Tata Punch EV Review: Will It Tempt You To Switch To Electric?

There is no similarity to the Punch petrol in terms of platform or even the interiors. The Punch EV looks as futuristic as its Nexon EV sibling.

The Punch EV's cabin looks like one from a segment above. The white theme looks premium and adds a sense of space even if its difficult to keep clean.

Electric cars are knocking on the doors of mainstream acceptance and the crucial element to that is more products at the affordable end of the segment. Tata Motors has been leading the EV space till now with its various products and it is keen to hold its lead further with a much larger emphasis on them than other carmakers. Case in point is the new electric architecture on which the Punch and its other upcoming EVs are based. This new platform brings in more EV-related features and is flexible. That in many ways brings advantages to the Punch EV- arguably it's the most important car yet. The Punch EV is placed below the Nexon EV and could be its most affordable EV SUV yet. Hence, its significance is also high.

There is no similarity to the Punch petrol in terms of platform or even the interiors. Speaking of which, the Punch EV looks as futuristic as its Nexon EV sibling. White it is a small SUV, the design packs a "punch' with the light bar at the front and the aero-optimised bumper. The light bar also brings in a light sequence and shows the charging status too. Elsewhere, it's similar to the regular ICE Punch save for different 16-inch wheels on EV-specific tyres. We do wish that the rear styling also had some difference like the front.

Inside though, the Punch EV surprises you as it looks like a cabin from a segment above. The white theme looks premium and adds a sense to space even if being difficult to keep clean. There is a two-spoke steering wheel and a digital panel which adds a sense of drama as it lights up while the twin screens are all digital. There is a 10.2-inch touchscreen and a configurable digital instrument cluster with high-quality graphics. The touchscreen is slick in response too.

Another highlight is the features on offer which again seem to be taken from a segment above. You get cooled seats (odd placement though), an electric parking brake with auto hold, an air purifier, a 360-degree camera, Arcade App suite, climate control, a voice-assisted sunroof, connected car tech, 6 airbags, blind view monitor and more.

The all-around camera has a crisp display and the voice assistant takes Hinglish commands too. In comparison to the Nexon, it only misses out on a more premium audio system and rear AC vents.

Space at the front is decent while the rear seat is more suited to two passengers. There is no middle headrest and the width is tight but legroom is adequate. Boot space is a healthy 366 litres too while it also gets an additional 14l from the frunk. 

 

Let us get to the driving experience and here, the Punch EV finally has the "punch" that it needs. There are two battery pack options while we drove the LR version with a 35kWh battery pack and an electric motor with 120bhp/190Nm. Top speed is limited to 140km/h and it will do 0-100 km/h in under 10 seconds. First impressions are positive with its small dimensions/light steering and the noiseless EV driving experience making city driving easy. Power delivery is also linear and acceleration is smooth. There are drive modes and here, Sport is best for highway driving but again acceleration is linear with not being too strong. In Eco, it is more laboured but isn't too slow either. What is also important is that it holds down the power well and there is no wheelspin or too much for most first-time EV buyers. What surprised us is the handling and the control with optimum steering feedback plus being much more fun to drive than the ICE Punch. Do note that the gear selector, which is similar to the earlier Nexon EV, is a bit slow and selecting reverse or even switching fast requires patience.

 

With its 190mm ground clearance, the Punch EV also can tackle bad roads much more than you think and the short wheelbase also is handy here. We took it for some token off-roading across Nandi hills and it went through it all with no fuss along with its robust suspension. We found the Punch EV to be polished in terms of its ride and not be bouncy at all as well.

 

If we talk about range expect it to hover between 250-300 km for real-world driving while the claimed range is 421km.

 

Overall, the Punch EV impressed us in many ways and more than anything, the new platform, features and the polished driving experience stands out. Sure, for Rs 14.5 lakh, there are much bigger petrol/diesel SUVs available but the Punch EV as a package will tempt many to switchover to EV- especially for buyers of subcompact SUVs. Here is an electric car that embraces the bit bits of being an EV and brings out the advantages. 

 

What we like: Looks, driving experience, range, features

 

What we do not: slow gear selector, rear seat space