Avoid Pollution Bans With These Cool Electric Cars Under INR 10 Lakh

Anyone living in the northern states of India, especially in Delhi NCR, is well aware of the vehicular bans to tackle the rising pollution issues during the winter season. The government usually introduces an odd-even rule along with a ban on older vehicles to keep the air quality within breathable levels. If you are burning fossil fuels for your daily commute, there's a chance that your daily conquest might be hindered.

Electric vehicle owners, however, are free birds! EVs are usually exempted from all sorts of pollution-centric bans, thereby making them the logical choice for combating the pollution season.

But EVs are still an expensive affair in our country, with cars like the Tata Nexon EV, Mahindra XUV 400 and MG ZS EV costing around INR 20 lakhs. The price alone puts these green vehicles out of reach for most people. Most first-time car buyers and those seeking a secondary city vehicle look for cars that cost less than INR 10 lakhs.

Currently, there are two entry-level electric cars in India: MG Comet and Tata Tiago EV. Both these cars are available for less than INR 10 lakhs and they both have an interesting set of pros and cons.

Hence, we will be taking a detailed look at both these cars and figure out which one deliver more bang for your buck.

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Pricing is important 

Let’s address the elephant in the room first, which is the pricing.

Tata Tiago EV’s XT Medium range, which is the second base variant on sale, comes at a price of INR 9.63 lakh (On-Road price Delhi) whereas the MG Comet’s Exclusive FC with value-added kit variant is on sale for INR 9.94 lakh (On-Road price Delhi). So both cars are accessible for anyone planning to possess an entry-level EV.

MG also offers the Comet EV with BaaS (Battery as a Service) but Tiago EV does not offer any such service so we will not compare those prices.

Exterior design

The Tiago EV is based on its ICE counterpart and that's why it looks like a traditional hatchback. It has a sharp front fascia with a bold Tata logo, a closed grille and an EV badge. Despite the 'EV elements', the Tiago EV looks more appealing owing to its conventional yet proportionate styling.

The MG Comet, on the other hand, has a quirky design. It looks drastically different from anything else on the road. People have polarising opinions about its looks. Some hate it while others like it. The road presence is definitely there. Looks are subjective anyway so we will leave it to you to decide.

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Interior and features

Once you step inside, things are much more interesting. The Tiago EV has a typical hatchback-like layout with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system mounted centrally on the dashboard. It is a spacious and comfortable cabin with elements that are easily accessible. It offers ample space on the front and rear row of seats. The boot space of 240 litres is also practical enough for most cases.

The Comet’s interior, however, looks more modern and upmarket than the Tiago. The twin 10.25-inch display cluster looks much more modern and fresh. This is a born electric car and hence the cabin space has been better utilised on this one. However, the rear seats of the Comet are not easy to access because of the two-door design and the comfort level is also not that great owing to the smaller footprint. The MG Comet has no usable boot space when the rear row seats are up.

Performance

The Tiago EV (XT MR)  comes equipped with a single motor front wheel drive system which churns out 45 KW (60.3 HP) of power and 110 Nm of peak torque. It can sprint from 0 to 60 kph in just 6.2 seconds.

The MG Comet EV is equipped with a single motor rear-wheel drive system which produces 42 HP and 110 Nm of peak torque. MG claims a 0-60 kph time of 7.6 seconds for the Comet EV. That's slow by EV standards. 

So in terms of performance, the Tata Tiago EV has a slight edge here.

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Safety 

Tata Tiago EV is based on the tried and tested ICE Tiago’s platform and it has scored four out of five stars in GNCAP testing. Additionally, it also gets two airbags, ABS, EBS, TPMS, etc.

The MG Comet on the other hand has not been crash-tested so we do not know how safe or unsafe it may be. However, it is loaded with twin airbags, ABS, EBD, TPMS, etc.

So in terms of safety features, both cars are somewhat similar, but when it comes to crash test rating Tata Tiago takes the lead here.

Battery range and charging 

The Tata Tiago XT Medium Range houses a 19.2kWh battery pack and the brand claims a driving range of 250 km. It can be charged from 10 to 100 per cent in 6.9 hours at home or at any 15 A plug. It can be charged from 10 to 100 per cent in just 2.6 hours with a 7.2kW AC fast charger. It also supports DC fast charging and it can go from 10 to 80 per cent in just 58 minutes.

The MG Comet EV is equipped with a 17.3kWh battery pack and the brand claims a driving range of 230 km. It can be charged from 0 to 100 per cent in 7 hours at home and the timing can be reduced to 3.5 hours with a 7.4kWh AC fast charger (only in Excite (FC) and Exclusive (FC) variants).

Conclusion

Both these cars are good for city use because the brands claim a driving range of above 200 km. But we all know how these numbers fail in reality. Both of these cars struggle to clock even 200 km in real-world urban conditions.

The MG Comet has better interiors and more features, thereby making it more appealing to the youth. As a secondary car for heading to the nearby grocery stores and commuting to office, it is a low-cost and efficient package.

However, the Tata Tiago EV is leagues ahead with its better cabin space, superior comfort, a practical design, more safety features and faster charging. It even looks great in certain shades of colours. Hence, in our opinion, the Tata Tiago EV offers much more value for your money and is the winner of this comparison.