Most Powerful SUV Under Rs 10 Lakh Launched! » MotorOctane

Planning to buy a powerful SUV for less than 10 lakh? This could be the best opportunity for you to buy one. Earlier, the Volkswagen Polo GT held the title of the most powerful car under 10 lakh, and this car has trumped it. Here is all you need to know about this all-new, powerful SUV.
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What Car Are We Talking About?

We are talking about the all-new Tata Punch. Tata has recently unveiled the Punch facelift, and it has gotten a fair few changes. Tata has launched the Punch at a price of Rs 6.45 Lakh (on-road, Mumbai). The bookings have commenced, and here is what you should know about the Punch before you buy one.

All-New Engine

Tata surprised everyone when it announced that the Punch will be available with the 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine from the Nexon. Manufacturers frequently use engines from larger cars in their entry-level models, with a weaker tune. However, Tata didn’t mess around with the engine at all and is offering the identical petrol engine.

This 1.2-litre Turbo-petrol 3-cylinder engine produces 118 bhp and 170 Nm of torque. Now you may think that the base-variant Nexon also gets the same engine and costs less than Rs 10 lakh, so what’s special about the new Punch? The Punch is significantly lighter than the Nexon and has a high power-to-weight ratio of 104 bhp to the tonne.

You get the turbo-petrol engine in the Adventure variant, which costs Rs 9.75 Lakh (on-road, Mumbai). This would make it the most powerful engine under Rs 10 lakh, along with the Tata Nexon.

Also Read: Tata Punch Facelift Finally Launched – All Details Revealed!

Can It Compete With the Rivals?

Tata claims that the Punch turbo-petrol has the best power-to-weight ratio in the segment. So let us be the judge of that. Its primary competition includes the Hyundai Exter. And it blows the Korean rival out of the park. The Exter is offered with a 1.2-litre NA petrol engine as standard. This engine produces a measly 82 bhp and 114 Nm of torque. These numbers are much lower than those of the Tata Punch.

During the announcement video, Tata sneakily compared the Tata Punch with the Hyundai Exter and Maruti Suzuki Fronx. The Punch performs better than these rivals. It is more powerful than the Fronx’s turbo, offering 19 bhp and 23 Nm of torque more. The Punch turbo has a claimed 0-100 time of 11.1 seconds, compared to 11.4 seconds for the Fronx. Furthermore, the 1.0-Litre turbo-petrol Fronx starts at Rs 10.36 lakh (on-road, Mumbai), which is almost half a lakh rupees more than the Punch turbo.

If we move a segment above with the Hyundai Venue and Kia Sonet, the base variant of these cars (which cost under 10 lakh) doesn’t offer a turbo-petrol option. The range of the turbo-variant of these cars starts at Rs 11.50 Lakh. The Punch offers near-identical performance to these Korean compact SUVs at a much lower price. You can get a top-of-the-line Punch with all the bells and whistles for the price of a Venue/Sonet mid-variant, without compromising on performance.

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Engine Options

The turbo engine will be offered on top-end variants, while lower variants will get the 1.2-Litre NA petrol engine. This engine has been carried over from the older version, just like with the CNG option. Even the Punch CNG is more powerful than the Exter CNG variant. Both these cars get a dual-cylinder setup as standard to maximise boot space. But what’s more interesting is that the Punch gets a CNG AMT option, making it the first in its segment. While the Magnite also offers the CNG with AMT, Tata offers the CNG variant company-fitted, unlike the retro-fitted one in the Magnite.

Also Read: India’s Favourite 7-Seaters Get Cheaper!

Other Changes with The Punch

While the overall stance of the Punch remains the same, the front and rear ends have undergone revisions. You get sleek LED DRLs up front and Nexon-like connected taillights at the back. The feature list is decent as well, with a sunroof, wireless charging, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 10.25-inch touchscreen, a 7-inch digital driver’s display, and much more.

Pricing has risen slightly, from about Rs 10,000 to Rs 40,000, depending on the variant you choose. Overall, the Punch offers great value for money, especially with the inclusion of the all-new Turbo-engine.

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