"Are you sure" That's what I said to the instructor sitting next to me before I attempted to cross the steepest section of the off-road track.
You see, the Punch does not have a 4x4 system or a low-range gearbox but the off-road track laid out for us was a serious one to properly test any SUV's off-road credentials. So, after being reassured I drove through it and the Punch made it in one go.
Sure, the engine had to work very hard, but the traction and its ability to cross such a steep hill section were impressive, to say the least. The Punch comes with a 1.2l petrol but Tata has worked on improving the low-end response which meant just about enough torque to pull itself out of such situations. At times the engine did huff and puff but overall it had just about enough grunt on offer. Between the manual or the AMT, the manual fared better in terms of offroading with one getting more control.
The other bit being very important is the ground clearance and the size. The 187mm ground clearance is good enough to clear rocks and indulge in some serious off-roading. Not once did it scrape. Also important is the compact size.
En-route this off-road course, I encountered another narrow trail which the Punch easily got in, something I would struggle within a bigger subcompact SUV. The compact size makes driving this car much easier and also helps off-road. Tata also claims a large 20.3°approach angle, 37.6° departure angle and 22.2° ramp over angle along with a wading depth of 370mm.
The AMT Punch further gets a "Traction- Pro Mode" feature which provides traction to the wheel in situations where one of the wheels gets stuck in mud or low traction surfaces.
While not a hardcore offroader the Punch did surprise us with its abilities and will manage to go through monsoon flooded roads or climb over rocks or any situation that you might encounter. These things will come in handy for any SUV owner or any prospective Punch owner.
Car loan Information:
Calculate Car Loan EMI