Test drove the Punch EV Long Range: How it compares to the Nexon EV

The points below are mainly my comparision's between the Punch EV, the ICE Punch MT, my 2019 WagonR MT and the 2022 Nexon EV Max my friend owns which I have driven quite a few times.

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Went for a pretty long test drive today of the Empowered + LR variant, and I have quite a few observations. I am in a bit of a unique spot as I had taken a TD of the ICE Punch MT a little under a month ago so it was good to have that comparison. The points below are mainly my comparision's between the Punch EV, the ICE Punch MT, my 2019 WagonR MT and the 2022 Nexon EV Max my friend owns which I have driven quite a few times.

• Driving experience of the Punch EV is simply unmatched. There really is no way to describe it and do justice unless one has experienced it. The smoothness and power on tap is just mind blowing, even in city mode, I feel that the torque on demand is thrilling, perhaps I am so wowed because this is only the second EV I have driven after the pre-facelift Nexon EV Max but still, compared to the ICE Punch, which I feel has a very lazy, and quite noisy engine( no offense to any ICE Punch owners), or my WagonR, which while peppy, doesn't hold a candle to the Punch EV. Whether it be NVH, power, torque delivery, the Punch EV easily gives the best combination of all those at this price point I feel.

• Apart from that beautiful 121 bhp 190 Nm torque delivering motor, the driving dynamics are also fantastic. Suspension is wonderful and soaks up potholes and bad roads like it's nothing, excellent stability. It's also sprung at the right balance where it's not too stiff and bumpy but at the same time stability hasn't been compromised, a wonderful complement to the motor. Build quality is great, the doors have a heft to them and shares the platform with the ICE Punch which scored 5 stars in the GNCAP test. So no complaints here. The paddle shifters to control regen, along with the rest of the driving experience really give you the feel and look that you are driving a vehicle from a segment above.

• Coming to Regen, what I feel is that 0 is best for constant cruising at highway, 1 works fine for spare traffic and 2 is good for everything else. I found the regen on this to be much stronger than the pre facelift Nexon EV, and regen 3 was downright nauseating for my mother. Also, 0 and 1 are the best settings for older drivers who are not used to the concept of regen, especially if they are more used to braking hard, just escaped a scare today when my dad hit the brakes while the car was at regen 2 and the car came almost to a complete halt. So just a warning for those considering a TD. The cluster showed that there was 157 kms left at city mode, regen 1 and at 54 percent charge, which extrapolates to around 290 kms at full charge, which is pretty much in line with expectations, although I do guess it is heavily dependent on driving style and mode.

• While the different drive modes may not be used a great deal practically, in the sense that most people choose one mode and tend to stick to it, it is still amazing how differentiated the modes are. Economy is the perfect for those heavy bumper to bumper traffic days, and the response is a little dulled for sure, but at no point did it feel like I was driving a CVT and forced to live with that dreaded rubber band effect. I would honestly compare the experience to driving a well tuned torque converter, smooth and effective, but not explosive, good enough for 90 percent of city driving.

• Switch to Sports though and the car is a beast, I never had the guts to floor the A pedal due to the sheer explosiveness of the power delivery. It is unbelievable and will most certainly put a smile on the face of those who drive it, if they enjoy it that is. City mode, which is what the car always starts in, feels like an appropriate balance and would take of the rest 10 percent of time where you would feel the lack of power in Economy.

• Interiors do have a very modern look, according to my mother, and the two spoke steering wheel has a very elegant design. But of course, you'll find the car full of scratchy plastics but at least they seem to be of better quality than the ones used by Maruti. Still feel the Korean twins have better interiors, although I would say Tata has come very very close. But the Punch EV's interiors are still way better than the ICE version's, that's for sure. The Nexon does have better interiors but at the same time, I did feel the back at the Punch was less congested than it feels in the Nexon, although my point of reference is the pre-facelift and I cannot compare it with the facelifted version. Also, the base level LR variant of the Nexon is 50 percent more expensive than the base level variant of the Punch, which I feel sort of makes it a terrible value proposition when you can get the Punch giving you 70-80 percent of that feel at 6 lakhs cheaper. Again, I mean no offense to those who have a Nexon EV, these are just my subjective opinions.

• Decent back seat comfort. I wouldn't say it's a comfortable 5 seater, but if it's five averagely built adults, then it wouldn't be extremely uncomfortable either. But whoever is planning on doing long trips with 5 people, will find it difficult. Surprisingly, my mom and I felt that it was a little less spacious in the rear as compared to our WagonR, but it's by no means a tight squeeze. Driver and front passenger get good treatment and as long as you're not above 6 feet, at which point the high driving position relative to the roof height would be an issue for rear passenger comfort. You do get quite good under thigh support and the seats are the right balance between soft and firm, and 4 people can be very comfortable if they are averagely built. The driving position is wonderful as it gives you a view of the bonnet, but that's a point that goes to the ICE Punch as well. Overall, fantastic for maneuvering in the city.

• Adventure LR with no sunroof or 7.2 kW charger is the most VFM offering in my eyes. At around 13.8 OTR in Bangalore, it certainly has almost all the creature comforts one looks for. The LR variants are much better in my opinion for those who want to keep their cars longer, plus an additional lakh when spread out over an EMI isn't a huge premium. Plus it will be useful for those occasional short distance trips. While I am no expert on battery chemistry, I would assume that over a longer period of time, for the same distance covered, since the LR battery would be going through less charging cycles, it could be better for the battery health. Maybe could help with resale as well, but again, I am no expert and I feel MR vs LR is going to be about personal preferences and needs, so a very subjective decision. For me personally, I find it's worth it. One glaring omission though is a reverse camera option on the Adventure variant, which I feel is really a stupid cost cutting measure, rather I feel it's a measure to push people to pay that one lakh premium for Empowered. A car costing almost 14 lakh OTR should at the very least come with a reverse camera in my opinion, and this is made worse by the fact that you cannot retrofit it in. It's not a big bother for me since I rely more on IRVM and ORVMs for reversing but those who are used to it will miss it. Apart from this though, I don't really find any of the other additional features in the Empowered LR to be worth that additional one lakh. They're all just cosmetic and I feel we will not notice the difference 99 percent of the time. The Adventure itself is quite well stacked in a lot of features, except the sorely missed reverse camera.

Despite all this, I am a little afraid of booking the vehicle as I don't want to be on the receiving end of umpteen number of niggles that Tata has unfortunately become famous for with its new launches. But at the same time, there is a need at my house for this vehicle and the price isn't as inflated as I expected it to be, at least not yet. Plus I simply fell in love with the driving dynamics, the smoothness and the convenience it offers for city commute, as well as that juicy 121 bhp motor.

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