The Vietnamese carmaker, VinFast, has recently entered India, launching two of its electric cars, VinFast VF6 and VinFast VF7. The smaller VF6 competes against the Tata Nexon EV, a segment leader since its launch. Launched in 2020, the Nexon EV was the first truly successful mass-market electric car in India and even today, it is one of the best-selling electric cars. So, how well does the VinFast VF6 fare against the Tata Nexon EV? Here is a comparison of the VinFast VF6 vs the Tata Nexon EV to learn what advantages they offer over each other.
VinFast VF6 vs Tata Nexon EV: Dimensions & Design
| VinFast VF6 | Tata Nexon EV | |
| Length | 4,241 mm | 3,995 mm |
| Width | 1,834 mm | 1,802 mm |
| Height | 1,615 mm | 1,625 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2,730 mm | 2,498 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 190 mm | 190 mm (long range) and 205 mm (medium range) |
| Boot Space | 423 litres | 350 litres |
The VinFast VF6 is 246 mm longer, 32 mm wider, and has a 232 mm longer wheelbase than the Tata Nexon EV. Even its 423-litre boot is substantially larger than the 350-litre boot of the Tata Nexon EV. In comparison, the Tata Nexon EV is 10 mm taller than the VinFast VF6. Overall, the VinFast VF6 is more spacious and more accommodating for five passengers than the Tata Nexon EV.
As far as designs are concerned, both VinFast VF6 and Tata Nexon EV are good-looking electric SUVs, but in different ways. The VF6 looks cleaner, sportier, and more aerodynamic than the Nexon EV. At the front, the VF features VinFast’s signature ‘V Face,’ which is two LED DRLs running the width of the bonnet and slightly dipping at the nose with a ‘V’ logo in between them. The headlamp assemblies sit lower down on the bumper, which has a honeycomb-patterned air dam. On the side, the VF6 rides on 18-inch alloy wheels, and due to the angular bonnet, slightly sloping roofline, clean panels, and raked rear windshield, it almost looks like a Maruti Baleno. At the rear, the VF6 has an eye-catching design with long horizontal LED tail lamps, which simulate the design of front DRLs, and due to the stepped tailgate and chunky bumper, it looks very sporty.
The Tata Nexon EV has a more familiar presence on Indian roads. But that does not say it does not look good. Indeed, it looks striking. Its clean yet muscular face features a split-headlamp setup with full-width Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs) on top, as the main headlamp assembly sit lower down. The sharp bumper has the vertical stripes pattern – the same which is also on the Tata Curvv EV and Tata Harrier EV. Its side profile highlights the coupe-ish design, and it sits on aero-efficient 16-inch alloy wheels. At the rear, much like the front, the Nexon EV features an LED light bar that spans the width of the tailgate and connects the sleek triangular tail-lamps, while the reflectors sit below on the angular rear bumper.
The VinFast VF6 is larger and more spacious than the Tata Nexon EV. Moreover, in terms of looks, the Nexon EV is more butch, and the VinFast VF6 looks sportier.
VinFast VF6 vs Tata Nexon EV: Battery & Range
| VinFast VF6 | Tata Nexon EV | |
| Battery | 59.6 kWh | 30 kWh 45 kWh |
| Power | 178 PS (Earth variant) 204 PS (Wind & Wind Infinity variants) | 129 PS (30 kWh) 144 PS (45 kWh) |
| Torque | 250 Nm (Earth variant) 310 Nm (Wind & Wind Infinity variants) | 215 Nm (30 kWh) 215 Nm (45 kWh) |
| Range | 468 km (Earth variant) 463 km (Wind & Wind Infinity variants) | 275 km (30 kWh) 489 km (45 kWh) |
The VinFast VF6 is equipped with a larger battery pack than both battery packs of the Tata Nexon EV. Due to the larger battery pack, the VF6 is more powerful and more exciting to drive. In terms of driving range, the Nexon EV has a claimed range of 275 km for its medium-range variants and 489 km for its long-range variants. However, according to Tata’s officially reported figures, in real-world driving conditions, the medium-range trims of the Nexon EV deliver a range of 210 – 230 km, and the long-range trims deliver a range of 350 – 375 km.
Comparing the Nexon EV driving range with the VinFast VF6 driving range, the VF6 base variant is better than the Nexon EV base variant. Moreover, while it remains to be seen what driving range gets reported of the VF6 in real-world driving conditions, it is not going to be too different from what the top variants of the Tata Nexon EV offer.
As for the base variants, the VinFast VF6 delivers a longer driving range than the Tata Nexon EV. As far as top variants are concerned, both VF6 and Nexon EV deliver more or less the same range in real-world driving conditions.
VinFast VF6 vs Tata Nexon EV: Features & Comfort
| VinFast VF6 | Tata Nexon EV | |
| Infotainment system | 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system | 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system |
| Music system | 8-speaker sound system | 9-speaker JBL sound system |
| Climate control | Dual-zone Automatic | Automatic |
| Ventilated seats | Front ventilated seats | Front ventilated seats |
| Adjustable steering | Tilt and Telescopic adjust | Tilt and Telescopic adjust |
| Drive modes | Eco, Normal, Sport | Eco, City, Sport |
| Instrument cluster | Not available | 10.4-inch digital instrument cluster |
| Sunroof | Panoramic Glass roof | Panoramic sunroof |
| Adjustable seats (manual or electric) | 8-way powered driver seat | Height-adjustable driver seat (manual) |
| Rear AC vents | Available | Available |
| 60:40 rear seat split | Available | Available |
| Cruise control | Available | Available |
On the inside, it is fair to say that the VinFast VF6 feels more premium than the Tata Nexon EV. Its clean dashboard has a layered effect with leatherette treatment and brushed aluminium finish. The lack of an instrument cluster makes the dashboard look neat and uncluttered and gives a nice view of the road ahead. Instead of the instrument cluster, the VF6 has a head-up display, which projects the essential instrumentation information on the windshield. The same details can be viewed on the right corner of the touchscreen infotainment system, which is faced slightly towards the driver’s seat and has most controls integrated into it. Meanwhile, there are some toggle switches under the touchscreens for a few controls, including the drive selection.
On the other hand, the Tata Nexon EV is more traditional with two separate screens for the infotainment and instrumentation. Much like other Tata cars, there are trapezoidal AC vents, while the two-spoke steering and leatherette finishing on the dashboard and door pads lift the modernity. Compared to the VF6, the Nexon EV has a sharper dashboard with sharp edges. Its gloss black HVAC panel houses more physical controls than those offered on the VF6. Overall, the Nexon EV feels more practical on the inside compared to the VF6, primarily because no matter how big the touchscreen is, most individuals still prefer physical controls to digitised controls.
In terms of features, the VF6 is slightly richer than the Tata Nexon EV. Some of VF6’s key advantages over the Nexon EV include the head-up display, powered driver seat, and dual-zone climate control.
On the inside, the VinFast VF6 feels more premium than the Tata Nexon EV and is slightly more feature-rich in comparison.
VinFast VF6 vs Tata Nexon EV: Safety Features
| VinFast VF6 | Tata Nexon EV | |
| NCAP Safety Rating | Not tested | 5-star in Bharat NCAP |
| Airbags | Seven | Six |
| ABS with EBD | Yes | Yes |
| ESC | Yes | Yes |
| Traction Control | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic headlamps | Yes | Yes |
| Rain-sensing Wipers | Yes | Yes |
| Hill hold assist | Yes | Yes |
| Hill descent control | Yes | No |
| Rear sensors | Yes | Yes |
| Rear parking camera | 360-degree camera | 360-degree camera |
| ISOFIX Child seat anchor points | Yes | Yes |
| ADAS | Level-2 ADAS features | Not available |
While the VinFast VF6 is loaded with multiple safety features, including the Level-2 ADAS safety suite, since it has not been tested by any NCAP, no comments can be made about its build quality. Whereas, the Tata Nexon EV has the certification of the 5-star rating in Bharat NCAP safety test to prove that it is structurally robust and is one of the safest cars in India. However, since it does not feature an ADAS safety suite, it cannot prevent accidents as well as the VF6. The VF6 Level-2 ADAS safety suite consists of blind spot detection, lane centring control, auto lane changing assist, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, emergency lane keeping, automatic emergency brake, forward collision warning, rear cross traffic alert, automatic high beam, driver drowsiness attention warning, adaptive cruise control, and door open warning.
VinFast VF6 vs Tata Nexon EV: Price comparison
| VinFast VF6 | Tata Nexon EV | |
| Base variants (Ex-Showroom) | Rs 16.49 lakh | Rs 12.49 – 13.99 lakh |
| Mid variants (Ex-Showroom) | Rs 17.79 lakh | Rs 13.29 – 14.99 lakh |
| Upper mid variants (Ex-Showroom) | Rs 14.79 – 15.99 lakh | |
| Top variant | Rs 18.29 lakh | Rs 16.99 – 17.49 lakh |
Considering the prices, since the VinFast VF6 is more spacious, tech-laden, and more importantly, delivers a longer driving range (base variants), it comes across as a better value-for-money offering than the Tata Nexon EV. All the same, the Tata Nexon EV more than justifies its price with its package.
VinFast VF6 vs Tata Nexon EV: Which one should you buy
The Tata Nexon EV has been on sale for far longer than the VinFast VF6, and its sales figures suggest it has been a great run for the Indian electric compact SUV. Especially after the 2023 facelift, the Nexon EV has become an even better package. As always, the Nexon EV offers a well-rounded electric car experience with a great ride quality, solid passenger safety, a lot of premium features, and a driving range that comfortably meets all your driving needs. The Nexon EV can be just the electric car you need if you want the aforementioned characteristics and drive mostly in urban areas.
However, for a few more lakhs, the VinFast VF6 brings significantly more value, because of more space in the cabin, longer driving range (base variants), and the Level-2 ADAS safety suite, which can be a life-saver in many unprecedented situations. So, if you are not afraid of putting your money on an unfamiliar car and want more value for your money, the VinFast VF6 can be a worthy choice.
VinFast VF6 vs Tata Nexon EV: FAQs
Which is larger, the VinFast VF6 or the Tata Nexon EV?
The VinFast VF6 is 4,241 mm long, 1,834 mm wide, 1,615 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,730 mm. Tata Nexon EV is 3,995 mm long, 1,802 mm wide, 1,625 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 2,498 mm. Therefore, the VinFast VF6 is 246 mm longer, 32 mm wider, and has a 232 mm longer wheelbase than the Tata Nexon EV. Even its 423-litre boot is substantially larger than the 350-litre boot of the Tata Nexon EV. Whereas the Tata Nexon EV is 10 mm taller than the VinFast VF6. Overall, the VinFast VF6 is more spacious and more accommodating for five passengers than the Tata Nexon EV.
Between the VinFast VF6 and Tata Nexon EV, which car offers a longer range?
The VinFast VF6 has a 59.6 kWh battery pack, which offers a claimed range of 468 km (Earth variant) and 463 km (Wind and Wind Infinity variants). Whereas the Tata Nexon EV has two battery packs on offer: 30 kWh and 45 kWh, which deliver claimed ranges of 275 km and 489 km, respectively. So, the base variant of the V6 delivers a longer driving range than the base variant of the Nexon EV, and as far as top variants are concerned, the Nexon EV offers a slightly longer driving range than the VF6.
Between the VinFast VF6 and the Tata Nexon EV, which has better sound quality?
The 9-speaker JBL sound system of the Tata Nexon EV delivers better sound quality than that of the 8-speaker in-built music system in the VinFast VF6.
Between the VinFast VF6 and the Tata Nexon EV, which is better suited for family travelling?
Both the Tata Nexon EV and VinFast VF6 are more than capable of ferrying your family in comfort. Although there are a few advantages that both offer over each other. The Tata Nexon EV is more robustly built to keep your family safe in an unfortunate accident, while with the Level-2 ADAS safety suite, the VinFast VF6 better prevents the occurrence of accidents in the first place. Moreover, the VF6 offers more space for five passengers and features, while the Nexon EV delivers slightly better ride comfort.
