Tata Punch let down by its automatic manual transmission

In a step up from the newly launched, budget friendly, entry level, Tata Tiago hatchback, what you see here is the Tata Punch.

- Mark Jones

It’s a compact SUV that starts at R244 900 and goes all the way to R339 900 across five derivatives.

I don’t think I have to tell you that being in the compact SUV business today it’s as cutthroat as you can get it. So, is the Tata Punch up to the task? The short answer is yes and no to be blunt.

There is nothing wrong with the styling. The Tata Punch looks good in a Citroen C3 clone kind of way.

Jumping inside, all is good, as the car offers a decent amount of room for a compact SUV and while the interior is still covered in hard plastics, it has a feel and look about it that puts it comfortably above the Tiago.