Is This The Most Value For Money SUV? » MotorOctane

Tata revealed the Punch facelift recently. It created a buzz in the market thanks to its looks, powertrain and feature list. But here are 4 things that set the Punch facelift apart in the segment and make it a great value-for-money SUV.
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Features

The Punch gets features that are available on cars that sit in a segment above. No other car in the Rs 12 Lakh price bracket offers a 360-degree camera, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, 65 kW charging, and front armrests. It also gets cruise control and an 8-inch infotainment screen on mid-variants. In terms of features, the Punch offers the best value for money. You can only find such features on the higher-variants of the Venue, Sonet and other compact SUVs.

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Powerful Engine

The turbo-petrol engine is pretty common in this segment, but Tata has gone one step further with the Punch. The 1.2-litre turbo-petrol produces 118 bhp and 170 Nm of torque. These figures are significant for a car of this size. It is even more impressive when you consider that you can get it for less than Rs 10 Lakh (on-road, Mumbai). The performance of the Punch turbo is identical to, if not better than, the cars in a segment above. It offers better performance at a lower price than the turbo variants of the Sonet, Venue, and Fronx.

CNG AMT

This is one of the biggest revelations of the Punch facelift: a CNG AMT. Even costlier cars, like the Grand Vitara and Hyryder CNG, do not offer an automated option. The Nissan Magnite does get a CNG AMT option, but unlike the Punch, it is a retrofitted one.

Moreover, you also get it with paddle shifters if you want more control over the gearshifts. Another feature of the Punch CNG is its dual-cylinder layout, which means you get a practical boot despite being a CNG.

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Off-Road Capabilities

Tata was pretty confident with the Punch’s off-roading capabilities. You can see videos of the Punch facelift online, showing it comfortably handling jumps, off-road terrain, and obstacles. The high ground clearance, hill hold and hill-descent control features help it perform well in difficult conditions. To further drive home the point that it’s an SUV, Tata also unveiled the HBX version with a more aggressive front end, faux hood scoops, a rear spoiler, silver cladding, and all-terrain 15-inch alloys. This HBX edition is expected to have only aesthetic differences, while staying mechanically identical to the regular Punch. Nevertheless, the Punch can handle tough terrain beyond city roads.

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5-Star BNCAP

Source

This is the most-important point of the Punch facelift. The micro-SUV underwent the Bharat NCAP tests and performed well. It got 5 stars in both child and adult occupancy tests. It scored 45 out of 49 possible points in child-occupancy safety and 30.58 out of 32 in adult-occupancy safety. The Punch boasts an impressive safety package, including a 360-degree camera, a blind-spot monitor, and 6 airbags. Thanks to this list and the BNCAP tests, it can be considered one of the safest cars on sale right now.

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