancements since its launch in 2013. Some of the photos I have are of older models and cheaper variants. Below: Ecosport door on left, Nexon door on the right.

#	Comparison factor	Tata Nexon	Maruti Vitara Brezza	Ford Ecosport	Remarks
Miscellaneous
1	Variants	Not known, 6+ expected	7	6
2	Price Range (Ex showroom Delhi)	Not known yet	7.38 to 10.05	7.07 to 10.75 lakhs	Add 20% more for approx. onroad price
3	Colour options	Not known	4	8
4	Waiting time	Not known	3-6 months	1 month
5	Dealership network	Strong	Very strong	Strong

Conclusion:

Vitara Brezza won Indian Car of the Year 2017 award, has sold in good numbers and commands huge waiting period. It is backed by Maruti’s reliable after sales service, cheap spares and high resale value. Vitara Brezza ZDI+ gets dual tone colour like Nexon and many of features available with competition. But Brezza is available in diesel only. It is a bit under powered compared to Ecosport and Nexon. Brezza's buyers are those who go by Maruti's name and want a reliable car with good resale value n support, not necessarily most loaded, powerful or fun to drive compact SUV. Nexon is clearly more fun to drive, has more features and functions.

Ford Ecosport: Ecosport has been Ford India’s most successful model till date. It gets 3 engine options, most of them at par or more powerful than Nexon. Ecosport has got several upgrades and enhancements over time and is due for a major refresh next year. Out of Nexon, Brezza and Ecosport, only Ecosport is available in automatic at this moment, Nexon is expected to get it next year. Ecosport gets upto 6 air bags, cruise control and few features not available in Nexon. Tail gate mounted spare wheel is unique to Ecosport, so is interior design. Ecosport falls behind Nexon in some of the interior features, ground clearance diesel engine power. Looks are subjective but at this moment I feel Nexon is the talk of the town with its cute looks (mainly the rear) and loaded feature.

Tata Nexon: Tata's first entry into compact SUV market and they've ticked most of the right boxes. Powerful Engine, loads of features and very stylish looks has it all going for Nexon. Pricing is awaited next month and so is variant wise features. We'll know in few months time how car buyers are receiving the Nexon. My best wishes.