September 2022 - Tata Punch Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated: This update of the Tata Punch variants explained includes the latest prices including the Kaziranga special variant and engine, dimension comparison with the upcoming Citroen C3.

Also Read: Citroen C3 Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Book?

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Tata Punch Petrol?

The pros or advantages of Tata Punch are:

• Proper SUV styling with baby-Harrier looks in a compact, city-friendly size
• It packs a fairly long list of features like colour LCD instrument cluster, projector headlamps, keyless entry, auto AC, auto headlamps, auto wipers, cooled glovebox and cruise control
• Decent ground clearance, boot space, fuel efficiency and power/torque figures
• 5-star GNCAP adult safety rating and 4-stars for children is better than Altroz, Nexon and even XUV300
• 90-degree opening front and rear doors allow easy ingress-egress for occupants, pets or objects you may store in the back seats

The Tata Punch petrol has the following shortcomings or problems:

• No CNG, turbo petrol and diesel engine options
• Missing features - split-folding rear seatbacks, front armrest, rear AC vents, tyre pressure sensors
• Overpriced mid variants and no true VFM variant, which we can recommend with our eyes closed
• Besides ground clearance and road presence, the Altroz offers better VFM in higher variants, more features, turbo petrol and turbo diesel engine options and the same 5-star adult safety rating
• The ground clearance is acceptable, but considerably less than the 200mm+ figure we’ve come to expect from Tata SUVs

What Is The Price Of Tata Punch Petrol Variants?

The Tata Punch is available in 5 variants with a starting price of Rs. 5.93 lakh for the Pure petrol manual. The top-end Kaziranga variant with the petrol-automatic powertrain costs Rs. 9.19 lakh (ex-showroom). The AMT automatic transmission is available in the top 4 variants. The price difference between the manual and automatic variants is constant at Rs. 60,000.

Tata Punch Petrol Pure - Base Model Features & Review

The base model of the Tata Punch is only available with a petrol-manual powertrain and costs Rs. 5.93 lakh. The Punch Pure has the following notable features:

• Anti-stall assist
• Tilt steering
• Adjustable front headrests
• Black door handles and outside mirrors
• Body-coloured bumpers
• Wheel arch and door cladding
• Drive modes
• Wide opening doors
• Easy-reach horn
• MID

The base variant doesn’t get the following important features:

• Day/night inside mirror
• Internally-adjustable outside mirrors
• Wheel covers
• Music system
• Steering-mounted controls
• Remote central locking
• Power windows

Because of these critical missing features, we’ll suggest you skip the Pure variant of the Punch and consider buying a higher variant.

Tata Punch Petrol Pure vs Adventure Variant

The Tata Punch Adventure costs Rs. 6.70 lakh with the manual and Rs. 7.30 lakh with the automatic. The AMT automatic transmission carries a premium of Rs. 60,000 over the manual. The Adventure variant is Rs. 77,000 more expensive than the Pure. For Punch automatic buyers, this is the most affordable variant.

Over the base Pure variant, it adds the following notable features:

• Boot light
• Wheel covers
• All power windows
• Remote central locking
• Music system with 4 speakers, Bluetooth, aux, FM and USB
• Day/night inside mirror
• Power mirrors
• Steering-mounted controls
• Body-coloured outside door handles and mirrors

While the Adventure variant covers the basics quite well, you may still miss the following features in this variant:

• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Touchscreen
• Rear camera
• Auto AC
• Projector or LED headlamps
• LED DRLs
• Rear defogger
• Rear washer wiper
• Front armrest

While it’s missing a few features, we’ll still suggest budget buyers to accommodate at least Adventure variant for a decent ownership experience. In terms of value, it just about justifies the incremental asking price and is no longer overpriced like before.

Tata Punch Petrol Adventure vs Accomplished Variant

The Tata Punch Accomplished costs Rs. 7.50 lakh with the manual and Rs. 8.10 lakh with the automatic. The Accomplished variant is Rs. 80,000 more expensive than the Adventure.

It adds the following notable features over the Adventure variant:

• Rear camera
• 7-inch touchscreen
• Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Cruise control
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Glovebox light
• Style wheel covers
• Front fog lamps

In this variant, you may miss features like:

• Split-folding rear seatbacks
• Front armrest
• Auto AC
• LED DRLs
• Projector or LED headlamps
• Rear washer wiper
• Rear defogger
• Power folding outside mirrors

The Accomplished variant also somewhat justifies the incremental cost and offers a mix of must-have as well as good-to-have features. While it doesn’t offer a few must-have features, it’s still worth considering if you don’t want to stretch your budget any further.

Tata Punch Petrol Accomplished vs Creative Variant

The Tata Punch Creative variant costs Rs. 8.32 lakh with the manual and Rs. 8.92 lakh with the automatic. It’s Rs. 82,000 more expensive than the Accomplished trim and gets the following notable additional features:

• Halogen projector headlamps
• LED DRLs
• Leather steering and gear lever
• Larger 16-inch machined alloy wheels
• Roof rails
• Rear armrest
• Rear washer wiper
• Rear defogger
• Auto AC
• Auto wipers
• Auto headlamps
• Adjustable rear headrests
• Cooled glovebox
• 7-inch full-colour LCD instrument cluster
• Power folding outside mirrors

Even in the well-loaded Creative trim, you may miss features like:

• Front armrest
• Rear AC vents
• Split-folding rear seatbacks
• Tyre pressure sensors

From a value standpoint, the Creative variant now offers even better value for money than before and is worth buying. It’s suitable for Punch buyers interested in getting a loaded variant without compromising on the value for money. While a good number of features of the Punch Creative are not must-have, we’ll still call it our top recommended variant because of the value it offers after a few price revisions.

Tata Punch Petrol Creative vs Kaziranga Variant

The Tata Punch Kaziranga variant costs Rs. 8.59 lakh with the manual and Rs. 9.19 lakh with the automatic. It’s Rs. 27,000 more expensive than the Creative trim and adds only style related features like exclusive beige colour, dual-tone roof and leather seat upholstery.

Considering the value of the features, the Kaziranga trim justifies its incremental cost but we’ll leave the decision to upgrade in your hands as it doesn’t add any must-have or high-value features.

Which Variant Of The Tata Punch Petrol Should You Buy?

The base Pure variant of the Tata Punch misses out on several must-have features and will provide a poor ownership experience. The next Adventure variant offers a decent value for money and many must-have features. So, we’ll suggest budget buyers to consider at least the Adventure variant.

If you have a higher budget, then you should skip the Accomplished trim and go straight for the Punch Creative. It offers better value and will naturally offer better ownership experience as well with more features.

If you want you can also buy the Kaziranga but it’s a cosmetic upgrade and you can decide if you want the Kaziranga variant’s exclusive features.

Similarly, for Punch automatic buyers, the Adventure is a suitable option if you don’t want to stretch your budget any further. The Accomplished variant also offers a decent value for money with the additional features but we’ll suggest stretching your budget a little more for the Punch Creative. It has more features and it also offers better value for money.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Tata Punch Petrol?

Besides the Punch, the Tiago NRG, Citroen C3 and the Nexa Ignis also have a 1.2L normal petrol engine. The Tata Punch petrol shares this engine from the Tiago, Tigor and the Altroz. In the Punch, this engine makes the same 86PS of power at 6000rpm and 113Nm of torque at 3300rpm.

The Punch petrol has a mileage figure of around 19kmpl, which is acceptable but less than that of Ignis. The Citroen C3 and Magnite/Kiger will offer better drivability than the Punch, which offer a turbo petrol engine.

*Estimated

What Are The Dimensions Of The Tata Punch?

The Punch is longer, wider and taller than the Tiago NRG and Ignis but smaller than the Magnite, Kiger and C3. The Tata Punch has a better ground clearance than the NRG, C3 and Ignis but it is again quite a bit lower than the Magnite and Kiger, which have a towering 205mm of clearance. In boot space too, Punch is comparable with the C3 and better than the Tiago NRG and Ignis, but the Kiger is in a league of its own with 405 litres of cargo capacity.

What Are The Colour Options Of The Tata Punch?

The 2022 Punch is available in the following 7 colours:

• White (available in all variants)
• Grey (available in all variants)
• Orange (available in all variants except base)
• Mint blue/light blue (available in all variants except base)
• Brown (available in top 2 variants)
• Blue (available in top model only)
• Red (available in top model only)

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we are classifying cars based on their size.