Tata Punch EV

Tata Punch EV Introduction

Tata Punch EV Design

It might seem like Tata has replicated the Nexon EV’s winning formula with the Punch, which is a quick swap of all the ICE mechanicals for the electric bits and fitting them into available vacant spaces. However, with the Punch, the ALFA platform that underpins it has undergone a comprehensive re-engineering. It isn’t all new of course, the top hat is largely the same, as is the track, wheelbase, the suspension mounting points and the suspension system itself. But with the monocoque’s floor completely redone to flatten it, and a new electronic and electric (e&e) architecture, Tata Motors has given it a new name calling it the Acti.ev architecture. 

The EV’s centrally mounted battery pack has been integrated into the cabin floor, rather than bolting it underneath the body. As a result, its 190mm ground clearance is identical to the ICE version. With the ICE platform’s floor massively reengineered, it resulted in an increase in structural stiffness over its ICE counterpart too. That aside, the EV gets revised damping and stiffer springs, heavy-duty brake calipers, and the Long Range (LR) version also boasts of rear disc brakes to enhance stopping power and compensate for the EV’s added performance and weight.

The Punch EV gets a heavily restyled front end, which draws inspiration from the updated Nexon EV’s design. In fact, their front styling is so similar that when viewed head on, you could mistake one for the other. Sure, the Punch might have lost a bit of its individuality by adopting a family design face, but t here’s no denying that the Punch EV still commands attention, thanks to its striking new LED DRLs which flank the pilot lamp LED strip running across the bonnet. Tucked behind its blanked-out grille is its charging port, housed behind the Tata logo. It releases electrically via a switch on the centre console but has to be manually closed. An additional button on its key fob would have been much more convenient though.

While its side profile is similar to the outgoing car, thenew 16-inch dual-tone wheels sport a futuristic design. There are multiple EV badges scattered across the car and its tailgate has Punch.EV lettering spelt out. Dimensionally, the Punch EV is 30mm longer and 18mm taller than the ICE version, however, its width, front and rear track as well as its wheelbase, remain unchanged.

Tata Punch EV Interiors

Like on the outside, the interior of the Punch EV is similar to the updated Nexon EV. Borrowed from its bigger sibling are its free-standing 10.2-inch touchscreen, a funky two-spoke steering (with an illuminated logo), and a new 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, all of which add style and a touch of modernity to the Punch’s exuberant interior. Also new is a piano-black panel with touch-operable keys for the climate control. These keys are backlit, and the temperature and fan speed control have physical toggle switches that make it convenient to use; also, this panel lends a very premium, uncluttered look. On the centre console sits a very premium knurled-finish drive selector flanked by drive mode buttons as well as the electronic parking brake and auto-hold button. Like before, contrasting white panels, textured plastics and other materials are carried forward for a rather upmarket look and feel. 

While there’s a lot to like, the execution of some bits could be better. As an example, the feature-packed touchscreen often tends to glitch, sometimes while using wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, and also while using the 360-degree camera. Then, the fonts and numbers on the digital instrument cluster are microscopic, which make them difficult to read. The gloss black touch panel for the climate control is a fingerprint magnet. Users will also have to make peace with the slow-shifting drive selector, which can get particularly annoying while trying to make quick three-point U-turns. 

An upright driving position and the seat ventilation feature enhance seating comfort. Further, the low window line, flat bonnet and large outside mirrors ensure outside visibility is very good. Elderly folk will appreciate its easy ingress and egress thanks to doors that open up to 90 degrees and the raised seating.

Despite being smaller than the regular crop of compact SUVs, the Punch’s excellent space management liberates respectable space for adults at the back. The backrest, however, is quite upright, the chair-like position is comfortable and there’s ample room beneath the front seat to tuck your feet. Unlike other EVs, you don’t sit in a ‘knees-up’ position, and thanks to its long seat squab, thigh support is plenty. 

Interestingly, to accommodate its battery, Tata engineers have raised this EV’s cabin floor by 20mm. It is because of this reason, six-footers are likely to find headroom a bit restrictive and this issue is exacerbated in sunroof-equipped cars, which have lower roof liners.

The Punch EV has a larger 366-litre boot compared to its ICE counterpart’s 319 litres. This added space comes at the cost of a spare wheel, which Tata has skimped on in the EV, and owners will have to make do with a puncture repair kit provided with the car. There is a small frunk too, which is well shaped and is a nifty solution to store additional, smaller items.

Tata Punch EV Features

The freestanding 10.3-inch touchscreen is vibrant and stuffed with features and apps.The range-topping Empowered +S LR variant gets nearly as much equipment stuffed in as a top-spec Nexon EV, only missing out on vehicle to vehicle (V2V) and vehicle to load (V2L) charging. So equipment like a sunroof, a crisp 360-degree camera, lane-view monitor, ventilated front seats, an electronic parking brake with auto hold, an air purifier, auto LED headlamps and wipers, an auto-dimming rear view mirror and a  wireless charger are all part of the spec. As mentioned, it also gets  a 10.2-inch feature-packed touchscreen with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, in-built Alexa voice assistant, connectivity features and the cabin’s sound experience is enhanced by an 8-speaker setup. For an otherwise very well equipped car, the Punch EV misses AC vents and charging provisions for rear passengers. 

The freestanding 10.3-inch touchscreen is vibrant and stuffed with features and apps.

Tata Punch EV Performance

In its electric guise, the Punch finally lives up to its name, something which sadly doesn’t hold true for its three-cylinder petrol version. The Punch EV comes in two versions – standard and Long Range (LR). The former gets a 25kWh battery and an 82hp/114Nm electric motor, while the LR gets a larger, 35kWh battery and a more powerful 122hp/190Nm electric motor, and we’ve tested the latter. Being its fourth EV offering, Tata has really mastered the art of fine-tuning them, making the electric Punch one of thesmoothest and perhaps the most refined car to roll out of Tata Motors, EV or otherwise. 

Drive the Punch EV for a few metres and you’ll immediately notice its progressive power delivery, very tame though by the snappy EV style. Tata claims to have intentionally blunted the motor’s responses in the interest of comfort so that newer drivers or those switching from ICE vehicles aren’t caught off-guard by its sudden acceleration. As a result, you don’t feel any neck-flexing thrust, each time you flex your right foot.

On offer are three drive modes – Sport, City and Eco. In fact, the latter two perform very similarly, with the motor delivering only about 60 percent of max torque. Despite the restricted output, both Eco and City mode feel adequate for a majority of the driving, thanks to the EV’s inherent instant response. What differentiates Eco and City mode are the vehicle’s top speed, which is limited to 115kph in the former and 132kph in the latter (as per our GPS measured speed test), respectively.

But for spirited driving, it is the third mode that’s the one to dial up. Sport mode unleashes the full potential of this EV, delivering the entire 190Nm of torque. While it gathers pace rapidly, the measured power delivery robs away the drama to some extent, which might disappoint thrill-seeking driving enthusiasts. That said, progress is rapid, with the Punch EV sprinting to 100kph from a standstill in just 9.4 seconds in Sport mode, which is 4.2 seconds quicker than in the other modes, both of which go from 0-100kph in 13.6 seconds. 

Right paddle increases the regen intensity, while left one reduces it.

Like its other EVs, Tata has included three levels of regenerative braking in the Punch EV, with Level 3 being the most aggressive and an option to turn off this feature as well. These modes can be selected independently to the drive modes. Level 1 feels most natural in its operation, wherein it reduces speed in a gradual, predictable manner, akin to engine braking in an ICE vehicle. Level 2 is about 1.7 times more aggressive than Level 1, but it is still quite usable and easy to get accustomed to. Level 3 is said to give 0.18g of deceleration, and in the real world, it feels roughly 2.5 times stronger than Level 1, akin to depressing the brake pedal with some force. It’s simply too strong for everyday use and we would recommend this only when descending steep slopes so that you come down in a controlled manner while harvesting energy. There’s no one-pedal functionality and the car only slows down to crawling speeds using regenerative braking; it doesn’t come to a standstill.

Tata Punch EV Range & Charging

For our range test, we drove the car as per our standards: so in Eco mode regen was set to its maximum setting in the city, and mid setting on the highway. In the city, this levied a huge penalty on its efficiency, as the car slowed down far more and earlier than expected thanks to the strong level 3 regen. This warranted a longer time spent on the accelerator pedal robbing it of charge. Of course, outside temperatures nudging 40 degrees made the climate control work hard to maintain a cool cabin temperature. As a result, the Punch EV’s average city efficiency was only 5.43km/kWh. However, repeating the test with regen set at the mid setting (level 2), felt more natural in its operation and we achieved an average city efficiency of 6.92km/kWh, extrapolating to a real world range of 242km and on the highway we achieved 6.17km/kWh, translating to a range of 216km.

Located at the front, its charging flap releases electrically.

The Punch gets a single CCS2 charging port, which is the industry standard. The company claims that on a DC fast charger, the battery can be topped up at a maximum speed of 25kW taking it from 10 percent to 80 percent in 56 minutes; not very fast by modern EV standards. To put it to the test, we plugged it into a 60kW DC fast charger and charged its battery from 15-100 percent. In the process it consumed 31.99kWh of energy, took about 99 minutes to complete and averaged a charging speed of 19.5kWh. However, it is worth noting that beyond 90 percent, the battery management system (BMS) automatically reduces the charge rate for cell balancing and SOC calibration, in the interest of the battery’s health.

The Punch EV is also available with a 3.3kW portable charger – good for charging wherever you have to use 15A plug. Top variants also get a 7.2kW AC fast charger that can be installed in your home or office. 

Tata Punch EV Ride & Handling

The Punch EV’s chassis is 30 percent stiffer than that of its ICE counterpart, and a key contributor to this additional torsional rigidity is the battery pack itself, which acts as a stressed member. Further, with a rigid chassis, Tata engineers were at liberty to use a softer damper setting for improved ride comfort, without compromising body control and stiffer springs – than the ICE version – to compensate for the LR EV’s 1,360kg weight; 325kg heavier than the top-spec Punch AMT. 

The EV’s ride feels supple and it tackles bad roads with great finesse.

When it comes to ride comfort, Tata has nailed the suspension tune. Softer dampers have made the ride more supple, and while the ICE version always felt confident over bad and broken roads, the EV does it with a bit more finesse. On the flipside, it does roll more than its petrol-powered counterpart, however, with its heavy battery sitting beneath the cabin floor resulting in a low center of gravity, the EVs tyres feel planted to the tarmac. Infusing confidence further is its steering feel with a very fluid, predictable nature. What’s nice, particularly for newer drivers, is that it doesn’t feel overly pointy or sharp like some other Tatas, and there’s just the right amount of slack in the straight-ahead position.

Lastly, the Punch EV LR gets all-wheel disc brakes and has a natural pedal feel. And what’s nice is that its braking performance in a panic brake test from 80-0kph is identical to its over 300kg lighter ICE counterpart. Notably, in regen Level 3, you can feel a distinct transition from the regen braking of the motor to the friction brakes. There’s a nifty ‘auto hold’ feature that adds a degree of convenience while halted; however, you will hear a distinct grinding sound each time you depress the accelerator to start moving.

Tata Punch EV Verdict

As an urban runabout, the Punch EV has all the right ingredients – a smooth powertrain, compact dimensions, a pliant ride, and to top it off, an expansive features list that will appeal to new-age techy EV buyers. Furthermore, performance is strong, the real-world (combined) range of about 230km on a full charge is respectable, and those transitioning from an ICE car will feel at home behind the wheel of this EV. There are, of course, shortcomings. To begin with, the software is infested with glitches, something that Tata must iron out, considering this is the company’s fourth EV. Then, Tata’s sales and support experience is hit or miss, which will be instrumental in shaping the buying and ownership experience. And lastly, the price of the top variants of the Punch EV overlap with lower variants of the Nexon EV, the latter being larger, more spacious and with more power and torque to boot. But look again at the Punch EV’s merits and its extremely impressive as a package. And as a city car, it doesn’t get better than this.