Tata Motors reveals launch date of Punch micro-SUV

Tata Motors unveiled its new micro SUV a few weeks ago. Now, the launching date of the micro SUV has also been confirmed. They are all set to launch the new Punch on 18th October. Earlier, Punch was going to launch on 20th October but Tata Motors preponed the launch for some reason.

The homegrown manufacturer has already revealed all the information about the Punch. So, we know the variants, features, safety equipment and colours of the Punch. However, we are still waiting on the confirmation of the Global NCAP crash tests of the micro SUV.

Tata’s website did say that the Punch has scored 5 stars in the Global NCAP crash test. However, then they removed the rating and Global NCAP has not yet revealed the rating themselves. Considering, that the Punch is based on Tata’s ALFA platform, we can expect a pretty good crash test rating from the Punch.

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Pricing and rivals

The prices of the Punch are expected to start from Rs. 5 lakhs ex-showroom. The on-road prices of the Punch are expected to start from Rs. 6 lakhs and go up to Rs. 10 lakhs. In Tata’s line-up, Punch will be positioned between Tiago NRG and Nexon but it will be priced higher than the Tiago.

The Punch’s main rivals are Maruti Suzuki Ignis and Mahindra KUV100 NXT. Because of its pricing and SUV styling, the Punch will also compete against the Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite and lower variants of Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue. The upcoming Maruti Suzuki YTB which will be a Baleno based compact SUV will also go against the same rivals including the Tata Punch.

Variants

The Punch will be offered in four variants, namely Pure, Adventure, Accomplished, and Creative. Additionally, you can get various packs with variants. The packs add more equipment to the variants for a very attractive price. So, the customer does not have to spend lakhs of money on upgrading the variants. There is a Rhythm Pack that is offered with the Pure and Adventure variant. Then there is Dazzle Pack which is offered with the Accomplished variant. Finally, there is iRA Pack that adds connected car technology to the Creative variant.

Engine and gearbox

The Punch is offered only with a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder engine that is naturally aspirated. We have already experienced this engine on the Altroz, Tiago and the Tigor. It produces 86 PS of max power and 113 Nm of peak torque. You can get it with a 5-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed AMT. There are two drive modes on offer also, namely Eco and City. The AMT gearbox is offered with all the variants except the Pure variant because it is the base trim. You also get ‘Traction-Pro Mode’, if you opt for the AMT gearbox. This feature can help Punch get out of muddy or low-traction situations.

Features

The Punch comes equipped with a lot of features. Depending on the variant, it comes with automatic headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, an idle-start stop system to save fuel, cruise control, LED Daytime Running Lamps, LED tail lamps, projector headlamps, dual airbags, ABS with EBD, Brake Sway Control etc. Moreover, there is a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

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