Tata Punch sub-compact SUV launched, prices start at Rs 5.49 lakh

Tata Motors has launched its much-awaited sub-compact SUV, the Punch, with prices starting at Rs 5.49 lakh (ex-showroom). The Punch is available in four variants — Pure, Adventure, Accomplish and Creative. Prices go all the way up to Rs 9.4 lakh (ex-showroom) for the top-end Creative variant with the AMT and iRA package.

Based on the ALFA-architecture shared with the Altroz, the Punch gets an option of a single 1.2-litre Revotron petrol engine found in the Tiago and the Altroz. This engine can be paired to either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT. The AMT is available on the Adventure, Accomplished and Creative trim at an additional cost of Rs 60,000 over the price of the manual.

Tata Punch exterior and interior:

The Tata Punch is based on Tata's new Impact 2.0 design philosophy. Similar to its elder siblings, at the front, the Punch gets a sleek gloss black grille which is flanked by DRLs placed above its low-set headlamps. A design touch unique to the Punch is the Y-shaped elements on the front grilles. There is also black body-cladding, sleek roof rails and 187mm of ground clearance which make it look butch. At the side, the Punch gets a rather cool floating roof design in addition to the hidden rear door handles. And at the rear, it gets a pair of wraparound LED tail lights and prominent ‘Punch’ lettering to let everyone know what you are driving.

On the inside, the Tata Punch is a familiar sight to the eyes as it shares many of its components like the steering wheel, the instrument cluster and even the aircon vents with other Tata products. Besides, it gets doors which open 90 degrees for easy ingress/egress, 366-litres of boot space and a flat floor at the rear for passenger comfort.

Available in a total of seven colour options – Orcus White, Arctic Orange, Daytona Grey, Meteor Bronze, Tropical Mist, Calypso Red and Tornado Blue, you can also get the Tata Punch in a dual-tone colour scheme, albeit only in the top-end ‘Creative’ trim. Dual airbags, ABS and EBD is standard across all variants.

Tata Punch engine and transmission:

Tata has unveiled the Punch with a single 1.2-litre 3-cylinder Revotron petrol engine found in the Tiago and the Altroz. This unit produces 84bhp at 6000rpm and 113Nm torque at 3300rpm. Depending on your choice, the engine can be equipped with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT. The Punch gets what Tata calls a ‘Traction Pro’ mode (only with the 5-speed AMT) which aids traction by using the brake to help it get out of slippery situations. The engine also gets 'Dyna Pro' ram-air induction which makes sure delivery of fresh air to the engine to aid combustion whilst promising additional low-end torque. Furthermore it gets two drive modes — City and Eco in addition to the start-stop system to aid fuel efficiency. Tata claims that the Punch will deliver 18.97 kmpl on MT and 18.82 kmpl on AMT (ARAI certified).

Tata Punch prices and variants:

The Tata Punch is available in four variants or ‘Personas’ as Tata calls them. The range starts with the entry level ‘Pure’ trim priced at Rs 5.49 lakh. It gets kit like central locking, front power windows and is only available in manual guise. Up next is the ‘Adventure’ trim priced at Rs 6.39 lakh which adds in a 4-inch infotainment system, electrically-adjustable ORVMs and steering mounted controls. Followed by the ‘Accomplish’ trim priced at Rs 7.29 lakh which gets a bigger 7-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto along with a rear-view camera, 15-inch alloys, push-button start and height-adjustable driver’s seat. And finally the top-end ‘Creative’ trim priced at Rs 8.49 lakh boasts projector headlamps with LED DRLs, a 7-inch instrument cluster, 16-inch diamond cut alloys, rain-sensing wipers, a cooled glovebox along with automatic ORVMs and climate control.

Tata also offers optional packs for each variant of the Punch, namely Rhythm, Dazzle and iRA. These let you have the key features from a higher variant. The Rhythm pack is available at a cost of Rs 35,000 on the Pure and the Adventure variant and it adds in an audio system with four speakers and steering mounted controls on the former, while adding on a 7-inch Harman Kardon system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in the latter. On the Accomplished trim, the tech pack available is dubbed 'Dazzle' at a cost of Rs 45,000. It adds in projector headlamps, LED DRLs, 16-inch diamond cut alloys and a black finished A-pillar. The top-end Creative trim is fully-loaded with all the aforementioned features and some more, so Tata offers it with the iRA pack. As the name suggests, this is Tata's iRA connected car tech, a feature that enables you to activate the headlights, horn and lock/unlock your car via your phone. It costs Rs 30,000.

Here are the variant-wise ex-showroom prices of the Tata Punch:

Tata Punch rivals:

The Tata Punch sits in an interesting space and doesn’t have any real direct rivals save for the Mahindra KUV100. On the hatchback side of things, it will go up against the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Ignis and the Hyundai Grand i10 Nios. Meanwhile, it will also take on compact SUVs on the more affordable end of the spectrum like the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger. With all the features and options that Tata has given the Punch, its pricing does make it highly attractive to the ever growing sub-compact SUV segment in the country.