Kia Sonet HTK (O) Vs Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) - Which One To Buy?

Note 1: In this Kia Sonet vs Tata Nexon comparison (HTK (O) and Smart Plus (S) variants), each of the two cars will follow a red (Kia Sonet) and blue (Tata Nexon) colour scheme. In some cases, having a lower cost is better (e.g. fuel cost), while in other cases, having a higher cost is favourable (e.g. feature differences). Wherever the red car is at an advantage, the difference in the monetary value will be mentioned in red. When the blue car has the upper hand, in that particular cell, the difference will have a blue shade. Thus, the final result is easy for you to crosscheck by simply adding up the red and blue values to find out which one is a better option.

Note 2: This article is divided into 2 main sections — cost of ownership and upfront value. Within the total cost of ownership, we’ll compare:

• Upfront on-road price differences
• 5-year/50,000km maintenance cost
• 5-year/50,000km fuel cost

In the upfront value section, we’ll cover:

• Dimensions
• Engine and performance specifications
• Feature differences

The final verdict section will merge the values from each of the 2 main sections and present the recommendation.

Let’s start with the ownership cost section.

Total Cost Of Ownership (TCO)

The first step towards comparing the Kia Sonet HTK (O) and Tata Nexon Smart Plus S’ total ownership costs is to start with their upfront cost.

Kia Sonet HTK(O) vs Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) — Price Comparison

The Kia Sonet HTK (O) costs Rs. 15,090 less than theTata Nexon Smart Plus (S). Once you factor in the on-road price, the price gap increases to Rs. 16,928, which might be insignificant for you as a buyer. Let’s see how this gap widens as we progress.

Kia Sonet HTK (O) vs Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) — 5-year Maintenance Cost Comparison

According to the respective manufacturer’s periodic maintenance cost calculator, the Sonet will cost about Rs. 17,648 to maintain for 5 years or 50,000km. For a similar usage, the Nexon will cost about Rs. 39,087 to maintain. Thus, the Sonet HTK (O) gets an advantage of about Rs. 21,439 over the Nexon.

Kia Sonet HTK (O) vs Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) — 5-year Fuel Cost Comparison

Driving each of these cars for about 50,000km with an assumption of Rs. 100 per litre fuel cost will save you ~Rs. 28,000 if you buy the Sonet. Of course, the real-world figures may be lower, but to keep things even, we’ve only used the ARAI mileage figures to arrive at these estimates.

Here, the Sonet HTK (O) 1.2L boasts a slightly better fuel economy, however the Nexon Smart Plus S’ turbocharged engine has more power and torque on tap.

Kia Sonet HTK (O) and Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) — TCO Comparison Summary

In the TCO (total cost of ownership) comparison, we found that the Sonet HTK (O) has a nominal advantage over the Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) in terms of upfront cost. This is due to upfront less price of the Sonet coupled with low maintenance and slightly better fuel economy.

Upfront Value For Money

To estimate the upfront value for money of the Kia Sonet HTK (O) vs Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S), we’ll first compare the dimensions and engine specs to find out which car offers better value for money.

Then, before we compare the features of the Sonet HTK (O) and Nexon Smart Plus (S), we’ll first get the common features out of the way. Then, we’ll focus on the exclusive and unique features each of the cars offers to find out which one offers a better value for money.

Kia Sonet HTK (O) vs Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) — Dimension Comparison

The Nexon is marginally larger than the Sonet and you need a measuring tape of a brochure to compare the specs. The gap is so small that it’s not visually apparent and the Nexon scores and overall win by only Rs. 1,400.

Kia Sonet HTK (O) vs Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) — Engine Specs Comparison

In terms of performance too, the Sonet comes across as the underdog as it only has a 1.2L non turbo petrol engine. Tata Nexon outshines in terms of both power and torque thanks to an inclusion of a turbocharger on their 1.2L engine. Here too, we place a higher emphasis on torque as it’s responsible for improving the everyday drivability by offering a better torque output and torque spread.

Thus, the Nexon Smart Plus (S) manages to beat the Sonet HTK(O) in this round by offering Rs. 37,000 worth of additional value.

Kia Sonet HTK (O) Vs Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) — Feature Comparison

Let’s now compare the Nexon Smart Plus (S) features with Sonet HTK (O)’s to first see what’s common for these two cars and then find out what unique features they each bring to the table.

Kia Sonet HTK (O) vs Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) — Common Features

The Kia Sonet HTK (O) and Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) offer the following notable common features:

The following table lists out the common functional features of the Sonet HTK (O) and Nexon Smart Plus (S):

Kia Sonet HTK (O) — Unique Features

The following list presents the Kia Sonet’s unique features, which are not available in the Nexon:

Tata Nexon — Unique Features

Likewise, the Nexon Smart Plus (S) also has the following features, which aren’t available in the Kia Sonet HTK (O)

Kia Sonet HTK (O) Vs Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) — VFM Comparison Summary

Because of a shorter list of unique features, the Kia Sonet takes the crown and beats the Nexon Smart Plus (S) with a net perceived value advantage of Rs. 34,000

Now, let’s sum up the two main comparison headings and see which one offers better value and to what degree.

Also Read: Why Minor Scratches On Car Makes You Angry? Grow YOUR Wealth!

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Kia Sonet HTK (O) vs Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) — Verdict

In the total cost of ownership (TCO) section, the Kia Sonet HTK (O) takes the lead with a cost savings of almost Rs. 66,624 while having more features. But, the Nexon fights back with a significantly better engine performance and its slightly better size. 

Hence, the final winner in this comparison is Kia Sonet HTK (O) .

If you manage to get a discount on one of these vehicles, then you can use this net value in your calculations. This will help you find out whether the Kia Sonet HTK (O) or the Tata Nexon Smart Plus (S) is offering a better value proposition after factoring in the prevailing discounts.

To learn how you can get discounts when buying a new car, you can refer to the following article and use them to sharpen your bargaining skills:

How To Get The Best Discount On Buying New Car (11 Tips)

Note: Calculate Car Fuel Cost with V3Cars for India and Other Countries