Punching Above its Weight

The reason for the Tata Punch’s success is simple: SUV style ‘commanding’ driving position in a car that offers the practicality of a small hatchback. But what makes the Tata Punch so special? 

When it was launched in 2021, the Tata Punch created a brand new ‘micro-SUV’ segment for itself. Until then, buyers had to choose either a smaller hatchback like the WagonR, or a larger subcompact SUV like the Brezza. With the Punch there was finally a car that offered the best of both worlds! The Punch packs more than you’d expect from a car its size. A 5-star GNCAP crash test rating, a beautiful sounding six speaker Harman system, a suspension that sets comfort and handling benchmarks — it has all that you’ll need. Almost. It garnered so much success in the first two years of being on sale that other manufacturers have now started to take a peek into the segment, with Hyundai already firing the first shot with its Exter. But the Punch still holds its ground strongly.

Tata Punch Pros and Cons 

Tata Punch Exterior Design:

One of the key factors leading to the Punch’s success - apart from the product placement - is its design. It is compact, even smaller than the Altroz in length and width, and Tata has achieved that size without letting the design look disproportionate from any angle. Up front, the Punch gets a split headlamp design like the larger Harrier. LED DRLs sit in place of the traditional headlights, and they are separated by a closed off grille that gets a small cutout for the horn that sits behind it. The large air-dam sits lower on the front end, and all the vents - including the one for the horn - carry Tata’s signature tri-arrow design. The same treatment is continued on the rear as well, where the two tail-lights get large tri-arrow LED inserts for the brake lights. It gets body cladding all around making it look tough and off-road ready, even though the most off-roading it is expected to be doing is going through potholes and broken roads in and around cities. Overall, the Punch looks attractive, butch, and well-built.  

Tata Punch Interiors

Step into the Tata Punch and the first thing you’ll notice is the dual tone interior. Most of the cabin is finished in shades of black, while the dashboard and door panels get large, lighter coloured inserts. There are a few hard plastics in the cabin, but at this price point it is acceptable. The rectangular AC vents aren’t  neatly integrated with the dash board, and the same goes for the floating 7-inch touchscreen. Apart from this, the design is well laid out and clean.

The front passengers get a commanding view over the dashboard, as the seating position is high and utilises the higher roofline of the Punch well. The driver’s seat also gets adjustable seat height, allowing you to further fine tune your driving position. Visibility is further enhanced by a low shoulder line for the windows, making the cabin feel airy, and the sunroof on certain variants adds to this. All passengers also get easier ingress and egress thanks to the 90-degree opening doors. 

A similar story continues in the back row, where the seats are high and upright, and the visibility and feeling of airiness remains the same. The rear seats also get a foldable armrest in the middle. The cabin is best suited for four occupants given the narrow dimensions, however, you can accommodate a fifth passenger for shorter trips and the flat floor board allows for decent leg room for the middle passenger. Rear passengers, however, miss out on AC vents. While the space is not compromised on the inside, Tata has somehow managed to carve out a well-sized boot too, which should be enough to carry luggage for four. Also, if you are opting for the iCNG variant, the Punch iCNG is equipped with twin-cylinder technology that still allows for a sizable boot of about 210 litres.

Tata Punch Comfort

The suspension setup on the Tata Punch hits the sweet spot, seamlessly blending both city comfort and highway stability. It may not be the best at rounding off bumps and potholes, but the Punch does a good job of dealing with them. Its ruggedness also gives you a feeling of confidence when dealing with broken roads. The slightly stiffer setup makes it a great highway cruiser too, and the feeling of stability is further aided by the build quality. The seats, however, are not the best for long journeys, as the cushioning is on the firmer side, and taller passengers may also crave for a little more under-thigh support. The backrest is also a tad too upright, and can be bothersome when it comes to long journeys.

Tata Punch Performance and handling

While the Punch exceeds expectations on most fronts, it feels like a let-down when it comes to performance. So much for a car that is named ‘Punch’. It is powered by a 1.2-litre 3-cylinder engine that can be had with either Petrol or CNG fuel options. The engine has a flat torque curve, and while the torque comes in early, it leaves you wanting more. The feeling is heightened on highways, where you may find yourself constantly having to shift to a lower gear when overtaking larger vehicles. The Punch’s cause isn’t helped by the 5-speed manual transmission either. While the clutch action is light, the gearbox itself isn’t the smoothest to use and has long throws. It is also available with an optional AMT gearbox, but as is the case with most AMTs, the shifts aren’t the quickest or the smoothest.

Where the Tata Punch loses points on performance, it makes up in handling. The Punch handles rough roads with a sense of authority, and can glide over most roads without fuss. The dimensions and the suspension also help put a smile on your face everytime you throw it in a corner. The Punch also gets a clever Traction Pro feature (available in AMT only) which acts like a brake lock differential on the front end and helps you get out of some sticky situations. However, this is a front wheel drive car, and while it may be more capable than almost any entry level hatchback in India in handling off-road terrains, it is not meant to go places where a 4x4 would take you.

Tata Punch Key specifications

Tata Punch Safety Features

The Punch is based on Tata’s new ALFA architecture, and it achieved an outstanding 5-star crash test score for adult occupant protection & 4-stars for child occupant protection in the Global NCAP crash test, making it one of the safest cars in the price bracket. It gets all the basic safety features like dual airbags, ABS, EBD etc. across all variants. Adding to those are features like ISOFIX child seat mounts, rain sensing wipers, auto headlamps, cornering lights, a tyre pressure monitoring system, and more. Overall, the built quality, ruggedness, and the sophisticated suspension of the Punch gives its passengers a sense of security while going distances over all kinds of roads.

Tata Punch Technology and Infotainment

Tata Punch comes equipped with all the basic creature comforts that you’d come to expect from a vehicle in its class. It gets a 7-inch infotainment display which feels a bit dated, and its placement feels like an afterthought. But the system comes equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a few connected car features too, pretty much all you’d need on a day-to-day use. The infotainment display is paired with a 6-speaker Harman audio system which sounds great as well. The instrument cluster also comes with a 7-inch digital insert and shows all the basic information at a glance. The speedometer is analog, & the part-digital instrument cluster looks good as a whole. The Punch also gets push button engine start-stop, a voice activated sunroof, auto folding ORVMs, a cooled glovebox, steering mounted controls, & an automatic climate control system.

Is the Tata Punch for you?

If strong performance is one of the most important factors in your decision to buy a car, then the Tata Punch may not be the right choice for you. However, the Punch excels on almost every other front when it comes to entry level cars. It is compact yet spacious, looks tough, backs that with a strong GNCAP score, and also packs in a decent amount of creature comforts. There are a few minor misses, but if you look beyond those the Tata Punch truly can be a great first family car, or even a friendly secondary city runabout machine on a budget.