Tata Nexon Base Smart Variant: All You Need To Know Explained In This Report

The Tata Nexon is undoubtedly one of the most popular SUVs in India, and for years, has been successful in catering to the needs and requirements of the Indian buyer. The Indian marque offers the subcompact SUV in many variants and powertrain choices, making it appealing to a wide set of audiences. Out of the many variants, we are going to take a look at the base-spec Smart variant of the Nexon. 

The Smart variant also gets two sub-variants, called the Smart Plus and Smart Plus S. In this report, we take you through the details of all three variants in the Smart lineup to find out which one is the best for you. 

Tata Nexon Smart 

Price

The base-spec Smart variant of the Nexon is priced from Rs 7.32 lakh to Rs 8.23 lakh (ex-showroom), and is offered with only petrol and CNG options, paired with a manual gearbox. You can’t get this variant with a diesel engine. A quick look at the pricing: 

Looks 

• The fascia of the Nexon Smart boasts LED headlamps and LED DRLs, but misses out on fog lamps.

• Comes with 16-inch steel wheels and doesn’t have any plastic covers. 

• Misses out on body-colored door handles and roof rails, which do improve the look. However, this is a base model, and it’s bound to miss it. 

• Features LED tail lamps (that aren’t connected) and a roof-mounted spoiler, but you don’t get a shark fin antenna and a skid plate

• Limited colour options: Pristine White and Daytona Grey only. Want to know what colours can be had in other variants? Check out this story for more.

Interior

• Gets an all-black theme with fabric seat upholstery. 

• Features Tata’s new two-spoke steering wheel with a backlit display housing the Tata logo. 

• Comes with a basic digital instrument cluster and misses out on an infotainment system.

• Gets a drive selector for the various modes (Eco, City, Sport) in the floor console. 

Features

The Nexon Smart gets a basic set of features, including manual AC, central locking, tilt-adjustable steering, front power windows, and a 12V socket. You get 6 airbags, an ISOFIX child seat mount, reverse parking sensors, and three-point seat belts for all passengers. ABS with EBD and ESC. 

You miss out on an infotainment system, a digital driver display, a branded audio system, a 360-degree camera, front parking sensors, automatic climate control, ADAS, and an air purifier as well. 

Powertrain 

The Nexon Smart gets the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, which can be paired only with a 5-speed manual. You can also get the base variant with a CNG kit, available with a 6-speed manual. Let’s take a quick look at the numbers: 

Higher variants also come with a 1.5 diesel engine. 

Our Take 

The Nexon Smart is only for those who are on a very tight budget and simply want a sub-4 metre SUV that provides safety and assurance in all types of conditions. Keep in mind that you will end up spending on upgrades. 

Now, let’s take a look at the Smart Plus variant and whether it is worth the upgrade or not.

Tata Nexon Smart Plus

Price 

The Nexon Smart Plus is priced from Rs 8 lakh to Rs 9.6 lakh (ex-showroom), making it around Rs 70,000-1 lakh more expensive than the Smart trim. This variant also marks the entry point if you want your Nexon with an automatic transmission. A quick look at the prices in comparison with the Smart variant: 

As seen above, the premium is up to Rs 92,000 for the respective CNG variants. The Smart Plus also comes with a diesel-manual option, which is around Rs 1 lakh more expensive than the petrol-manual. The Smart Plus also gets the automatic option for an additional amount of Rs 78,000.  

Now, let’s take a look at what it packs over the Smart trim. 

Looks - What It Gets Over Smart

• The Smart Plus adds a wheel cover to the 16-inch steel wheels 

• There is no update to the headlamps, except for the Follow Me Home feature

• You get a regular antenna in this variant, and not the shark fin antenna that is available in higher variants. 

• More colour options! Blue and beige hues are available from this variant onwards. 

Interior and Features- What It Gets Over Smart 

• The highlight here is the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which is a great addition over the base model. 

• Along with the infotainment, you also get Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, two speakers and steering-mounted controls. 

• Type-A charging ports are added. 

• The Smart Plus also comes with rear power windows for added convenience. 

• Automatic variants also get paddle shifters for added convenience. 

Powertrain - What It Gets Over Smart 

The Smart Plus variant introduces an AMT gearbox with the petrol engine, and a diesel engine as well, with a 6-speed manual. A quick spec-check below: 

Our Take 

The Smart Plus variant serves as the perfect upgrade and justifies the price that it comes at. This variant adds practicality, as well as convenience, as you get some must-have features and also the option of opting for an automatic. If you can extend your budget over the base model, we highly recommend picking the Smart Plus over the Smart variant.

Tata Nexon Smart Plus S

The Smart Plus S ranges from Rs 8.3 lakh to Rs 9.42 lakh (ex-showroom). It is around Rs 30,000 more expensive than the Smart Plus variant. 

It is important to note that the Smart Plus S misses out on an AMT gearbox, which you get with the Smart Plus variant. 

A quick look at the price premium: 

What Are The Extra Additions Here? 

In the Smart Plus S variant, you get the crowd-favourite feature, a sunroof. Moreover, it also gets auto headlamps and rain-sensing wipers. Apart from that, there is no other change and the turbo-petrol engine continues with a 5-speed manual. 

Our Take 

Is the price increment to features ratio justified? Yes. But are the features additions essential? No. We would advise you to pick this one only if you need the sunroof. 

Overall, we highly recommend you to pick the Smart Plus variant over the base-spec Smart trim as the feature additions justify the premium. You can consider the Smart Plus S only if you need a sunroof. 

You can also check out the one-above-base, Pure variant of the Nexon in our image gallery. Let us know if you would pick the entry-level Nexon over rivals like the Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV 3XO, Kia Sonet, and Skoda Kylaq.