Automated manual transmission not doing justice to the peppy 1.2-litre engine.
In a step-up from the newly-launched, budget-friendly, entry-level, Tata Tiago hatchback, what you see here is the Tata Punch.
It is a compact SUV that starts at R244 900 and goes all the way to R339 900 across five derivatives. I think I don’t have to tell you that being in the compact SUV business today is as cutthroat as you can get it. So, is the Tata Punch up to the task? The short answer is yes and no to be blunt.
There is nothing wrong with the styling. The Tata Punch looks good in a Citroën C3 clone kind of way. Jumping inside, all is good, as the car offers a decent amount of room for a compact SUV. While the interior is still covered in hard plastics, it has a feel and look about it that puts it comfortably above the Tiago.
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The Punch offers the likes of a dual-tone dashboard layout, tri-arrow design upholstery, a centrally located console, leather steering wheel with controls, push-button start, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a floating 10.25-inch infotainment system.
Good safety credentials
The only problem I had was that my phone would not connect to Apple CarPlay for love or money. It did in the Tiago via a charge cable no problem, but not in the Tata Punch via a cable or wirelessly.
One of the Punch’s quirkier features are that the doors that can open a full 90 degrees for easier access into and out of the car. But what is not quirky is that just like its bigger sibling, the Tata Harrier, the Punch boasts the highest segment safety having previously tested and certified with a Global NCAP five-star rating. It features ABS with EBD, corner stability control, dual airbags and electronic stability programme.
The engine is the same 1.2-litre, three-cylinder, naturally aspirated unit found in the Tiago but with a slightly different engine mapping it was said. The result is the Punch develops 2kW more power at 65kW, and 2Nm of torque more at 115Nm. The engine felt quite peppy, and I think it will work nicely when paired with the manual transmission of the cheaper adventure derivatives.
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AMT box spoils the drive
But for me, where for the punch was properly taken out of the Punch was with the automatic manual transmission (AMT) we drove. It’s worse than a CVT box, and that is saying a lot. The gear shifts are so slow, and then when they do happen, the car stalls and then lurches again.
I get that the world wants save costs by putting this box in their cars. Suzuki do it, Renault and Mahindra do it too, but thankfully the likes of Toyota stick to a good old fashioned four-speed torque converter transmission for those that don’t want to change gears.
It’s all cool going to war with the likes of the Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger, Hyundai Exter and Mahindra 3X0 and I think the Tata Punch has the ammo for this below R300 000. But Tata is overreaching by putting Toyota’s Starlet Cross and Suzuki’s Fronx in their sights.
The Tata Punch is okay, and yes, I know they both also come from India. But it is not Toyota Starlet Cross or Suzuki Fronx good. And that is where my money would go if I was shopping in this segment above R300 000.
Tata Punch pricing
- Punch 1.2 Adventure MT – R244 900
- Punch 1.2 Adventure + S MT – R269 900
- Punch 1.2 Adventure + S AMT – R288 900
- Punch 1.2 Accomplished + AMT – R309 900
- Punch 1.2 Creative + AMT – R339 900
*Pricing includes three-year/45 000km service plan and five-year/125 000km warranty.
