Test drove the Punch EV LR: Why I feel it's better than a Nexon EV

The Punch EV has sorted ergonomics compared to a Nexon EV

BHPian abaliga recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I took a test drive of Punch EV LR and was impressed by this pocket rocket, I had driven Creta N Line DCT, Honda Elevate CVT and Tata Punch EV in a matter of 3 days and I liked Punch the most! Following are my observations

Likes:

• Solidly built car with a compact foot print for the city.
• Superior powertrain as compared to any of the smaller hatch backs or even some sub 4m crossovers, the experience is just unparalleled in the segment, I felt it was much better than the Creta N-Line DCT (which was Jerky when driven aggressively!), acceleration until 80 kmph is almost as good as our Octavia 2.0 TSI!
• Nice automatic, there is a dearth of good automatic options among smaller city cars as most are offered with jerky AMTs (unless one is considering 4m crossovers/hatchbacks).
• Packed with feel good features, nice sound from the stock music system, decent touch screen with an option of 360 degree camera, ventilated seats and sunroof.
• Extremely easy to drive and is quite punchy, city mode is adequate for urban areas, sport is enjoyable on an open highway.
• Sorted ergonomics compared to a Nexon EV (ALFA and EV specific platform helps its case).

Dislikes:

• Not a car for longer highway trips, in my opinion, it is way too much of a headache to deal with locating and charging a vehicle every 200 kms or there about (applies to all EVs with real world range less than 350 kms).
• Cramped back seat, I compared this with the ICE variant parked in the showroom and could notice EV had thicker seats that made it feel more cramped, wish they had extended the wheelbase by a couple of inches!
• Though I did not face any issue as part of the drive, there are way too many breakdowns reported on the forum for the Nexon EV, hope the same does not apply to Punch.
• Resale value of EVs is an unknown factor and I feel they will not be as valuable as a comparable ICE vehicle in the used car market, EVs will lose value like appliances as the battery tech is bound to get better every now and then.

All in all, I felt the Punch EV was more sorted than a Nexon EV and is a fantastic city car, if I was in the market for a secondary vehicle that would be exclusively used in the city or highway trips less than 200 kms, this is what I would buy, Hope Tata resolves all software issues on priority and is able to deliver a reliable ownership experience.

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