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Tata Motors is an Indian homegrown brand that has gone under rebirth since 2017, wherein new-age cars that laden with good features, smashing exteriors, top-class comfort, and phenomenal driving dynamics. Some of the cars launched under the stable are Hexa, Nexon, Tiago, Tigor, Harrier, Safari (2021), and Altroz which continues to impress the Indian audiences and experts. Tata, after tasting success from these vehicles, is back with another car, Punch- a micro-SUV. This segment wasn’t popular among buyers as the cars in it weren’t exciting at all but, after the launch of Tata Punch, people are quite curious to more about this micro-SUV. So, we are going o test whether the Punch is worth the hype or not? Exterior As I said earlier, Tata cars are just getting better in their designs whether it’s the Harrier, Safari, Nexon EV, or the Altroz, they are all the best-looking vehicles in their respective segments. The Punch is no different and looks stunning. The proportions, the body design, and the high set bonnet does lend it a butch and SUV-like appeal. The front profile is dominated by DRLs, piano black strips that accentuate Tata’s signature humanity line do resemble its larger siblings, Harrier and Safari. The bumper gets a tri-arrow pattern which looks quite modern and purposeful. The side profile impresses me a lot as the door handle mounted in the door like Maruti Swift, Chevy Beat helps it to look futuristic. Also, the flared wheel arches and 187 mm of ground clearance do give it go-anywhere capabilities (although it doesn’t come with 4WD). The rear end looks smart due to the prominent cut and creases on the boot. The tri arrow design taillamps do lend it a resemblance to the H2X concept car on which the Punch is based. Overall, Punch is a smart-looking micro-SUV that can be easy to drive in congested cities due to its smaller footprint and can tackle bad roads. Interior The Punch is based on Altroz’s ALFAARC platform, and you will a lot of similarities with it. For instance, the doors open 90 degrees for easy ingress and egress. Step in the interior of the Tata Punch, and you will notice the pleasant-looking dashboard with the layered treatment of good quality plastics like the white strip that runs across the dashboard, the textured material which is placed on the upper part of the dashboard that helps it to look upmarket and plush. The chunky AC vents look nice and the center console is quite neat and well turned out. However, there are some panel gaps and inconsistencies which are acceptable at this price point. The interior space is truly generous like any other Tata car. You get a fair amount of legroom, knee room, and headroom in the rear seat, and the under-thigh support is quite good and the seats are supportive due to the stiff cushioning. Also, the front seats are comfortable for long journeys and you won’t have fatigue after driving for long distances. The boot space is 319 liters and decent enough for long trips, however, the loading lip is a tad higher which means you have to toil hard to put in those large airport bags. Overall, the interior is smartly turned out for Indian families. Features Tata Motors claims that Punch is oriented towards younger buyers and they have put in a lot of features in the Punch to attract them. In the exterior front, it gets projector headlamps, rain-sensing wipers, LED taillamps, LED turn indicators, 16-inch alloys (diamond-cut), keyless entry, push-button start, 7-inch touchscreen with android auto, Apple Carplay, iRA connected car technology which helps you to locate your vehicle, lock-unlock it, and many more features. Also, it gets a 7-inch semi-digital MID that houses all information of car-like fuel levels, temperature, mileage, and many more. It gets an auto air conditioner, reverse parking camera, and sensors, and cooled glovebox. Overall, it’s a pretty loaded car and you will never be left wanting for more. Safety The Tata Motors Punch, like other Tatas, is extremely safe. It gets dual airbags, ABS, rear parking sensors, ISOFIX child seat mounts, impact sensing auto door lock, traction control, and speed alert systems. The Tata Punch is rated 5 stars in Global NCAP and is considered to be the safest car in the country in Adult occupancy. Performance The Tata Punch is powered by a 1.2 naturally aspirated Revotron petrol motor which churns out 86 hp and 113 Nm of torque at a peak of 5500 rpm. Now, the figures aren’t impressive because it’s an 1100 kg car but in the real world, it just manages to deliver adequate performance. In city traffic, it performs well due to low-end grunt but, as you push Punch harder, it struggles a lot and doesn’t put a smile on your face. It reaches 0-100 kph in 16.5 secs! That’s quite slow. That’s said, the engine is tuned well for city commutes and relaxed highway cruising. The Punch truly needs a Turbo powertrain so that it performs well on highways. Note the Tata Punch has no diesel option right now, but they are soon going to launch. It also comes with an AMT but, I haven’t driven yet and will post a review soon. Ride Quality We all know that Tata cars have the indestructibility to take on the bad roads and offer stupendous comfort to their occupants. In this case, too, Punch has met my expectations. It performs brilliant on bad roads and offers stellar composure in the cabin and doesn’t feel underconfident like some Hyundais and Marutis. The suspension setup is on the stiffer side but it doesn’t hamper the comfort of the occupants. Handling As I said earlier, Punch is based on the ALFAARC platform which underpins Tata Altroz. So, it also shares great handling characteristics and stays glued to the road at high speeds. Also, it remains confident around corners but, we can’t drive fast due to its lackluster engine. Even the steering is well-tuned and optimum for city drives and high-speed cruisings. NVH levels The NVH levels aren’t impressive because the 3 cylinder engine vibrates a lot, which can be at times annoying. But as you pick the pace, the cabin settles down, and then the sound levels are pretty low. Conclusion The Tata Punch mini SUV prices start at 5.09 lakhs for the base Pure variant and go till 9.09 lakhs for the top Creative AMT variant makes it a bit pricey but it is ahead of its competition like Maruti Suzuki Ignis, Maruti Suzuki Spresso, Hyundai Santro, Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger in terms of features, safety, and overall packaging. So, I would recommend buying this Tata Punch.