New Zealand bowlers led by Matt Henry kept England in check to 282-9 despite Joe Root's 77 in the opening match of the World Cup on Thursday.
The Black Caps invited England to bat first at the world's biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad with the English missing their talisman Ben Stokes due to a hip injury.
England lost regular wickets as batsmen failed to convert their starts into bigger scores but Root stood out and put on a key stand of 70 with skipper Jos Buttler, who made 43.
The rest of the batting lacked firepower against a Kiwi attack that missed Tim Southee but kept coming back at the champions in a rematch of the 2019 World Cup final when England won a tied match on boundary count back at Lord's.
Henry returned figures of 3-48. Spinners Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips took two wickets each.
Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow gave England a brisk start but the Kiwi bowlers soon removed the openers to take control of play on a sunny afternoon in front of a smattering of fans inside the 132 000-capacity arena.
Malan fell caught behind off Henry and Bairstow's knock was cut short by Santner, who got the batsman out for 33 off his left-arm spin.
Harry Brook took on Rachin Ravindra in the left-arm spinner's first over to smash two fours and a six before the bowler had his revenge on the final delivery.
Brook, coming in the starting line-up for Stokes, attempted another big hit but got caught at deep mid-wicket.
Root raised his 37th ODI half-century off 57 balls laced with two fours and one six off a reverse scoop shot.
But he fell to Phillips' off spin while attempting a reverse sweep and England slipped further before Adil Rashid and Mark Wood ensured the team played out their 50 overs.
ENGLAND: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (captain), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
NEW ZEALAND: Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (captain), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Trent Boult
