Tata Eris Smart or Pure: what the Rs 85,000 to Rs 1.4 lakh extra buys

Tata Motors has officially launched its new compact sedan, the Tata Eris, in the Indian market. The car replaces the Tata Tigor. It has sharper styling, newer features and a strong safety package. The front looks more aggressive, while the rear keeps the notchback roofline silhouette and adds connected LED tail-lamps.

For buyers considering the base Smart variant, the question is whether it is worth spending about Rs 1 lakh more on the Pure variant above it. Here is how the two compare.

On price, the Smart costs Rs 5.29 lakh in petrol MT and Rs 6.29 lakh in petrol+CNG MT. It has no AMT option. The Pure starts at Rs 6.14 lakh in petrol MT; petrol AMT is Rs 6.69 lakh, petrol+CNG MT Rs 7.14 lakh and petrol+CNG AMT Rs 7.69 lakh. All prices are ex-showroom. Depending on engine and gearbox, the gap between the two variants ranges from Rs 85,000 to Rs 1.4 lakh.

On the exterior, the two look largely alike from the front. Both have halogen headlamps with a blacked-out panel connecting them, and neither has fog lamps.

From the side, the Smart has black door handles, body-colour B-pillars, black ORVMs, 14-inch steel wheels and fender-mounted indicators, which make it look somewhat plainer. The Pure has body-colour door handles, blacked-out B-pillars, ORVMs with turn indicators and 14-inch steel wheels with wheel covers. Both carry Eris badging on the front doors.

At the rear, the Pure adds a rear defogger. Otherwise the two are equal, with connected LED tail-lamps, the Tata logo, Eris badging, an updated bumper, vertical reflectors and reverse parking sensors.

The Smart comes in only three colours: Daytona Grey, Pristine White and Pure Grey. The Pure is available in all of the car's official colour options.

Inside, both variants get a dual-tone light colour theme, textured finish on the AC vents, silver finish on the door handles, dual space for smartphones and a 2-spoke steering wheel. The differences begin here. In the Smart, the windows and ORVMs are manually operated. It has basic features such as a semi-digital driver display, manual AC and a tilt-adjustable steering wheel.

The Pure gets all four power windows, electrically adjustable ORVMs with turn indicators, two additional speakers, steering-mounted controls, and 15-watt USB-A and Type-C charging ports in front. Its semi-digital display also offers Bluetooth audio, and it has a height-adjustable driver seat and a day/night IRVM.

Tata has not compromised on safety. Both variants come with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, cornering stability control, Isofix child seat anchors and 3-point seat belts for all occupants as standard. The Pure adds speed-sensing door locks and the rear defogger.

The engine is the same in both: a 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, with a factory-fitted twin-cylinder CNG option. The petrol engine produces 86 PS and 113 Nm, while the petrol+CNG version produces 75 PS and 96 Nm. The gearbox is a 5-speed MT or AMT. The Smart gets only the 5-speed manual; the automatic AMT option starts with the Pure.

In the market, the new Eris competes directly with sub-4-metre sedans such as the Maruti Suzuki Dzire, Honda Amaze and Hyundai Aura.

In sum, both variants offer good cabin space and smooth petrol and CNG powertrains. For buyers who want to enter Tata's sedan family on a budget and customise the car later to their liking, the Smart is a good choice. But for those willing to pay Rs 85,000 to Rs 1.4 lakh more, depending on the powertrain, for power windows, electric ORVMs, an adjustable driver seat and the AMT option, the Pure is more practical and better value for money.