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With a ₹10 lakh budget and daily office runs, is the new Tata Punch a good compact SUV choice for me?
Are you looking for a daily driver for office runs or errand runs? Here’s my take on how the new Tata Punch was to drive in start-stop traffic in Pune!
The micro SUV segment was made by the Punch and further strengthened by the launch of the Hyundai Exter. The Punch competes against hatchbacks and sub-compact SUVs owing to its price range. However, if you want a daily driver under ₹10 lakh, especially for office runs, I would recommend that you buy the new Tata Punch and here are my reasons:
Safety
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I don’t think I need to tell you what the current conditions of Indian roads are, so it is always better to have a car that withstands all impacts, be it big or small. With safety becoming a major aspect that consumers are now considering while buying a car, the new Tata Punch gets a five-star Bharat NCAP rating, making it one of the safest cars in its price point.
Engine Options
Earlier, the Tata Punch was offered with only one engine option: a 1.2L three-cylinder naturally aspirated Revotron petrol engine producing approximately 86 bhp and 115 Nm of torque, paired with a 5-speed manual or an AMT transmission. However, the company has introduced a new 1.2L turbocharged engine option for thrill seekers. Not only that, but the company has introduced the already existing i-CNG model with AMT transmission, making it a first-in-class feature and adding to the consumer convenience.
Driving Experience
The driving experience is great, since you are sitting quite high. The 193mm ground clearance and 16-inch alloy wheels make easy work of undulations on the road. The CNG AMT variant is the best bet for office runs since it is fuel-efficient while giving you the comfort of driving an automatic. If you are gentle on the throttle, then the shifts will come in pretty smoothly. I was stuck in peak Pune traffic driving the CNG AMT, and it felt like a breeze because of the ‘creep function’ in the AMT versions of the Tata Punch, allowing the car slowly inch forward without any throttle input. Moreover, the car feels planted at triple-digit speeds on highways, so it stays comfortable even on a long journey.
(Also read: Tata Punch EV to be launched with two new colours)
Cabin and Features
The cabin of the facelifted Tata Punch feels extremely premium for a car of that price. The dual-tone interior, the twin-spoke steering wheel, a 10.25-inch ultra HD digital infotainment system and a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, coupled with a sliding armrest, wireless charging pad, rear AC vents, 360-degree camera, lane change monitor, cruise control, and a single-pane sunroof, among other features, make the Tata Punch one of the most feature-loaded cars in the budget of ₹10 lakh. I will go so far as to say that it gets the better of a couple of cars above its segment.
Conclusion
If you are in the market to buy a car which is fuel-efficient, can be a daily driver while occasionally hitting the highways and doing mild off-roading, it does not get better than the Tata Punch. You get a complete package wherein you get essential features like a 360-degree camera, a lane change monitor, six airbags as standard across variants, an automatic transmission with petrol-CNG drivetrain, a commanding driving position, along with a five-star BNCAP safety rating, among others.
