MG ZS EV vs Hyundai Kona vs Tata Nexon EV: Price wars to define new frontier?

GURUGRAM : Morris Garage on Thursday drove in the much-awaited ZS EV at a starting price point of ₹20.88 lakh (ex showroom) in a move that has the potential giving a big impetus to the field of electric mobility in India. The ZS EV has managed to gain a lot of attention courtesy its looks, SUV proportions, driving capabilities and premium interiors but its price point may work out to be its biggest strength.

MG may have undercut the pricing expectations for the ZS EV which was previously expected to have an asking price of around ₹23 lakh - closer to the Hyundai Kona which stands as its main rival. It is possible though that MG took a cue from the response for Kona which, many felt, was a tad too pricey. In fact, the Kona was launched at ₹25.30 (ex showroom) before Hyundai passed on GST reduction benefits to customer and brought down the price to ₹23.71 (lakh). The response, however, remained rather lackluster.

How MG is coming to the still small field of electric cars is by offering the double benefit of offering a capable electric car with what it claims to be a solid post-sales network. Launched in five cities to begin with - Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad, MG in fact is offering the ZS EV at a starting price of ₹19.88 lakh (ex showroom) to the 2,800-odd pre-launch customers who had booked the vehicle. The price after midnight of January 17 goes up by ₹1 lakh each for the Excite and Exclusive variants.

While pricing is not the only factor when it comes to electric cars which are often seen suspiciously for reliability and performance-related issues, it remains a key factor.

Several other car makers would now be looking at an even closer watch on the response to MG ZS EV. Among them would be Tata Motors which will launch the Nexon EV in the days to come. The car is expected to be priced at around ₹15 lakh and while it is not necessarily in the same segment as the ZS EV and Kona, would further liven up the electric car market in India.

Among the others to watch out for are Maruti Suzuki and Mahindra and Mahindra. While reports suggest Maruti could consider bringing in Wagon R electric by end of 2020/start 2021, M&M is already a solid player in the fleet sector with its electric Verito and e20. The new frontier, therefore, looks ripe for the taking and bolstering supporting infrastructure would only prove to be the ultimate catalyst in India's vision for electric mobility.