Tata Punch EV Review : With the Punch EV, Tata Motors has made a compact electric SUV that introduces SUV styling and smart features at a price point attractive enough for the EV sector. Price-wise, it meant to attract the younger urban elite, punching in at around ₹10 lakh to ₹14.5 lakh in India. But is it really worth the buck? Let’s study its practical usability and performances in given conditions.
Range and Real-World Performance
The Punch EV is appointed with two battery options, a 25 kWh standard version (claim for 315 km range) and a 35 kWh long-range version (claim for 421 km). Out in the real world, the long-range version gets somewhere between a whopping 320-330 km per charge, pretty good for city and quick highway runs. For comparative testing, city efficiency was near 6.9 km/kWh, thus giving the autonomy of around 242 km, whilst highway stamina dropped and was closer to 216 km. Generally speaking, real-life users get somewhere between 200-250 km of range, depending on which driving mode they are in, the general speed they’re driving, and how much Air Conditioning they’re using.
Space, Features, and Comfortable Interior
The Punch EV is compact on the outside but opens to give a practical cabin with a boot capacity of 366 litres, decent rear space-albeit tight-and a small frunk for charging cable storage. It has a dual 10.25‑inch screen setup, one for the digital instrument cluster and another for infotainment. The higher modes come with ventilated seats, a sunroof, 360-degree camera, blind-spot monitor, wireless charging, and voice commands. Fortunately, there are no rear AC vents or USB ports, which we consider a minor miss from a practicality perspective.
Driving and Ride Quality
With a low center of gravity and stiffened chassis, Punch EV has composed handling with very minimal body roll through bends. One can think of it as riding well over potholes thanks to nicely tuned supportive suspension. The electric powertrain on the long-range vehicles feels lively, when in Sport mode, from standstill to a 100 km/h in under 10 seconds. Steering is light but lacks feedback, and a few drivers did complain about experiencing torque steer during hard acceleration. Regenerative braking along with three drive modes (Eco, City, Sport) help with efficiency.
Safety and Warranty
This car has a Bharat NCAP rating of 5 stars, and safety features come as standard with 6 Airbags, ESP, ABS, hill-hold assist along with child seat mounts, while the owners get an 8-year/1.6 lakh km warranty on the battery, all of which offers great peace of mind.
Real User Feedback
Users for the most part praise the Punch EV for its low running costs, smooth driving, and suitability for city use. One user told of driving over 10,000 km in 5 months and saving costs compared with a petrol car. But some have reported sudden drops in range, trouble with the gearbox, or charging, and very frustrating customer service. In some cases, the cars have been at different service bays for days trying to fix the faults.
In our view, for urban commuters and moderately sized families that seek a stylish electric ride with splendid features at an affordable cost, the Tata Punch EV stands to be a very enticing option. It offers decent range for daily driving, good safety ratings, and an extended battery warranty, certainly adding to the value proposition. Just be aware of possible service teething issues and plan your long-distance trips wisely.