Car buyers today are pretty spoilt for choice. Beyond a multitude of brands, body styles and variants, there are now more fuel options than ever before. Petrol, diesel, CNG, hybrid, electric, and soon even ethanol-powered vehicles are all vying for attention, making the decision increasingly complicated. So, which powertrain makes the most sense for you?

To answer that question, we turned to one of the most versatile models on sale in India – the Tata Nexon. Few vehicles offer such a broad range of powertrain choices, and with design, space, practicality, safety and features remaining largely consistent across the range, the Nexon provides the perfect platform to isolate the one key variable – the fuel itself. So, we got together the turbo-petrol, CNG, diesel, as well as the EV to find out each fuel’s pros and cons, and thus, which would best fit your needs. 

Disclaimer: Fuel prices vary from state to state.

Tata Nexon turbo-petrol: Fuss free

Tata’s 1.2-litre, three-cylinder ‘Revotron’ turbo-petrol engine debuted with the Nexon in 2017 and received a power bump in 2020, taking outputs to 120hp and 170Nm. Today, it is offered with an unusually wide range of transmission choices – a 5-speed manual, 6-speed manual, 6-speed AMT and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Prices start at Rs 7.40 lakh and extend up to Rs 13.90 lakh, ex-showroom (excluding dual-tone, Dark and Red Dark editions). Its broad variant spread and attractive pricing are key reasons why the turbo-petrol accounts for 42 percent of all Nexon sales. 

The engine offers decent driveability and benefits from selectable Eco, City and Sport drive modes. But outright performance, refinement and smoothness aren’t class-leading and not what you get from other turbo-petrols.

Within the range, the 7-speed DCA stands out as the most desirable option. Despite accounting for less than 4 percent of total Nexon sales, it is arguably the nicest ICE-powered Nexon on sale. The wet-clutch dual-clutch transmission prioritises smoothness over sportiness and suits the engine’s character well. While downshifts can occasionally feel a touch hesitant, the overall experience is noticeably more polished than the manual and AMT alternatives. Notably, the top-spec Turbo DCA is the best-equipped ICE version and is also the only version to offer ADAS.

Fuel efficiency, however, remains this powertrain’s weakest area. In our tests, the turbo-petrol DCA returned 7.7kpl in the city and 13.9kpl on the highway, translating to an average running cost of Rs 9.46 per kilometre – the highest among all Nexon powertrains.

To put that into perspective, even though a fully loaded Fearless + A PS DCA is Rs 2.65 lakh more affordable than a top-spec Empowered + A 45 EV, the EV’s significantly lower running costs (of Rs 1.03 per km using home charging) allow owners to recover that initial price difference in roughly 32,000km.

Tata Nexon diesel: Highway star

The diesel range starts at Rs 9.15 lakh and extends up to Rs 14.40 lakh for the top-spec AMT. Interestingly, while the diesel once outsold the petrol version in the Nexon’s early years, buyer preferences shifted following the BS6 transition, causing diesel sales to gradually decline to 13 percent. Despite this, Tata has persisted with the fuel, and today remains one of the few carmakers still offering diesel engines in its portfolio.

Instead of adopting a conventional SCR setup with a urea tank, AdBlue injection system and additional electronic controls, Tata developed a Lean NOx Trap system for the 1.5-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. Despite this relatively low-cost passive emissions-control system, the price premium over an equivalent turbo-petrol variant remains around Rs 1 lakh – broadly in line with what rivals charge. The only tangible benefit for buyers is that, unlike many competitors, there is no urea tank requiring periodic top-ups, resulting in marginal savings over time and a bit less hassle.

Like the turbo-petrol, refinement isn’t this diesel’s strongest suit. And even though turbo lag is more perceptible than in the petrol iteration, performance flows in a rather strong manner, making it well-suited for highway drives. Its tall fuel efficiency also makes it ideal for those who cover long distances frequently. In our tests, the diesel-manual delivered an impressive average of 17.95kpl, resulting in a running cost of just Rs 5.30 per kilometre – significantly lower than the turbo-petrol.

Tata Nexon EV: Smooth operator

As India’s first widely accessible electric SUV from a domestic manufacturer, the Nexon EV played a pivotal role in democratising EV ownership. Combining brisk performance, usable real-world range and a relatively accessible price point, it opened up the Tata brand to an entirely new set of buyers. For a long time, it was India’s bestselling EV. Within the Nexon range, it accounts for 14 percent of total sales.

Today, the Nexon EV range spans Rs 12.49 lakh to Rs 17.49 lakh, with buyers able to choose between two battery packs – 30kWh and 45kWh. The line-up itself is relatively straightforward, with three trims available for each battery option.

In the real world, the 30kWh version can deliver a little over 200km on a charge, while the larger 45kWh battery can comfortably manage around 350km. For buyers seeking the smoothest and most refined driving experience, nothing quite matches the seamlessness of an EV. Acceleration feels brisk, and its zippy yet seamless performance makes for a hushed, enjoyable drive experience.

The two battery versions differ in more ways than just capacity. The 45kWh version uses Tata’s newer Gen 2 motor, which is lighter, more compact and more efficient than the Gen 1 unit used in the 30kWh variant. The long-range version’s more modern architecture also enables significantly faster DC charging. To put it into perspective, the 30kWh version takes about an hour to charge from 20-80 percent using a DC fast charger, whereas the 45kWh variant achieves the same in just 29 minutes. Not only does the larger battery offer greater range, but it is also quicker to recharge despite its higher capacity, making it the more suitable choice for longer highway journeys.

Interestingly, the EV also enjoys a feature advantage over the best-equipped turbo-petrol DCA, gaining a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen, rear disc brakes, and an electronic parking brake with auto-hold functionality.

Coming to the 45kWh version’s running cost, using a home charger (at an average cost of Rs 8 per unit of electricity), buyers can enjoy driving around at just Rs 1.03 per km. Even if users opt for public DC fast-charging, the rates of which range between Rs 24 and Rs 28 per unit, still, average running costs work out to merely Rs 3.34 per km, which is almost a third of the petrol-automatic’s number and about sixty percent of a diesel-manual’s cost per km.

Tata Nexon CNG: Jack of all trades

There’s a lot Tata has got right with the Nexon CNG. For starters, prices range from Rs 8.35 lakh to Rs 13.60 lakh, positioning it neatly between the petrol and diesel alternatives.

Under the bonnet is the same 1.2-litre, three-cylinder turbocharged engine found in the petrol Nexon. Not only is it India’s first turbo-petrol CNG SUV, but it is also the most powerful, producing 100hp and 170Nm when running on CNG. Impressively, peak torque remains identical to the petrol version, although it is available across a narrower band. As a result, driveability feels remarkably similar to the turbo-petrol, and users are unlikely to find themselves wanting for performance, whether in urban conditions or on the highway.

Being a turbocharged CNG engine, efficiency in city driving can take a hit. In our real-world city test involving frequent stop-start traffic, the Nexon CNG returned 15.1km/kg. Out on the highway, however, flowing traffic and the presence of a sixth gear helped it achieve close to 24km/kg. The end result is an average running cost of just Rs 4.28 per kilometre, making it the most economical option in the ICE line-up.

With driveability that’s remarkably close to the turbo-petrol, lower purchase and running costs than the diesel, and very few compromises in practicality or equipment, the Nexon CNG presents perhaps the strongest all-round case in the range. Its only notable drawback is the limited CNG infrastructure. While station availability continues to improve, rising CNG adoption often leads to longer queues and wait times at many outlets.

Unlike many CNG vehicles, the Nexon CNG doesn’t feel like a stripped-down, budget-focused alternative. It remains spacious, practical and generously equipped while delivering the lowest running costs of any ICE Nexon. Small omissions, such as cruise control, connected-car technology and JBL-branded speakers, are unlikely to be deal-breakers for most buyers.

Viewed through the lens of value, usability and cost of ownership, the Nexon CNG strikes perhaps the most convincing balance of the lot. Which perhaps explains why, despite being offered with just one engine and a manual gearbox, it now contributes more than a third of all Nexon sales.

Tata Nexon petrol vs diesel vs CNG vs EV: Verdict

The turbo-petrol’s lowest starting price, as well as the widest choice for buyers, is the reason behind its popularity. Our pick of the range, however, is the priciest 7-speed DCA, which delivers the smoothest and most polished Nexon ICE driving experience. That said, performance and efficiency aren’t exactly class-best. 

The diesel’s impressive fuel efficiency and thus low running costs make it an ideal choice for those who rack up high annual mileages. Performance is the strongest among all ICE versions, and its torquey nature makes it an excellent highway companion, perfect for those who regularly cover long distances.

For buyers with reliable home charging, a predominantly urban usage pattern and high annual running, the EV is the one to pick. The 45kWh model has a genuinely usable real-world range and is also the most advanced version with a rich feature list, making it a very well-rounded option.

The Nexon CNG retains the petrol’s drivability, offers low running costs, a long range, and buyers aren’t forced to compromise features or practicality either. It thus strikes a convincing balance between price, performance and real-world usability, emerging as the sweet spot of the line-up.