BR Bureau
New Delhi: Tata Punch is the next SUV lined up for the Indian car market by Tata Motors. Punch may well be far smaller in dimensions than its siblings but is likely to be the most sought-after because of the segment and play of field it seeks to compete in.
The sub-compact SUV space is littered with options galore and a new entrant has to ace several aspects if it has to emerge as a firm favourite. Does Tata Punch have what it takes to carve out a clear path for itself or will it just be yet another addition to a fast growing list?
On a fine October morning in Delhi recently, I got to spend an entire day with the Tata Punch to figure out all the answers and assess what this new sub-compact SUV has on offer. A punchy name, after all, is just a name and the real proof of its capabilities lies out in the open world.
Read on for the extensive first-drive review of Tata Punch.
Tata Punch exterior profile
Tata Punch is being offered in four variants, or personas as Tata Motors likes to call these. Much of the details highlighted here would depend on which variant or persona one opts for. There is the base which is called Pure, followed by Adventure, Accomplished and the top-end Creative. It is a clever marketing strategy because even if you opt for the base model, all you have to say is “I bought the Punch in Pure persona”. Fancy!
There are multiple colour options on offer but not all variants get all colour choices.
| Tata Punch colour options | Pure | Adventure | Accomplished | Creative (Dual-tone roof) |
| Orcus White | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (Black roof) |
| Daytona Grey | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (Black roof) |
| Tropical Mist | Yes | Yes | Yes (Black roof) | |
| Atomic Orange | Yes | Yes | Yes (Black roof) | |
| Meteor Bronze | Yes | Yes (Black roof) | ||
| Tornado Blue | Yes (White roof) | |||
| Calypso Red | Yes (White roof) |
The Punch I received as part of the media test drives was in Tornado Blue shade with white roof and the top-end Creative variant. In terms of dimensions, obvious at that, the all variants are same and the Punch has compact numbers while still looking showing off an SUV-ish profile. The prominent front face with a familiar ‘Humanity Line’ on the grille, the LED DRLs and head light units that seem to have been taken straight from the Harrier and the fog light units on the front fender give it a muscular appeal.
On the side, the large arches over the 15- or 16-inch wheels – depending on the variant, striking alloy design, generous cladding on the doors and roof rails highlight the profile. The fact that this car also has doors which open at a 90-degree angle – mimicking a butterfly, visually speaking, means that getting in and out is quite easy, space permitting of course.
