Tata Punch EV

The Tata Punch EV has received a facelift with a bigger battery pack and subtle changes to the design and feature list. Instead of offering a completely new design, a more premium cabin, and loads of new features – which this car already had, this update focuses more on usability along with offering a better value proposition.

Is this a better approach towards a facelift? Let's find out.

Design & Build Quality

The pre-facelift Punch EV was already a very modern looking car, so the design changes to the new one have been kept to a minimum. Upfront, the face looks bigger as the closed-off grille has been stretched below and the design of the bumper has also been revised.

While the headlamps look the same, triangular and stacked vertically, the connecting element of the DRL strip has been removed. You also get grey finish on the bumpers and cladding instead of the black one in the pre-facelift version.

The side profile remains identical to the outgoing version. The silhouette, door cladding, roof rails, placement of the Tata.ev logo, and the design of the 16-inch alloy wheels remain the same.

While there is not anything missing on the profile, we wish that Tata had changed the design of the alloys with this update.

At the back, the most noticeable design change is the connected tail lamp setup, which we recently saw in the Punch facelift.

Tata has also revised the bumper, skid plate, and reflectors. The tailgate has also been redesigned and it has now become wider.

This design update, especially at the front, has increased the length of the Punch EV, bringing it to 3800 mm.

You also get three new colours: Bengal Rogue, Fearless Yellow, and Caramel. Other four colours have been carried forwards:  Pristine White, Pure Grey, Empowered Oxide, and Supernova Copper. Check out this story for a variant-wise breakup of the colour options.

Design & Quality

Inside the Punch EV, you get the same dashboard layout as before – simple and minimalistic. The dashboard features a layered design with a textured plastic element resting in the middle.

The same element is also on the door pads. The only major change in the cabin design is the theme. The pre-facelift version has a black and beige cabin theme, while the new one has a grey and white theme.

Apart from the cabin theme, Tata has also changed the window up/down buttons. The old plastic ones have been replaced with new, slim, metal ones that look nice and feel solid.

You also get new, solid inside door handles, and the headlamp and wiper stalks have also been replaced with the ones we saw in the new Sierra.

Rest of the design reminds the same with the two-spoke steering wheel housing Tata’s illuminated logo, rectangular AC vents, the touch based climate control panel, and the design of the seat upholstery.

In terms of cabin quality, the new additions like the window buttons, door handles, and the new stalks for headlamp and wiper control feel premium and solid. You also get leatherette seat upholstery and leatherette padding on the centre armrest and steering wheel. All the buttons and toggles feel solid, and the only thing that feels cheap is the cabin light, which is loose and flimsy.

The one thing we do not like is the touch-based climate control panel. While there are physical toggles for temperature and fan speed control, all the other functions have to be done using the touch panel, and this includes other AC controls, fog lamps, 360-degree camera, and even hazard lamps.

Using the touch panel while driving is not easy, it requires you to look away from the road, and can be dangerous.

Front Seat

With its 90-degree opening doors, getting in and out of the Punch EV is extremely easy. The floor height is also not that high, so even the elderly can enter the car without much trouble.

Once inside, you get a height adjustable driver seat and steering wheel tilt adjustment from the base variant itself, so finding your ideal driving position does not take much time.

The front seats offer ample space and support. The thick side support holds you in place, there is enough under thigh support for tall people, and you won’t be lacking headroom.

The only issue is the climate control panel, which due to the limited width of the cabin, comes in contact with the driver’s and front passenger’s knee, and you’ll have to be mindful every time you’re in the car.

Rear Seat

The rear seat has always been a place for two passengers and it is the same with the facelift. One average-sized adult can easily sit behind another with enough space. The knee room is good for most people, footroom is acceptable and so is the underthigh support. The headroom is ample just like in the front and you sit in a comfortable seating position. 

However, if you seat three passengers in the back, none of them will get enough space to sit comfortably, especially during long drives. The middle passenger also does not get a headrest. So it is better to use this space for only two passengers, and enjoy the centre armrest.

The one thing that Tata should’ve added here for the convenience of rear passengers is a rear AC vent, which feels like a big miss.

Storage & Practicality

In the Punch EV, you get two bottle holders in all doors, and the front door also gets specific umbrella pockets.

There is a small cubby below the start stop button for your wallet, the centre console has two cupholders and a dedicated slot for the key.

You also get storage in the centre armrest and you get a big glovebox with a separate tray to keep your documents. 

The rear passengers get seatback pockets and a small cubby above the rear charging port to keep their phone, but there are no cupholders anywhere for the rear seat occupants.

Charging Options

Front passengers get a USB Type-A port, a 65W USB Type-C port, a 12V socket, and a wireless phone charger.

Rear passengers only get a 15W USB Type-C charging port.

Features

With this update, the Punch EV has gotten a few features which you might not even notice. The touchscreen now gets OTA updates, the voice assistant now supports 6 languages, and there is a new feature called high beam alert, which, if you’re driving between 10-40 kmph for over a minute with high beam on, will give you an alert on the driver’s display to switch back to low beam.

Other features remain the same like a 10.25-inch touchscreen that runs smoothly, has large icons, is easy to navigate, and supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay both of which run seamlessly. It also has a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display which displays all drive information in a neat and clean manner.

It has multiple modes, you can now get the feed of the blind view monitor here, and it also shows you navigation if you don’t want to look at the touchscreen.

Rest of the features include an electric single-pane sunroof which adds more light into the cabin, ventilated front seats that work as intended and cool you down during hot summer days, automatic climate control that works well, a wireless phone charger that does not heat up your phone too much, and cruise control for driving convenience on the highways.

It also has a 360-degree camera which has great camera quality. It features both 2D and 3D views and is really helpful while parking in a tight spot or while navigating through a narrow road.

This feature also brings in a blind view monitor, which displays the feed of your blind spots on the driver’s display/touchscreen when you indicate.

In terms of safety, you get 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability program (ESP), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), hill descent control, front disc brakes, rear drum brakes, and an electronic parking brake with auto hold.

While the facelifted Punch EV has not been crash tested yet, the pre-facelift Punch EV, which was built on the same platform, had secured a 5-star crash test safety rating from Bharat NCAP.

With the Punch EV, you get a boot space of 366-litres, and the boot is shaped deep, wide, but not long. Because of this space, fitting large suitcases is not easy, and it is better if you use cabin-sized trolleys. 

You can easily fit 5 cabin-sized suitcases in this boot and you’ll still have some space left for a small office bag. Alternatively, if you have a lot of luggage, you can fold the rear seat entirely.

You also get a small frunk which offers enough space for an office bag.

Tata has increased the size of the battery packs in the Punch EV and changed the electric motors as well. Earlier, Tata used to offer two battery packs: 25 kWh and 35 kWh, and now, the size has been bumped up to 30 kWh and 40 kWh. Find out more about which battery packs are offered with which variants here.

City Performance

Unlike a few EVs, which give you a surge of power when starting from a standstill, the Punch EV offers gradual acceleration which does not take you by surprise. Still, there is more than enough power for easy overtakes.

Driving in the city feels effortless with smooth acceleration, easy maneuvering, and a lot of instant power and torque at your disposal. Even if you turn on Eco mode, which will reduce performance to maximise range, you will still have enough power to not think twice about overtaking someone. It's actually more engaging to drive compared to even the Punch Turbo (read Punch ICE vs EV comparison here). 

The regen modes are also there, which feel smoother than before as the braking in L2 and L3 is not as harsh as it used to be.

Highway Performance

Just as in the city, driving on the highway also feels effortless. You can get to triple digit speeds in no time (it just takes 9 seconds in Sports mode), and overtaking others around you is a piece of cake.

Turn on Sports mode, and you feel the surge of power hitting you as you floor the pedal. The sole purpose of this mode is to give you the thrill of driving a powerful car, because even in the other two modes (Eco and City) you have enough power to drive effortlessly.

Charging Details 

Ride Comfort

We drove the Punch EV for a short time, and that too on buttery smooth roads of Kochi, so our drive experience mostly involves well-paved tarmac. However, we did manage to find some speedbreakers and expansion joints to test the stability of the Punch EV.

Like most Tata cars, the Punch EV also does well at handling speedbreakers. It absorbs the bumps really well and does not give you any sudden jerks. Instead, it offers a plush ride quality by slowing settling down, keeping you and the other passengers comfortable. 

Even on expansion joints, the cabin faces some movement, but it is not sharp enough to cause any discomfort. With full load, however, the rear gets a little bouncy and the rear occupants have to face some vertical movement.

Handling

Since it balances itself well and has less side to side movement, it remains stable on corners and planted at high speeds. This makes you feel confident while driving and lets you enjoy the drive as well without any worry.

The Punch EV is being offered in 5 variants: Smart, Smart +, Adventure, Empowered, and Empowered + S. Take a look at this story for a variant-wise breakdown of the feature spread.

Punch EV Smart

• Comes with the smaller 30 kWh battery pack.

• Gets halogen headlamps, LED DRLs, and 15-inch steel wheels with covers.

• The cabin gets a black and white theme with fabric upholstery, a height adjustable driver seat, and all adjustable headrests.

• Features include auto AC, City and Sports modes, multi regen levels, 10.16 cm instrument cluster, and front power windows.

• It gets 6 airbags, electronic stability program, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, ISOFIX child seat anchors, high beam alert, and hill hold assist.

Punch EV Smart +

• Comes with both 30 and 40 kWh battery packs.

• The 40 kWh variant gets bigger 16-inch steel wheels with covers.

• No changes to the cabin save for a prismatic IRVM.

• Additional features include an 8-inch touchscreen, Android Auto & Apple CarPlay, 65W Type-C charging, 4 speakers, paddle shifters for regen modes, and steering mounted controls.

• The 40 kWh variant additionally features Eco mode, an electronic parking brake with auto hold, a rearview camera, hill hold control, and a Jeweled drive selector.

Punch EV Adventure +

• Available only with the bigger 40 kWh battery pack.

• Gets 16-inch styled steel wheels.

• Offers Push button start/stop, keyless entry, cruise control, hill descent control, electrically adjustable ORVMs, and follow me home headlamps.

Punch EV Empowered

• Only available with the 40 kWh battery pack.

• Exterior gets 16-inch alloy wheels, connected tail lamps, a dual-tone roof, and a rear wiper with auto defogger.

• Cabin gets dual-tone black and blue fabric seats and a front centre armrest with storage.

• Infotainment package gets a 10.25-inch touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and Arcade.ev suite.

• Additional features include a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, air purifier, cooled glovebox, auto folding ORVMs, and Alexa integration.

• Rain sensing wipers and auto headlamps are added to the safety kit.

Punch EV Empowered + S

• Only offered with the 40 kWh battery pack.

• Gets LED headlamps, roof rails, and LED fog lamps with cornering function.

• Gets a dual-tone grey and white cabin theme with leatherette upholstery and a rear centre armrest.

• Additional features include front seat ventilation, a wireless phone charger, auto-dimming IRVM, and a single-pane sunroof.

CarDekho Recommends

• Pick the one-above-base Smart + variant if you’re on a budget. It gets all the amenities you want for your daily drives including a good infotainment package, and it can be had with the bigger battery pack.

• Go for the one-below-top Empowered variant if you want more. It offers a more premium cabin experience, a much better looking design, and only misses out on a few feel good features.

• Spend a little more if you want the complete package by picking the top-spec variant.

We have also detailed the official accessories that are offered with the Punch EV here.

The approach Tata has taken with this facelift seems to have worked as the Tata Punch EV has become a better choice for people looking for a small city car. Instead of giving it a brand new design and too many new features, Tata has worked on providing better range and a better cabin experience, that too at a lower price than before.

So if you want a small city commuter that does not ask you to compromise on space, features, premiumness, comfort, and most importantly range, then the facelifted Tata Punch EV will take care of all your needs.

Other Cars To Consider

Tata Tiago EV Reason To Consider

• None

Reason To Ignore

• Smaller battery

• Less usable range

It doesn't really make much sense to pick the Tiago EV now. Here's a Punch EV vs Tiago EV comparison that explains why.

Citroen eC3

Reason To Consider

• Much more comfortable

• Slightly better rear seat space

Reason To Ignore

• More expensive

• Less premium for the price

• Less features

Check our comparison of the Punch EV vs eC3 to make an informed decision. 

Tata Nexon EV

Reason To Consider

• Larger SUV

• Better rear seat space

• More features

Reason To Ignore

• More expensive

Check this out for a detailed comparison between the Punch EV and Nexon EV.

MG Windsor EV

Reason To Consider

• Unbeatable rear seat space

• More boot space

Reason To Ignore

• More expensive

• Not as fun to drive

Detailed explainer on Punch EV vs Windsor EV.