Another contender joins fight for slice of compact SUV pie

The latest entrant in the compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment is the Tata Nexon. This segment is expected to grow dramatically in the years to come and will stay populated with fresh choice since many more vehicles are set to join the fray during the next two years. For now though, the three main contenders that will really slug it out in the market will be the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, the Ford EcoSport and the new Tata Nexon. Does the Nexon have what it takes to woo buyers away from the existing market players?

Let us first size up what the EcoSport and the Vitara Brezza have to offer – the stuff about the vehicles beyond what the numbers tell you.

This was really the first sub-four-metre SUV that gave buyers here a taste of what a compact vehicle in this category would feel like. Packing aggressive pricing, sporty design that stayed true to the Blue Oval’s American roots and a road stance that made onlookers stop and stare, the EcoSport set the tone for the other compact SUVs to come. Its design may seem a bit familiar today, but Ford has been refreshing its exterior design and adding more value to the cabin over the years. The only weakness about the design is its looks when the spare wheel mounted on the tailgate is removed; the EcoSport then simply looks like a raised hatch.

The EcoSport’s cabin again borrows heavily from other Ford cars and so a sense of familiarity is inevitable. This compact SUV from Ford is due for a facelift again and the new version will add to the sporty design and perceived quality of the car. But the biggest advantage that the EcoSport still offers is in the wider choice of engines and trim variants. Three engines and 13 variants in all cover the price range with one trim on offer for every buyer with a budget. During our test drive, the only disappointment was the underwhelming mileage offered by the one-litre EcoBoost engine.

There has been a sea change in the perceived quality and ride handling of Maruti cars right from the new Baleno. The Vitara Brezza came in and proved to be one more of those vehicles that was ready to redefine the company’s image. Its design is the more traditional boxy SUV style; yet by becoming one of the first to offer extensive customisation options, Maruti more than redeemed itself with the Vitara Brezza. Contrast roof colours, stripes and designs on the body and an interior that can also be varied and personalised has made this compact SUV a rage amongst young buyers.

Like the others in this segment, the Vitara Brezza is not a real SUV in terms of its off-roading prowess, but its design and style sure gives the right impression. The cabin too features an upright dashboard and features that gel with the image of an SUV. This was also the first in the segment to bring in many more upmarket features into a vehicle in this size class.

Its biggest plus point is the gem of a diesel engine, which we are all familiar with from its other vehicles. This Fiat sourced 1.2-litre engine is called the DDiS 200 in the Vitara Brezza and is said to be the most frugal engine in the segment, for now. We have to wait for Tata to announce the official mileage figures for the Nexon for the final ranking. Unfortunately, the Vitara Brezza currently misses a petrol engine in its portfolio. But, one could soon join the ranks with the one-litre turbocharged mill from the Baleno RS rumoured to be the choice for the Vitara Brezza too.

Tata Motors’ designers and engineers have managed to give the Nexon a unique design quite unlike the others in the segment. With a very crossover flavour, the tapering rear almost gives the Nexon a coupé-like profile. The rest of the design over-compensates to still make the Nexon look macho. Its road presence is also enhanced by some of the other exterior design features like the contrast shoulder line trim and x-shaped rear garnish. In terms of exterior design, the Nexon is the most unique and aggressive of all three vehicles.

The cabin of the new Nexon also throws up many surprises in terms of fit and finish and equipment levels for a vehicle in this segment. The floating touchscreen, the rotary mode selector knob and the Harman audio system were key features that make the Nexon feel modern. But the quality of plastics could have been better and in places a slip or two in ergonomics pulls the Nexon below the other two vehicles in the matrix.

Both the engines on offer are good choices. The overall refinement of the powertrains is good. Both the three-cylinder petrol Revotron and the four-cylinder Revotorq diesel engines are mated to six-speed gearboxes. The NVH levels are down and most importantly, it feels like all of these parameters can now be consistently maintained over the life of the vehicle.

The Nexon’s package is an honest and credible effort from Tata Motors. It should help it take on the competition in the compact SUV segment and rake in some key volumes for itself. Tata Motors will still need to take the fight to the competition on the back of better value and an aggressive price tag for the Nexon.

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