Tata Punch

Agility of a hatch and the DNA of an SUV is what Tata Motors claims. But is the all-new Punch good enough to land the proverbial one?

- Aniruddha A Rangnekar

YOU CAN’T ESCAPE FACTS. INDIA is in the midst of an SUV craze like nothing we’ve ever seen which means you’d be crazy — or very brave — to launch anything but an SUV. It’s the reason why Tata Motors have been fuelling most of their resources into SUVs. And it is also the reason why the smallest car in their portfolio has been styled, enabling phrases such as ‘DNA of an SUV’ to be liberally applied.

You can’t escape the clichés either. Hard Punch. Knock-out Punch. Land a Punch. And on and on. What’s undeniable is that other small cars to wear high-riding SUV styling cues haven’t really landed the anticipated KO, so what is Tata Motors doing differently?

It starts with styling that’s an acknowledged strength of Tata Motors. Remember the HBX concept at the 2020 Auto Expo? Yes I know, it feels like a lifetime ago but that’s where we first got to see the concept and from HBX to Punch, not much has changed. Sure it doesn’t get all the concept car bling such as the bull bars and off-road tyres but that apart it looks very similar. Borrowing inspiration from the Nexon, Harrier and Safari, the Punch punches above its weight to give entry-level car buyers a proper SUV feel.

The split headlights have a striking resemblance to the Harrier and Safari, as do the neatly integrated DRLs. There’s even what Tata Motors calls the humanity line on the grille, which connects it to the larger SUVs from the manufacturer. The front bumper also features the signature Y design motifs while the bottom of the bumper neatly houses the fog lamps. The plastic cladding around the bumper also lends it an unmistakably SUV character, which actually continues through the rest of the body.