Tata Punch.ev is not very small compared to sub 4m SUVs and looking at features, powertrains and dynamics, it is the best vehicle to buy under Rs. 16 lakh (on-road)
With the launch of Punch.ev, Tata Motors aim to push electric mobility to the masses. Thus hoping to speed up electric adoption rate in India. Launched recently, Punch EV (sold as Punch.ev) costs between Rs. 11.99 lakh and Rs. 14.49 lakh (ex-sh). These are killer prices and Tata is offering sunroof and 7.2 kW fast charger for an additional Rs. 50,000 each.
Tata Punch.ev On-Road Prices Compared
The prices are introductory and are bound to change at a later date. However, buying one now will make a lot of sense. We have driven the car around Bengaluru at Punch.ev media drive event organised by Tata Motors including off-road track and on-road handling track. You can read our first impression review here.
In the review, we concluded that car buyers looking at cars below Rs. 16 lakh across any segment should consider Punch.ev before finalising. To fully understand the gravity of Punch.ev’s brilliance, we should look at a car’s on-road pricing and compare it to sub 4m SUVs/crossovers.
We say this because electric cars only attract nominal registration charges, while ICE cars attract full-fat road tax. In the price table below, you can see how Tata Punch.ev on-road prices hold up against on-road prices of IC engine equipped sub 4m SUVs. I took on-road prices from Karnataka of automatic variants. Read comparison with Citroen eC3 here.
The prices mentioned above, are for reference only and are not accurate. They include indicatory RTO tax, insurance and other charges. When comparing on-road prices, Punch.ev starts to look a lot more VFM than larger sub 4m SUVs with an IC engine. For context, we took top-spec Punch.ev Empowered+ LR with 7.2 kW ACFC for this comparison.
Why we call Punch.ev a game changer?
At around Rs. 16 lakh (on-road, Karnataka), Punch.ev has a lot of features and equipment. For starters, Punch.ev gets an electronic parking brake with auto hold, a fancy gear selector with an integrated display, new-age steering wheel from Nexon with an illuminated logo, paddle shifters, ventilated front seats, all-four disc brakes, LED projector headlights and a lot more.
Not just that, Punch.ev has sequential LED indicators, full-width LED DRL with welcome and goodbye functions, leatherette seat upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, LED projector fog lights, cornering light function, auto headlights, rain-sensing wipers, auto-dimming IRVM, 360-degree camera, air purifier, telematics, fancy touch and toggle-style climate control panel and steering mounted controls.
Then comes the new 10.2-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with wireless Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Arcade.ev app suite for video streaming from many OTT platforms. Add to it, a 10.2-inch single-piece TFT colour instrument cluster that is fully configurable with a full-screen maps feature and shows a plethora of vehicular information.
A package of all these features and technology in itself is note-worthy at Rs. 16 lakh. But zooming out further, Punch.ev is an electric car with supremely low running costs. It offers a 35 kWh battery with LR models, packing 121 bhp and 190 Nm claiming 0-100 km/h sprint in 9.5 seconds. Range is a claimed 421 km, with a real-world range of around 300 km. There are drive modes and adjustable regen modes too.
The chassis optimisation of Acti.ev platform is definitely an added masala to an already incredible package. Tata Punch.ev is easily the most agile mainstream vehicle in sub 4m segment and promises spirited and sure-footed driving dynamics. Ride quality, rough road ability and off-road capability are pretty impressive too.
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
