Driving the Tata Punch

But here we are, on the mend, with Sri Lankan resilience having shone through yet again. It's been a long journey for us Sri Lankans… recirculating and regurgitating the existing vehicle population, resulting in severe pent-up demand for new metal. The floodgates are now open, and us automotive journalists are thoroughly enjoying seeing the launches across Colombo seemingly every three days.

While EVs have been sporadically imported via various permits and such, we're now getting, for the masses, both EV and Internal Combustion variants. That brings us to the subject of today's test, the petrol powered Tata Punch.

Exterior

Looking at the vehicle online in the run up to the test, I wasn't particularly convinced by its proportions – I thought it looked a tad short (length-wise), too tall and under-wheeled, with its 16-inch wheels overwhelmed by the hefty wheel arches. The layered look of the exterior, with its matte-black plastic lower end and multi-tiered headlight setup reminiscent of the Hyundai Venue all looked like there was a bit too much squeezed into too small a package.

Happily though, the Punch looks much better in person – this was the first impression upon seeing it, particularly in the test vehicle's Calypso Red with White Roof, the red gleaming in the sweltering March Colombo sun - which seems to get hotter every year. The wheels still did look like they could use another inch in diameter though, or perhaps some beefier tires, in keeping with the much-higher-than-a-car ground clearance.

The split headlight configuration adopted by the Punch has been growing in popularity over the last decade and a bit, with a host of new vehicles using them. The front end of the EV variant is arguably better looking as brings with it more road presence courtesy a slim light bar that runs the width of the car and protruding LED headlights that widen the front appearance.

While LED headlights are not an option on the petrol variant, the halogen lights on the vehicle trim tested are automatic, which work well together with the rain sensing wipers, climate control and intelligent key to complete that get-in-and-go convenience expected of a modern car. Though subjective, we found the two-tone paint setup on the test vehicle appealing. The designers have done their best with the bulges and indentations in the doors to give it character, along with concealing the rear door handles to give it a compact two-door soft roader look.

The Punch sits visibly tall, offering 187mm of ground clearance, vs. an average car's 145mm or so. This will prove quite useful the moment you drive outside of Colombo (and quite a few areas within), particularly during times of heavy downpours where we have often seen even large intersections go under water. Apart from the added clearance however, the vehicle is a definite mild soft-roader, only available in front-wheel drive.

The rear; while sporting some interesting design cues, resembles a grown-up mini SUV, with a short frumpy rear overhang and those rear lights. The Punch is streets ahead of anything else out there in the market however, as the rest of this review will detail. Overall, the upright stance and thick body cladding make the Punch look well rounded off and chunky, though its overhangs (short at the rear and long in front) can come off as slightly disproportionate from some angles.

Mech & Tech

The Punch uses Tata's 1.2-liter, 3-cylinder Revotron petrol engine, also seen in the Tiago, Tigor and Altroz (yes, interesting names). 3-cylinder engines are now more common and popular than we realize, with most manufacturers including some up market ones using them. Tata's Revotron deserves commendation for how vibration-free it sits at idle – something that plagues some Japanese 3-cylinder engines of around the same capacity.

With 87bhp and 115nm, this isn't going to blow anyone's mind. 0-100kmh takes a claimed 18 seconds in the AMT version. But then buying this car for its performance is like eating ice-cream for its health benefits. What does impress though, is again how smooth and - dare I say - nice sounding the Revotron petrol engine is, relative to other engines in its class. It exudes a pleasant turbo-like whine at the top end of the rev range (despite being naturally aspirated) when pushed hard that makes thrashing it quite pleasant.

The gearbox on our test vehicle was the 5-speed Automated Clutch Manual, or AMT, which is a modern application of Fiat's "Selenia" system from the early 2000s. The system is now widely used in Indian vehicles including Tata's own Tiago.

Suspension is independent up front, with lower wishbones, McPherson struts and coil springs, while the rear gets a more basic semi-independent twist beam with coil springs and shock absorbers. Brakes are front disc and rear drum, which is the expected setup at this level of engine capacity.

Driving Experience

Getting moving in the Punch… the first thing you notice is how light the steering is at low/parking speeds. For the modern city driver, this is of course a good thing, especially when parking. The steering does weight up a little at speed but is still on the lighter side of things. Throttle and brake response are very well balanced, with no getting used to it required.

The transmission may be the deciding factor for some buyers, as the Punch is not offered with a standard Automatic, but rather the AMT (the other option being a straightforward manual). I couldn't help feeling that the Punch would have a lot more... punch (pun intended) with a manual 'box. Most, if not all cars that land here will likely have been ordered with the AMT transmission – what with most young people of today not even knowing how to drive a manual - but I'd encourage potential buyers to give the manual a chance as it would simply suit the vehicle's upbeat character a lot better, adding an air of ruggedness and usability to it.

The AMT variant tested is very smooth under normal driving, though pedal to the floor acceleration brings out the pronounced lull on shifts that is typical of any AMT gearbox. Given the way an AMT operates, the same is true in manual mode and attempted downshifts at too high a rev point punish your ears with an extended warning sound that will absolutely deter you from doing so.

Best is to drive this "normally" then - not the way yours truly did! But then we are test drivers. What really deserves praise here however, is the ride on poor roads. We took the Punch onto unpaved areas covered in loose rocks and gravel, without slowing down. It was truly impressive how well put-together the vehicle felt, with not one rattle or vibration from panels or components. True, this is a brand-new vehicle and hence one would ideally not expect such, but the Punch does absorb bumps commendably, and not just for a vehicle of its class.

Time and mileage will tell if this too will let out rattles from "somewhere inside the dashboard" typical of even mainstream Japanese cars once they've been bashed on roads other than the expressways; but for now, the rugged, well assembled feeling deserves a lot of praise. The firmer suspension setup also aids cornering with nary any body roll on sweeping bends at speed.

Living with the Punch

Inside, the Punch is a comfortable place to be. It does not feel premium, but it is comfortable. Everything is within easy reach and the wide, 7-inch screen on our top spec test vehicle was easy to read at eye level. Its layered, two-tone dash adds character, as does its digital speedo and rev counter (although this did look a tad motorcycle-ish).

The flat bottom steering with the usual controls felt good to the touch, particularly on the top spec variant which comes in leather. The sunroof adds the expected airiness to the cabin and comes with both tilt and slide functionality.

The infotainment on our test car, being the highest end "Creative" variant, was a Harman-tuned 6-speaker setup, inclusive of two tweeters. Our chap from DIMO rolled up to the test location with the music blasting and I was immediately impressed, with it sounding like it belonged in a car a few rungs higher up the ladder. The touchscreen was also of impressively high resolution and very touch-responsive, with Apple Car Play making things that much nicer.

Additional creature comforts are single-zone climate control which comes with rear AC vents, push-button start/stop and auto folding mirrors. We couldn't seem to get the climate control to do what we wanted it to do on our test however, which I suspect a quick software update would fix. The Punch even boasts select voice-activated functions covering entertainment, phone calls, messaging, navigation and climate control, its verbal responses leaving no doubt where the car was manufactured.

Cup and bottle holders are strewn all around the interior so it's easy to jump in with your hands full and find somewhere to store your things, with a large compartmentalized glove box and storage space under the center console. Ingress and egress are also made easier by the somewhat unique 90-degree opening doors. With 366 liters of boot space, it's among the largest in its segment and the 60:40 folding rear seat adds to this, though not creating a completely flat surface for cargo when folded.

Safety

The Punch is one of the safest cars in its segment, with an impressive 5-star Global NCAP safety rating for adult protection. It comes with a solid list of safety features, even in the base variant. In addition to ABS, EBD, TCS and ESP, the Punch brings with it Brake Sway Control, Corner Stability Control and Hill Hold Control (AMT variants only). Parking sensors, ISOFIX child seat anchors and a "Strong Impact-Absorbing Body" built on Tata's ALFA-ARC platform add to passive safety.

Price & Fuel Economy

Price-wise, at Rs.11.1mn in this spec, it doesn't strike you as cheap. But then, with our duty structure, what is? It's all relative as they say, and looking around at other brand-new car options inclusive of a 100,000km/3-year agent warranty, this is a fair amount of car for your money. Claimed fuel economy figures might be a bit optimistic but averaging 12-15kmpl in Colombo should be easily achievable.

Conclusion

I learnt a new term when preparing for this review – "Micro SUV", and I get it now. It is understood that all Micro SUVs are crossovers but not all crossovers are Micro SUVs, with them earning that title from their added ground clearance and raised driving position. I think the Punch can do very well on our roads – it is a rugged-feeling runabout with enough space for a few out-of-town trips as well.

Brand snobbishness will be the make or break factor here, given the large, 52-seater transport that also carries the brand name. But I would encourage anyone looking for a brand-new vehicle with a Rs.11 or so million budget to take this for a test drive – it certainly surprised us.