Tata Punch

About Tata Punch

Tata Punch is a sub-compact SUV that packs a “punch” despite its small dimensions. It is a perfect urban vehicle with compact body dimensions and several features to keep you excited behind the wheel. It also offers a good road presence with a rugged exterior combined with modern design elements such as alloy wheels, LED lighting, body cladding, etc.

Tata Punch is available with a 1.2-litre petrol engine that comes mated to a manual or an AMT gearbox. The Tata Punch automatic with the AMT gearbox is a perfect choice if you are looking for a compact vehicle to drive around the city. Tata Punch cars in India offer good value for money, as it is a well-rounded package. The icing on the cake is its strong build quality and safety equipment, earning it a 5-star rating (adult occupant protection) in the Global NCAP crash tests.

Tata Punch: Quick Review

In this section, we will take you through the various aspects of the Tata Punch, including exterior design, interior, features, performance and safety.

Exterior Design

The Tata Punch is an attractive-looking car that will surely get some stares while you are out on the road. The overall butch design helps it stand out despite its compact dimensions. The high and flat bonnet, sleek LED DRLs and headlight arrangement will remind you of its elder siblings, the Harrier and Safari. Tata's signature front grille, tri-arrow design on the grille and bumper, body cladding and flared wheel arches render it a muscular look.

The top-spec variant also comes with 16-inch alloy wheels and dual-tone paint schemes, which further accentuate the looks of this compact yet rugged car. Despite being shorter in length, the Punch is wider and taller than its competitor models, which gives it a proper SUV look. 

The rear section of the Punch is equally appealing as the front, with a tri-arrow design on the bumper. But the party trick of the rear fascia is the LED tail lamps, provided you opt for the top-spec variant. The LED tail lights also get the tri-arrow treatment, which is one of this vehicle's visual highlights. Lastly, the tall stance also benefits from a healthy ground clearance of 190 mm, which also screams that it is not trying to be a hatchback. Instead, it is a small SUV that packs a "punch".

Interior and Features

The Punch’s interior is a contrast to its exterior. It’s simple, minimalistic and clutter-free, which makes it easy to look at and live with. Without too many physical buttons, especially on the centre console, the dashboard flows neatly across the cabin. The chunky steering wheel, contrasting colour treatment on the AC vents, and modern yet simple speedometer console give the cabin a classy look.

Coming to comfort, the Punch comes with wide front seats that offer a comfortable driving experience, especially with the high seating position. The rear passengers, too, are taken care of, thanks to ample headroom, knee room and foot room. The rear bench seat offers good comfort for rear passengers.

Apart from comfort, the Punch’s interior also offers ample storage space in the form of a glovebox, door pockets, cup holders, 360-litre boot, cubby hole, etc. The top-spec variant comes loaded with equipment such as a floating 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, cruise control, projector headlamps, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear lever, automatic climate control, automatic headlamps, etc.

Engine Performance

The Tata Punch comes with a single engine option, the 1.2-litre three-cylinder, Revotron petrol engine. The engine pumps out 84.8 bhp of power and a maximum torque of 113 Nm. You can have this engine with a 5-speed manual or an AMT gearbox. This kind of setup is ideal for city commutes.

The engine delivers more than enough performance for your regular city jaunts. However, you may be left yearning for more power during spirited driving or performing a quick overtake while out on the highway. That being said, the overall performance is suitable for city commutes, and it may lose some of its sharpness if you demand more power, especially on highways.

The ARAI-claimed mileage figures stand at 18.97 kmpl for the manual variant and 18.82 kmpl for the AMT model regarding this three-cylinder engine's fuel efficiency.

Safety

Despite being an entry-level SUV in Tata's lineup, the Tata Punch doesn't compromise on safety. In fact, the build quality and safety equipment are the plus points of this vehicle. That's why it scored an impressive 5-star safety rating in the Global NCAP crash tests.

Coming to the list of safety features, the Punch comes equipped with equipment such as dual front airbags, ABS, EBD, ISOFIX child seat mounts, front fog lamps with cornering function and a reverse parking camera.

Pros and Cons of Tata Punch

Pros

• Rugged exterior design and commendable road presence

• Classy interior design with the good build quality

• Spacious and comfortable cabin

• Good ground clearance

• 5-star Global NCAP safety rating

• Value for money

Cons

• Engine lacks power for highway runs

• Lacks charging port and cup holders in the rear seat

• No CNG variant is available