Now that Tata Nexon has launched, why don’t we put the two SUV against each other to see how the new facelift update for the Nexon keeps up with the Maruti Fronx.
The facelifted Nexon features a closed grille with a black element at the center to separate the two DRLs. The design is clearly Curvv-inspired. The facelift Nexon gets sleeker and thinner L-shaped LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs). These lights might be reshaped to have a slimmer and more refined appearance. Below the DRLs, there are vertically positioned split LED headlamps. These headlamp units are positioned vertically, and the bumpers have been redesigned, with small rectangular elements that make the Nexon resemble the Curvv SUV.
The side profile remains largely unchanged, except for sleeker ORVMs (Outside Rear-View Mirrors) inspired by the Harrier and Safari. The wheels have also been slightly redesigned, featuring 16-inch alloy wheels. The rear of the Nexon Facelift features X-factor LED taillamps that are connected by a LED light bar for a distinctive design. It gets sequential indicators, C-shaped protrusions, and the reflectors have been positioned towards the edges for a wider SUV appearance.
As for the Fronx design at the front, it is inspired from their own mid-size SUV, Grand Vitara. The Fronx has LED DRLs with tri-rounded LED projector headlamps below the DRLs . The bumpers of the fronx front and rear are finished in faux silver skid plate. Moving to the side, it has body cladding all over the car with 16-inch diamond cut alloy wheels, non-functional roof rails, chrome line on the bottom of the window frame, and the doors open wide enough for people to freely enter inside. Moving to the rear, it has LED taillamps with connecting LED light bar and a little roof spoiler and shark fin antenna on top.
The Nexon Facelift features a 10.25-inch infotainment system over the thinner and sharper AC vents, and the dashboard comes with dual-tone theme option. The Facelift features a new two-spoke steering wheel with new digital instrument cluster which is the same as the one in current Harrier and Safari, and a single-pane sunroof on top. The two-spoke steering wheel has a rectangular display which illuminates the Tata logo, which is the same as the Curvv SUV. Below the AC vents, there are no physical buttons to control the HVAC, but rather a new touch-sensitive control system for a clean design. There is a huge center console with steptronic gear lever, wireless charging pad behind the rotary dial drive modes, cup holders, and armrest. Moving to the rear, the seats are split in 60:40 ratio, and this SUV comes equipped with 9-speaker JBL Premium Sound System.
As for the Fronx, it features a 9-inch infotainment system placed above the AC Vents and at the sides, AC Vents are positioned horizontally. The Fronx has been given the option for the dual-tone dashboard. It has three-spoke multi-function steering wheel with Analog instrument cluster and TFT display, and has no sunroof on offer, unfortunately. It has a two USB-ports at the rear and one at the front. It has fabric seats on offer with rear seats having 60:40 split. It also has 6-speaker Arkamys sound system.
So, from the outside and inside, both the SUVs look tremendously premium and spacious, but the Fronx exterior looks slightly better while the interiors of Nexon facelift looks good.
| Tata Nexon Facelift | Maruti Fronx | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 3995 MM | 3995 MM |
| Width | 1804 MM | 1765 MM |
| Height | 1620 MM | 1550 MM |
| Wheelbase | 2498 MM | 2520 MM |
| Ground Clearance | 208 MM | 190 MM |
| Turning Radius | 5.1 M | 4.9 M |
| Boot Space | 382 L | 308 L |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 44 L | 37 L (Petrol) 55 L (CNG) |
In terms of Dimensions, the Nexon Facelift and the Fronx has the same length of 3995 MM. The Nexon Facelift measures 1804 MM in width, 1620 MM in height, and wheelbase of 2498 MM while the Fronx on the other hand measures 1765 MM in width which is 39 MM narrower, height of 1550 MM which is 70 MM shorter, and wheelbase of 2520 MM that is shorter by 22 MM. The Nexon has a higher ground clearance of 208 MM, and turning radius of 5.1 M where as the Fronx’s ground clearance is 190 MM and turning radius is 4.9 M. The Nexon has a boot space of 382 L and Fuel tank of 44 L while the Fronx’s has a smaller boot space of 308 L and small fuel tank of 37 L Petrol, and 55 L CNG.
| Turbo Petrol | Tata Nexon Facelift | Maruti Fronx |
|---|---|---|
| Engines | 1.2 L 3-Cylinder | 1.0 L 3 Cylinder |
| Displacement | 1199cc | 998cc |
| Power | 118.35 BHP | 98.69 BHP |
| Torque | 170 NM | 147.6 NM |
| Transmission Type | 5-speed MT, 6-speed MT/AMT, 7-speed DCT | 5 Speed MT, 6 Speed AT |
| Fuel Efficiency | 17.44 KMPL – MT 17.18 KMPL – AMT 17.01 KMPL – DCT | 21.5 KMPL– MT 20.01 kmpl – AT |
In Engine Options, both the Nexon Facelift and the Fronx comes with the turbo petrol powertrain. The Tata Nexon Facelift is powered by the 1.2 L 3 Cylinder Turbo Petrol engine that generates 118.35 BHP and delivers 170 NM of torque paired to the 5 Speed Manual, 6 Speed Manual and Automatic, and 7 Speed DCT Gearbox. It has a fuel efficiency of 17.44 KMPL for Manual, 17.18 KMPL for Automatic, and 17.01 KMPL for the DCT Gearbox. The Fronx on the other hand comes with a 1.0 L 3 Cylinder Turbo Petrol engine producing 98.69 BHP and 147.6 NM of torque mated to 5 Speed Manual Gearbox with 21.5 KMPL and 6 Speed Automatic Gearbox with 20.01 KMPL fuel efficiency.
| Petrol | Tata Nexon Facelift | Maruti Fronx |
|---|---|---|
| Engines | – | 1.2 L 4 Cylinder |
| Displacement | – | 1197cc |
| Power | – | 88.50 BHP |
| Torque | – | 113 NM |
| Transmission Type | – | 5 Speed MT / AMT |
| Fuel Efficiency | – | 21.79 KMPL – MT 22.89 KMPL – AMT |
The Fronx also has a non-turbo petrol engine, while the Nexon only has turbo engines on offer. The Fronx is powered by 1.2 L 4 Cylinder Petrol Engine that puts out 88.50 BHP and 113 NM of torque mated to a 5 Speed Manual and 5 Speed Automatic Gearbox. In Manual, the Fronx has 21.79 KMPL fuel efficiency and in Automatic, it has 22.89 KMPL fuel efficiency.
| Turbo Diesel | Tata Nexon Facelift | Maruti Fronx |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 1.5 L 4-Cylinder | – |
| Displacement | 1497cc | – |
| Power | 113.42 BHP | – |
| Torque | 260 NM | – |
| Transmission Type | 6-speed MT/AMT | – |
| Fuel Efficiency | 23.23 KMPL – MT 24.08 KMPL – AMT |
Other than the turbo petrol engine, the Nexon Facelift sports the turbo diesel powertrain. The 1.5 L 4-Cylinder Turbo Diesel engine produces 113.42 BHP and 260 NM of torque paired to a 6-speed Manual Gearbox with 23.23 KMPL and Automatic Gearbox with 24.08 KMPL. Maruti Fronx does not and will not come with a diesel engine.
| CNG | Tata Nexon Facelift | Maruti Fronx |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | – | 1.2 L 4 Cylinder |
| Displacement | – | 1197cc |
| Power | – | 76.43 BHP |
| Torque | – | 98.5 NM |
| Transmission Type | – | 5 Speed MT |
| Fuel Efficiency | – | 28.51 KM/KG |
Lastly, the Nexon Facelift is expected to get a CNG fuel option soon, but till then we have to wait and only the Fronx offers the CNG option. The 1.2 L 4 Cylinder CNG engine that produces 76.43 BHP and 98.5 NM of torque paired to 5 Speed Manual Gearbox with 28.51 KM/KG Fuel efficiency.
| Features | Tata Nexon Facelift | Maruti Fronx |
|---|---|---|
| Headlamps | LED | LED |
| Taillamps | LED | LED |
| Wheel Size & Type | 16-inch alloy wheels | 16-inch alloy wheels |
| Sunroof | Single-Pane | – |
| Auto Power Window | Yes | Yes |
| Seat upholstery | Leather | Fabric |
| Leather-wrapped steering wheel | Yes | Yes |
| AC | Auto | Auto |
| Rear AC vents | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated Seats | Yes | – |
| Instrument Cluster | Digital | Analog |
| Infotainment System | 10.25-inch | 9-inch |
| Android Auto, Apple CarPlay | Wireless | Wireless |
| Voice Control | Yes | Yes |
| Air Purifier | Yes | Yes |
| Sound System | 9 Speaker JBL Sound System | 6 Speaker Arkamys Sound System |
| Cooled Glovebox | Yes | – |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes |
| Auto-dimming IRVM | Yes | Yes |
| Paddle Shifters | Yes | Yes |
| Drive Modes | Yes | – |
The Maruti Fronx in features misses out on drive modes, cooled glovebox, digital instrument cluster, 9 speaker sound system, sunroof, etc.
| Safety Features | Tata Nexon Facelift | Maruti Fronx |
|---|---|---|
| Airbags | Six airbags | Six airbags |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | 360 Surround View Camera | 360 Surround View Camera |
| Parking Sensors | Front and Rear | Rear |
| Rain-Sensing Wipers | Yes | Yes |
| TPMS | Yes | – |
| Heads-up Display (HUD) | – | Yes |
| Auto Headlamps | Yes | Yes |
| ESC | Yes | Yes |
| Cruise Control | Yes | Yes |
| Traction Control | Yes | Yes |
| Hill Assist | Yes | Yes |
| All 4 Disc Brakes | Front Disc | Front Disc |
| ISOFIX anchorages | Yes | Yes |
In Safety, Fronx misses out on Front Parking Sensors, and Tyre-Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), while Nexon Facelift misses out on Heads-up Displau (HUD).
| Model | Price (ex-showroom) |
|---|---|
| Tata Nexon Facelift | Rs. 8.10 – Rs. 15.50 L |
| Maruti Fronx | Rs. 7.46 – Rs. 13.13 L |
The new Tata Nexon Facelift is priced from Rs. 8.10 L for the entry-level variant ‘Smart’ and Rs. 15.50 L for the top variant ‘FearlessPR+ S’ where as the Fronx is priced at Rs. 7.46 lakh for the base ‘Sigma’ variant and goes up to Rs. 13.13 lakh for the ‘Alpha Turbo DT Automatic’ variant
As for the warranty, Tata Motors on the other hand offers 3 years/1,00,000 km warranty period for Nexon and can be extended for additional 3 year/1,25,000 km and Maruti offers 2 years/40,000 km warranty period for the Fronx that can be extended up to 5 years/1,00,000.
In the end, the decision to buy which SUV depends totally on you, however, if you ask, if you’re looking for an affordable SUV with lots of features, good fuel efficiency, good space and comfort, then Maruti Fronx is the right choice for you as the top variant is way more affordable than the Nexon Facelift’s top variant. On the other hand, the Tata Nexon Facelift is a good choice as well as it comes with some insane features, good fuel efficiency and performance, and so much more. So, which SUV are you going to buy?