Tata Nano versus Hyundai Eon

Tata Nano is the known as the world’s cheapest car and Tata Motors have done a good job with building it. They have made it possible for almost everyone to own a car. Tata Nano is a capable machine. Let’s compare it with another small car from Hyundai. Hyundai Eon is a fantastic car in the A2 segment and comes with plenty of features. We pit it against the world’s most affordable car to help you select the best car for you.

Looks and design:

Tata Nano is an iconic car in India and brings contemporary styling to the entry level car segment in India. It has good exteriors with clear lens headlamps and high mounted tail lamps. Tata have done a good job with the exterior styling which is quite pleasant for a car as compact as the Nano. The build quality, fit and finish is all good on the Nano.

Hyundai Eon is a compact and beautiful car with stylish design and big headlamps. It looks sporty and is rated to be the best looking car in the A segment. It has trapezoidal shaped fog lamps housed in a huge bumper and cool alloy wheels which adds to the sportiness of the whole design. It has typical good Hyundai build quality and the fit, finish and paint job is excellent for a car in this segment.

Looks overall – Tata Nano – 7/10
Looks overall – Hyundai Eon – 8.5/10

Interiors – design, space and features:

Tata Nano scores in terms of sheer leg room the front seats have to offer. While the interiors are built to cost the plastic quality remains satisfactory. It has considerable level of kit for an affordable car such as the Nano and brings 3 spoke steering wheel, effective air conditioning and music system as well. It has some storage areas inside but lacks a proper sized boot to store any big luggage.

Hyundai Eon brings very good interior features with modern gadgets and effective air conditioning. It has good seats which offer good level of comfort and support to your body. The dashboard is well designed with a stylish center console panel. It also brings a decent amount of storage area in the form of 215 liters of boot space and some small storage areas inside as well.

Interiors overall – Tata Nano – 7.5/10
Interiors overall – Hyundai Eon – 8.5/10

Engine – performance, power, torque, fuel economy, smoothness:

Tata Nano has a 624cc two cylinder petrol engine mated to a 5 speed gearbox and produces 33 BHP at 5250 RPM and max torque of 48 NM between 2500 to 3000 RPM. It has been rated by ARAI to deliver a maximum fuel efficiency of 23.65 kmpl. The high fuel efficiency combined with good performance from the engine makes it a car that is easy to drive and low cost on the pocket.

Hyundai Eon brings a 814cc 3 cylinder engine mated to a 5 speed gearbox which produces a maximum output of 56 BHP at 5500 RPM and max torque of 76 NM at 4000 RPM. It has been rated by ARAI to deliver a maximum fuel efficiency of 21.1 kmpl. It has very good in city drivability and offers good performance on the highway from the 5 speed gearbox.

Engine overall – Tata Nano – 8/10
Engine overall – Hyundai Eon – 8/10

Suspension – Ride, comfort and handling:

Tata Nano brings a comfortable ride quality and despite a high ground clearance the body roll is well controlled. It is stable at higher speeds and despite the lack of power steering remains relatively easy to turn at lower speeds. It has good brakes and remains easy to drive. It manages to glide over the worst of roads without throwing the passengers inside too much which makes it a good car for the city.

Hyundai Eon has a well tuned suspension setup which manages to offer a good drive over bad and bumpy roads and cushions out all the bumps and undulations very well. It remains a easy car to drive and with the power steering it is easy to maneuver at low city speeds. It has ample ground clearance and the body roll is well controlled.

Suspension overall – Tata Nano – 7.5/10
Suspension overall – Hyundai Eon – 8/10

Value for money – sticker price, standard features:

Tata has priced its Tata Nano hatchback from (ex-showroom Delhi) price of 1.27 lakhs for the Tata Nano Std BSIII, Tata Nano Std BSIV is priced at 1.41 lakhs, Tata Nano CX BSIII is priced at 1.52 lakhs, Tata Nano CX BS IV is priced at 1.70 lakhs, Tata Nano LX BSIII is priced at 1.77 lakhs and the top variant Tata Nano LX BS IV is priced at 1.97 lakhs. The pricing given the level of kit, performance and comfort factor makes it extremely good value for money.

Hyundai has priced the Eon at starting (ex-showroom Delhi) price of 2.73 lakhs for the base variant Hyundai Eon D Lite, 3.16 lakhs for Hyundai Eon Era, Hyundai Eon Magna has been priced at 3.41 lakhs while the top end Hyundai Eon Sportz has been priced at 3.76 lakhs. Eon despite belonging to a higher range amongst the A segment remains a car which is very good value for your money given all the performance, features, level of kit and trim it brings for the price.

Value for money overall – Tata Nano – 9/10
Value for money overall – Hyundai Eon – 8/10

Verdict:

Tata and Hyundai are one of the largest manufacturers of passenger cars in India and both have a wide dealer and service network across the nation. Tata Nano is the world’s cheapest car and offers a great value for your money. Hyundai offers many more features than the Nano but is also priced higher. Both the cars bring a lot of kit to the table and that makes it a tough choice to select between the two. But if you are going with a strict budget then it’s easier to pick but if you like to keep your options open then there are many possibilities in the segment to select a better car.