Spent 4 days driving the Punch EV: Key detailed observations

The last time I drove the small SUV was with the 1.2L engine. The Punch EV is so much superior, so much nicer to drive and so much smoother.

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• Driving a model that has become the #1 bestseller in the country is always a special moment. It is even more special when the best-seller is not a Maruti, nor is it the cheapest hatchback on sale. With petrol power (the weak petrol), a CNG variant and now an EV, the Punch has a fantastic range of powertrain options. I only wish they now give it a turbo-petrol engine, so even petrol lovers can enjoy the Tata Punch. The 85 BHP NA petrol motor is simply too weak.
• Looks like a million bucks, the Tata Punch. I love Tata’s new design language. Easily amounts to the best-looking cars on our roads.

• On the other hand, the panel gaps, my God! Even a cursory glance when approaching the car shows how there’s an inconsistent panel gap on the right side of the tailgate (compared to the left side). It's big & glaring.
• "Small" doesn't have to mean "cheap" and the Punch EV is a testament to that. The build, improved cabin (vis a vis the petrol variant), smooth powertrain, and technology give the Punch EV a feel-good factor. It doesn't feel cheap at all. On the contrary, it'll leave you smiling! The Punch feels like an extremely modern, contemporary car. It also feels 10-20 years ahead of any compact Maruti on sale today. Maruti has really fallen behind in R&D and has a world of catching up to do.
• Very good sound system quality for the price. It has a nice, well-sized user-friendly touchscreen as well.
• Rear seat legroom is tight. If I sit like a 6-footer, even a kid will have trouble sitting behind me. A 5’10” person can sit behind a 5'10" driver, but just about. It’s not spacious in that sense. Also, the cabin width is limited and you realise this is a small car when you’re on the rear bench.
• Tata has learnt a prank or two from Maruti, it seems. No one on the rear seats, and still you have to live with annoying seatbelt warning beeps and chimes for a couple of seconds after driving off. A simple load sensor should solve the issue.
• The air-con is fantastic! Bombay is experiencing one of its worst summers = too hot & insanely humid. The Punch EV AC cools the cabin in no time at all. Wish there were rear air-con vents as well. In such a well-loaded car (360-degree camera, ventilated seats, etc.), they should’ve given rear vents.
• After spending time with the Punch, I understand the appeal of its compact footprint for the city. Small dimensions mean that you can easily squeeze it in and out of places. Tight gaps, thin bylanes, no sweat at all.
• The last Punch I drove was the weedy 1.2L petrol and the jerky AMT. In terms of powertrain, the Punch EV is so much superior, so much nicer to drive and so much smoother. There’s no comparison between the EV and ICE. The EV is the one to buy if you are eyeing the Punch.
• Absolutely love the regenerative braking and the fact that it’s adjustable. Although, level 1 itself is powerful enough for most users. Levels 2 and 3 will primarily be used by power users. What is annoying though is that, in some modes on startup, the car automatically engages level 2 and most people will find it too aggressive. Then you have to manually move it to level 1. Not cool. I personally would stick to Level 1 only as Level 3 can get rather jerky.
• Spent some time pacing it, just to see how much 1-pedal driving I could get away with on level 3 regen. Answer = A LOT.
• This electric rotary gear knob looks swell and has a wow factor, but in terms of usability, it is a fail. Firstly, it is slow to shift between the different modes. There were several times when the car was in R and I slid it to move to D, and it didn’t move for whatsoever reason. It happened to me a couple of times and also to a valet guy I handed the car to. If you are parking in a tight spot, and have to move from R and D in quick succession, it will be done in a really slow motion. You actually have to keep a watchful eye on the display to ensure that your selected mode has been engaged. Good looking gearshifter, but not practical.

• Eco mode is just perfect for your calm and smooth commuting around the city. If you’re driving early in the morning, there’s an empty road, or you’re on the highway, engage Sport mode and you’ll see that the Punch EV is a genuinely quick car. The powerful torque delivery is enjoyable and as you accelerate away, you will hear the front tyres continuously chirp away as they struggle for grip. In terms of sprinting, you can outaccelerate bigger, more expensive cars. Tata claims a very believable 0 - 100 time of 9.5 seconds.
• Eco mode will take you quickly to 120 km/h, but it won’t let you go above that. The speedo will hover in that range. If you want to go faster, press the Sport mode button and the car instantly accelerates up, taking you beyond. Tata has capped the top speed to 140 km/h.
• Back on the mega Atal Setu bridge.

• The suspension is tuned on the firmer side. You feel potholes and large bumps prominently in the cabin at city / slow speeds.
• I don’t agree with an R16 size for the Punch EV (link to related thread). The R15 should offer noticeably superior ride quality and that size should’ve been standard across the range.
• Excellent high-speed stability. You can comfortably cruise at 120 km/h all day long with no feeling of nervousness.
• The steering is light in the city and weighs up okay at speed. But just like most electric cars, it is extremely vague and simply doesn’t have the direct feel that you see in some steering wheels of ICE cars.
• In hot Mumbai city, I saw a range of 230-240 km on the Punch EV. Many Punch EV owners have claimed hitting 300-km on a full charge and I don't doubt that. However extreme heat has a detrimental effect on an EV's range. After my 2nd full charge, I took her out on a very hot afternoon and the MID was showing just a 200 km range.
• The kind of range that the Punch has for commuting is more than enough for an average EV user. But for a petrolhead like me, it’s not and I’ll tell you why. When I see an empty road, I like to revv and I like to drive fast. On the highway, I will cruise at 120 km/h, and not 80-90 km/h like some of the conservative EV users. I also like to corner hard on empty mountain roads, going up and coming down. The problem is that, with my kind of driving style, the actual driving range is approximately 50% of what a regular person would get. Hence for me to own an EV, I would need a minimum of 500 km range, so with my driving style, I get at least 250-300 km range.
• Charging on my good old, simple & cheap 15A home socket works just fine for me:

• I greatly appreciate Tata’s commitment to safety. Not just in terms of the safety equipment it has, but also the crash test ratings. This is something Maruti & Hyundai have to learn.
• Not giving a spare tyre is a serious omission and I have to admit, I was quite concerned on my expressway run too. If I ever buy a Punch EV, the first thing I would do is chuck out the underboot organiser and put a spare tyre instead. Tata should really avoid such cheap, cost-cutting ideas that don't suit its climbing image. Not to mention, how grossly customers will be inconvenienced when they are stranded on the highway or in the middle of the night with a puncture. What takes 10 minutes to switch to a spare will take 1 - 4 hours for repair. Now, Maruti is also giving a puncture repair kit and not a spare tyre on some variants of the Fronx. This is utter nonsense for Indian road conditions. Whichever manager approved this move, I want to see him stranded on the Mumbai-Goa highway with a damaged sidewall tyre.
• Tyre noise is definitely on the higher side, even at just 80 km/h. You’ll obviously feel it even more in the EV than ICE as there’s no drivetrain noise out here. But even in the city on flyovers and some roads, the tyre noise was noticeable. This area of NVH needs to be addressed. It shows that the Punch EV is based on a cheap crossover.
• Interestingly, this is the first Tata car that I’ve used over 4 days and didn’t encounter a bug or niggle. The Safari Facelift I test-drove had its fair share of bugs in the short time I had it (link to drive report).
• If the Punch EV price and size meet your requirements, by all means, go for it. However, as much as I love the Punch EV, I’m not a price-sensitive personality at all. I would spend the extra bucks and get the Nexon EV Facelift, a car I particularly love.

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