Which electric cars have steering-mounted controls on the base variant?

Steering-mounted controls are now standard on most base electric cars, but cruise control is not. Eight of the eleven base variants include cruise. The Comet EV Executive, Nexon.ev Creative+ MR and e Vitara Delta do not, and the e Vitara lists cruise only as adaptive cruise on the Alpha. Tata marks steering controls "No" on the Punch.ev Smart 30. The Mahindra XEV 9S, BYD Atto 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 from the draft could not be proven from a variant grid and are left out.

Eleven electric cars on sale in India have steering-mounted controls on their base variant that we could prove from each maker's own variant grid: the MG Comet EV, Tata Nexon.ev, MG Windsor EV, Maruti Suzuki e Vitara, Tata Curvv.ev, MG ZS EV, Hyundai Creta Electric, VinFast VF6, Mahindra BE 6 Sporteq, Tata Harrier.ev and VinFast VF7. The cheapest is the Comet EV Executive at Rs 7,79,800. One popular car fails the test: the Tata Punch.ev Smart 30, where Tata's grid marks steering-mounted controls "No".

The more useful finding is what the buttons do. On eight of the eleven, the base variant also has cruise control. On the Comet EV, the Nexon.ev Creative+ and the e Vitara Delta it does not, so the wheel buttons handle audio and calls and nothing else.

Base variants with steering-mounted controls

Car	Base variant	Ex-showroom price	How the maker lists it	Cruise control on base
MG Comet EV	Executive	Rs 7,79,800	Steering mounted audio controls	Not listed on any variant
Tata Nexon.ev	Creative+ MR	Rs 12,49,000	Steering mounted controls	No, from Empowered 45
MG Windsor EV	Excite	Rs 14,69,800	Steering mounted audio controls	Yes
Maruti Suzuki e Vitara	Delta	Rs 16,19,000	Steering mounted controls	No, adaptive cruise on Alpha only
Tata Curvv.ev	Accomplished X 55	Rs 17,19,000	Steering mounted controls	Yes
MG ZS EV	Executive	Rs 17,99,000	Steering mounted audio and phone controls	Yes
Hyundai Creta Electric	Executive	Rs 18,02,800	Steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth controls	Yes
VinFast VF6	Earth	Rs 18,19,000	D-cut, multi-function steering wheel	Yes
Mahindra BE 6 Sporteq	One	Rs 19,45,000	Steering wheel with physical switches	Yes
Tata Harrier.ev	Adventure 65	Rs 21,79,000	Steering mounted controls	Yes
VinFast VF7	Earth	Rs 22,99,000	D-cut, multi-function steering wheel	Yes

Feature wording is quoted from each maker's brochure or specification table. Prices are ex-showroom, read on 13 October 2026 from NEXA's price page (Delhi), Tata's ev.tata.cars, Hyundai's Delhi price list, Mahindra's configurator and VinFast's site. MG prices are from MG's brochures, effective 1 July 2026.

The eleven, cheapest first

1. MG Comet EV Executive

MG's grid ticks "Steering Mounted Audio Controls" for all three Comet trims, the Executive included. That is notable because the Executive is otherwise bare. It has no touchscreen (the 10.25-inch unit starts on the Excite), basic audio with two speakers, manual air conditioning and no tilt adjustment for the wheel, which is reserved for the Exclusive.

There is no cruise control row anywhere in the Comet brochure. Safety kit is two front airbags. Claimed range is 230 km from a 17.4 kWh battery, and MG also sells the Executive on a battery rental plan at Rs 4,99,000 plus Rs 3.2 per km.

2. Tata Nexon.ev Creative+ MR

Tata's specification grid shows "Steering Mounted Controls: Yes" on the Creative+ MR, the entry Nexon.ev with the 30 kWh battery and a claimed 275 km. The same grid shows "Cruise Control: No" for that variant and for the Fearless trims; cruise starts on the Empowered 45.

The draft this article started from called the cruise question "disputed" on the strength of two aggregator listings that disagreed. Tata's own grid settles it. The Creative+ MR does get six airbags, a reverse camera, a 7-inch touchscreen and automatic climate control.

3. MG Windsor EV Excite

The Windsor is the cheapest car here to pair the wheel controls with cruise control on the base variant. MG's grid ticks both for the Excite, along with tilt and telescopic steering adjustment, six airbags, stability control and an electric parking brake.

The Excite gives up a good deal elsewhere: a smaller 7-inch instrument cluster, manual seat height adjustment, no 360-degree camera, a manual anti-glare mirror and none of the connected-car voice functions. It uses the 38 kWh battery with a claimed 332 km. On MG's battery rental plan it is Rs 9,99,000 plus Rs 3.99 per km.

4. Maruti Suzuki e Vitara Delta

The e Vitara brochure ticks "Steering Mounted Controls" under Delta, Zeta and Alpha alike, on a two-spoke synthetic-leather wheel with tilt and telescopic adjustment. The Delta also gets the same integrated display as the dearer trims, a 10.1-inch infotainment screen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay beside a 10.25-inch driver display, plus seven airbags and an auto-dimming inside mirror.

Its weakness for this list is cruise control. The brochure lists it only as adaptive cruise control, and only on the Alpha at Rs 19,99,000. A Delta or Zeta buyer who does long highway runs has no cruise at all, which is unusual at Rs 16 lakh and above; every other car in this table from the Windsor upward includes it on the base variant. The Delta also uses the smaller 49 kWh battery (440 km claimed against 543 km) and has no reverse camera.

5. Tata Curvv.ev Accomplished X 55

Tata cut the Curvv.ev to a three-variant Series X line-up in 2026, and the entry Accomplished X 55 at Rs 17,19,000 is no stripped base car. Tata's specification table shows steering-mounted controls and cruise control as "Yes", and the same variant has a 10.25-inch touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a panoramic sunroof, a 360-degree camera and all-wheel disc brakes. It uses the 55 kWh battery.

Adaptive cruise control and the rest of the Level 2 suite are on the Empowered X 55 at Rs 19,39,000.

6. MG ZS EV Executive

MG lists "Steering Mounted Audio and Phone Controls" and cruise control on all four ZS EV variants. The Executive shares the 50.3 kWh battery and 461 km claimed range of the top trim, along with six airbags, hill descent control and a reverse camera.

Read the infotainment grid before you order one, though. The Executive has wired rather than wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and MG lists it with two tweeters and no door speakers. On the battery rental plan it starts at Rs 13,00,000 plus Rs 4.5 per km.

7. Hyundai Creta Electric Executive

Hyundai's grid marks "Steering wheel with audio & Bluetooth controls", voice recognition and cruise control as standard on all ten variants. The Executive, at Rs 18,02,800 in Delhi, also has dual 10.25-inch screens, wireless phone mirroring, dual-zone climate control, six airbags and an electric parking brake.

It lacks the sunroof, the wireless charger and the driver-assistance suite, and it uses the 42 kWh battery with a claimed 420 km. The smart cruise control with stop and go is for the Excellence trims.

8. VinFast VF6 Earth

VinFast lists the steering wheel as "D-cut, multi-function" across all three VF6 variants, with cruise control on the Earth and adaptive cruise on the Wind and Wind Infinity. The Earth is strong on safety basics for a base car: seven airbags, a 360-degree camera and blind spot detection are all standard. It has a 59.6 kWh battery and a claimed 468 km.

9. Mahindra BE 6 Sporteq One

The BE 6 was relaunched as the BE 6 Sporteq with new variant names, and the entry car is now simply the One. Mahindra's brochure lists "Steering Wheel with Physical Switches" and cruise control among its features, with twin 12.3-inch screens, six airbags, a rear camera and an electronic parking brake. It has the 59 kWh battery and a claimed 573 km.

The price of Rs 19,45,000 excludes a wall charger. Mahindra quotes Rs 11.45 lakh under its battery-as-a-service plan.

10. Tata Harrier.ev Adventure 65

Tata's grid shows steering-mounted controls and cruise control as "Yes" on the Adventure 65 at Rs 21,79,000. The base Harrier.ev is well equipped in general, with a 10.25-inch touchscreen and driver display, wireless phone mirroring, six airbags, a reverse camera and a 65 kWh battery good for a claimed 538 km. Adaptive cruise waits for the Empowered 75.

11. VinFast VF7 Earth

The same "D-cut, multi-function" wheel and standard cruise control as the VF6, on a larger SUV. The VF7 Earth adds a head-up display and ventilated front seats as standard, and has a 59.6 kWh battery with a claimed 438 km.

The one that misses: Tata Punch.ev

The 2026 Punch.ev starts with the Smart 30 at Rs 9,79,000. Tata's specification grid for that variant reads "Steering Mounted Controls: No" and "Cruise Control: No". The controls arrive on the Smart+ 30 at Rs 10,39,000, and cruise control on the Adventure 40 at Rs 11,94,000.

So the Punch.ev, the car most likely to be a first EV, is the one where you need to move up a trim. The Rs 60,000 step to the Smart+ is the one to weigh.

What the draft got wrong, and what we left out

The tracker draft listed the Mahindra XEV 9S, BYD Atto 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. They are not in this article, for different reasons.

Mahindra's XEV 9S and XEV 9e brochures have no steering-control row in their variant grids. Both list standard cruise control on the entry pack, so the buttons are almost certainly there, but "almost certainly" is not what a base-variant list should run on.
We could not obtain current variant grids for the BYD Atto 3 or Hyundai Ioniq 5 on 13 October 2026. The Ioniq 5 is sold as a single variant, so it has no base variant in any meaningful sense.
The Tata Tiago.ev and Tigor.ev were not checked for this article.

Tata features and prices for the Nexon.ev, Curvv.ev, Harrier.ev and Punch.ev come from the specification tables and variant cards on ev.tata.cars, read on 13 October 2026. The FAQ text on Tata's own price pages still quotes older, lower prices; the variant cards are the current ones.

The draft also said Hyundai offers no battery-as-a-service option. Hyundai's Creta Electric page currently advertises one, from Rs 10.99 lakh.

Does it matter which controls you get?

Makers use different words, and the words are a fair guide to what is on the wheel. "Audio controls" on the two MGs means volume and track. "Audio and Bluetooth" or "audio and phone" adds call buttons. A "multi-function" wheel or one with cruise control adds a second cluster for speed and following distance.

If you drive mostly in the city, any of the eleven will do. If you want cruise control without paying for a higher trim, the choice narrows to the Windsor EV, Curvv.ev, ZS EV, Creta Electric, VF6, BE 6 Sporteq, Harrier.ev and VF7. See also our list of electric cars with cruise control under Rs 20 lakh.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the cheapest electric car with steering-mounted controls on the base variant?

The MG Comet EV Executive at Rs 7,79,800. Its controls are for audio only, and the Executive has no touchscreen.

Does the Maruti Suzuki e Vitara Delta have steering-mounted controls?

Yes. The NEXA brochure ticks steering-mounted controls on the Delta, Zeta and Alpha. Cruise control is listed only as adaptive cruise on the Alpha.

Does the base Tata Punch.ev have steering-mounted controls?

No. Tata's grid for the Smart 30 marks them "No". They start on the Smart+ 30.

Does the base Tata Nexon.ev have cruise control?

No. Tata's grid shows cruise control from the Empowered 45. The Creative+ MR has steering-mounted controls without it.

Which base-variant electric cars have both steering controls and cruise control?

The MG Windsor EV Excite, Tata Curvv.ev Accomplished X 55, MG ZS EV Executive, Hyundai Creta Electric Executive, VinFast VF6 Earth, Mahindra BE 6 Sporteq One, Tata Harrier.ev Adventure 65 and VinFast VF7 Earth.

Can steering-mounted controls be retrofitted?

Sometimes, but it means removing the wheel and airbag and often coding the car's electronics. On a new EV it is simpler and safer to buy the variant that has them.