Tata Nexon petrol vs diesel vs CNG vs EV: Which suits you

Choosing a Tata Nexon is no longer just about picking a trim and gearbox. There are turbo-petrol, diesel, CNG and EV versions, and the right one depends heavily on how much you drive, where you drive and whether charging or CNG access is convenient.

Tata Nexon petrol, diesel and CNG prices

The turbo-petrol is the entry point at Rs 7.40 lakh and goes up to Rs 13.90 lakh, while the diesel range runs from Rs 9.15 lakh to Rs 14.40 lakh. The CNG sits between them at Rs 8.35 lakh to Rs 13.60 lakh. The petrol also gives buyers the widest gearbox choice, including manual, AMT and 7-speed DCA options.

• Petrol starts at Rs 7.40 lakh
• Diesel starts at Rs 9.15 lakh
• CNG starts at Rs 8.35 lakh
• EV starts at Rs 12.49 lakh

Nexon running costs favour CNG and EV

For regular city use, the numbers make a strong case for the CNG and EV. Published testing recorded 15.1km/kg in city traffic and close to 24km/kg on the highway for the CNG, with an average running cost of Rs 4.28 per km. The diesel-manual managed 17.95kpl and Rs 5.30 per km, while the turbo-petrol DCA was at Rs 9.46 per km.

The Nexon EV 45kWh works out to about Rs 1.03 per km with home charging at Rs 8 per unit. Public DC charging still works out to around Rs 3.34 per km. The trade-off is that CNG availability can mean queues, while the EV makes most sense when home charging is reliable.

Which Tata Nexon powertrain fits your use?

The petrol is the straightforward choice if you want the lowest starting price and multiple transmission options. The diesel makes more sense for buyers covering high annual kilometres, particularly with frequent highway travel. The 45kWh EV offers around 350km of real-world range and charges from 20-80 percent in about 29 minutes on a DC fast charger.

The CNG looks like the middle ground. It keeps the 1.2-litre turbo engine's basic driveability, produces 100hp and 170Nm on CNG, and avoids many of the compromises normally associated with CNG versions. It also contributes more than a third of Nexon sales despite being available with only a manual gearbox.

Owners rate the Tata Nexon at 4/5 from 6,131 owner ratings, which gives a useful indication of overall ownership sentiment, although that score does not tell us which powertrain each owner has.

Which Nexon powertrain would you choose for your own usage?