Tata Punch EV: Tata Motors’ fourth electric vehicle, following the Tigor, Nexon, and Tiago EVs. However, there were ICE platforms that had been modified to accommodate electricity. The Punch EV’s facelifted and electrified body hides a whole new EV-only platform. This is an electric skateboard with the same wheelbase and track as the Punch, so the top hat fits perfectly over it. The cost was a consideration. As was time to market. Tata Motors wanted to move swiftly, so they concentrated their efforts on areas that were not visible yet had a significant impact on the car’s feel. A case in point? When you pop the hood, you’ll discover a frunk! When you open the rear doors, you’ll find a flat floor.
Tata Punch EV Price & Color
Tata Punch EV is priced in India between Rs 10.99 lakh and Rs 15.49 lakh
Tata offers the Punch EV in one monotone and five dual-tone color options: Smart Single Tone, Fearless Red Dual Tone, Daytona Grey Dual Tone, Seaweed Dual Tone, Pristine White Dual Tone, and Empowered Oxide Dual Tone.
Interior
Tata Punch EV Interior quality is good; there are no soft-touch materials whatsoever, but the quality of the plastics and materials utilized is significantly superior to the Marutis and even better than what was found on the Exter. Additionally, the color scheme is pretty appealing. The seats are quite pleasant; my Adventure LR variation has cloth seats, and I’m still on the lookout for excellent seat covers and 7D mats.
There is a lot of usefulness and enough room for mobile phones. What I particularly enjoy is how much space there is for water bottles; each door at the front can accommodate a one-liter bottle as well as another half-liter bottle. The driver seat only has one touchdown, and the power folding ORVMs are an obvious and foolish oversight. The idea that a car with a reverse camera does not come with power folding ORVMs, especially one that costs over 14 lakhs on the road, seems like a silly oversight. Even my ancient WagonR, which cost less than half as much, had this function.
Exterior
The automobile is really attractive. It looks wonderful from the front and side, especially in Seaweed Green; the back appears to be a touch squeezed, but I like its stance. The tires are great Apollos, and they’re quite large for a car of this size, adding to the aggressive appearance. They also grip quite well and do an excellent job of delivering all that tasty torque to the road.
The darkened steel wheels featured in the Adventure model outperformed the alloy wheels found in higher editions. I had roof rails fitted on the car, along with side chrome garnish, and they have dramatically improved the look of the car.
Charging & Ranges
How you drive makes a difference; at my most aggressive, with a lot of launches, rapid acceleration, and deceleration, It achieved roughly 200 miles of range, but at my most cautious and defensive, It got 240 km in the same weather conditions. Maybe this will change as time goes on, but what I’ve noticed makes the biggest difference in range is how hot it is outdoors and what degree you set the AC to indoors.
During the heat wave of late April and early May, even at my most relaxed, I only got about 240 kilometers. Now that temperatures have fallen significantly, I’ve received roughly 270 km of range during the last two charging cycles, and that’s without any significant hypermiling. I appreciate spirited driving on empty roads, and I have a lot of fun with this automobile. If I tried to hypermile, I’m very sure 290 or 300 kilometers is not out of reach.
15A portable charger: 9.4 hours and 13.5 hours for Long Range (10 to 100 percent)
AC home: 9.4 and 13.5 hours for Long Range (10–100%).
7.2 kW AC home: 3.6 hours and 5 hours for Long Range (10 to 100 percent)
DC-fast charger: 56 minutes (10 to 80 percent)
Tech & Infoiment
The infotainment system is good, with no freezes or hang-ups to yet. It does take a minute for Bluetooth and Android Auto, which are only wired, to connect after the car is started, but once linked, it runs smoothly. The only minor issue is that Android Auto does not load immediately, and you must click on the icon in the screen to access the Android Auto home screen. Given that I’m constantly listening to music while driving, the four speakers and two tweeters configuration is amazing, and the steering controls are excellent. Overall, the infotainment system provides almost everything you need in a car.
Driving Experience
Tata Punch EV is great city car, fitting into almost any route you can think of in Bengaluru’s tangle of roads, and it has a handy auto hold, which is a huge advantage when you are stuck in Bengaluru’s horrible stop/go traffic. Has enough power to overtake almost anything on the road, but it also has the finest NVH of any car I’ve ever driven, at least up to 80 mph. The power delivery is incredibly smooth and refined, and the suspension and chassis deserve an award. There is a little body roll, but it is well-controlled. However, this is not a car that can follow the inner line on twisting roads without losing speed.
The car’s chassis and suspension can handle almost anything. Combine it with the incredible power available in standard city mode, and you won’t see the speed rising. The suspension is not the most comfortable at low speeds, and you’ll feel horrendously awful roads a little, but it’s not bone-jarringly stiff, and it soaks up any undulations while providing remarkable stability even at medium speeds. The steering is excellent and light, with a very decent return to center action.
Value for money
Everything about this vehicle is amazing, even though it is somewhat more expensive than other models. I’ve also heard that car maintenance and servicing are more expensive than other manufacturers. The Tata Punch EV is a stylish, silent superhero on wheels. It is powered by electricity, making it environmentally friendly.
Wrapping Up
Overall, given that it is merely a city car, I believe this is hands down the best car decision we’ve made. The Innova was a more emotional than rational purchase, but this has been totally reasonable and tremendously entertaining. It’s built solidly, has good looks, a fantastic suspension, grippy tires, decent interiors and lag-free infotainment system, good interior space, and is extremely fun to drive, all while providing the unrivaled convenience of a true gearless powertrain and NVH levels that are unrivaled by any ICE that isn’t three times as expensive as this. Furthermore, driving is quite inexpensive and is typically the most cost-effective option.
Throw in the nifty auto hold, which is ideal and extremely well-tuned for city traffic, and it gives me more range than I thought, despite my aggressive driving, it is tiny for the city, and I keep looking for a cause to take it out for a spin. It makes driving simple, enjoyable, affordable, and pleasant all at the same time.
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