Tata Punch.EV Facelift Driven: Goes Farther Faster, Costs Much Lesser
Tata Punch EV Facelift. I was at a very humid Kochi recently to drive the car. Here's a video that shows what we did with the Punch.EV Facelift.
If you like to read, here are quick impressions:
If you drive it like you stole it, you'll get about 200 Kms range from the 40 kWh trim. Jokes apart, getting about 300-320 Kms in city mode with regen at L3 should be fairly achievable. The reason I got about 150 Kms for 78 % is driving in sport mode all the time. I was driving very aggressively, with AC at full blast. Since we were making a video, the car was idling for many hours.
Talking of performance, the car zooms to about 135 in no time, and even 140 comes up very quickly. After this, it takes a while to get to 150. Tata Motors claims a sub-9 second 0-100 Kph time for the long range Punch.EV. We have no reason to disbelieve this.
Let's talk power delivery now. It's very linear. Even in sport mode, there's no sudden surge. What you have is a big wave of torque that comes in from the first mm of throttle pedal travel, and continues upto say 135 Kph, after which the acceleration begins flattening down, ostensibly to conserve the battery.
And a good part about this surge is that the co-passengers won't feel the 'EV jerk'. Clearly, Tata engineers have to be commended for their good work with tuning. The Punch.EV comes with 3 driving modes: Eco, City and Sport. Sport has a dedicated button. And there are 3 levels of brake energy regeneration, or regen as it's commonly called. And you can switch it off (like I did mostly). Keeping it on, at the highest, will increase range and also reduce brake wear as the electric's motor will do some part of the braking for you.
Let's talk about the jog dial for a bit: It's nice to use now, and a huge improvement from the Tigor and Tiago.EV of yore. It's much more tactile. The dial itself - with a knurled metallic finish feels nice to touch and hold. I'd still prefer a regular gear shift-style drive selector though but that's just me.
The design refresh on the outside is mild. Blink and you'll miss. On the inside, you get new colours that make the cabin look fresher.
The driver MID is crisp, and so is the infotainment unit. Both are easy to use. No complaints there. Touchscreen is the right size, too. Not too big, not too small.
The stereo's quality is good, and we managed to hear some decent sound after fiddling with the equalizer. What's not so good is the reverse camera. Still not the Korean level of sharp. Should get better: Again, we've expressed this to Tata engineers at feedback.
Rear disc brakes and connected DRLs are gone. However, none of these had a material impact on how the car drove. Braking felt progressive and surefooted. Connected DRLs: Smaller DRL means failure chances lower. Half-lit DRLs look very bad. Also, at feedback, Tata engineers told me that the braking distance was unchanged.
While the ICE model has rear AC vents, the EV misses it. This, in my opinion, is a big miss. It's always nice to have a blast of cold air hitting you when it gets really sultry. Have expressed this at feedback.
The biggest change on the facelifted Tata Punch.EV is the new 40 kWh battery that used prismatic cells, and the 6-into-1 integrated electric motor. Tata engineers revealed that cell prices have gone down, and the integrated motor drastically reduces cost of HV components. These savings have allowed Tata to price the Punch EV Facelift nearly 2 lakh cheaper than the outgoing version. This is a MASSIVE win. The lower price tag, plus BAAS really changes the game. Why would anyone want to buy the Tiago.EV now? Point to ponder!
First the steering! It's slow-ish, and this feels deliberately engineered. The Punch is tall, and having a quick steering can be a disaster for beginner drivers. At parking speeds, it's light enough and at higher speeds, it weighs up well.
What I didn't like was that piano black surface and the inconveniently placed horn pad: Again, I've given this feedback to Tata engineered but this unlikely to change as long as the steering is used across models to save costs.
Handling: It's predictable. And since all the weight (330 kilo battery) is on the floor, it's actually a good handler. There's a bit of body roll as the EV suspension is generally kept softer than ICE (internal combustion engine) models. The visibility is good all around. The seat's highest position shows the driver the edges of the bonnet. Even narrow roads are quite easy to navigate. This is a beginner friendly car! And the 360 camera beaming blind spots into into the MID (multi information display) makes life even more easier.
Ride quality: Decent, and absorbent for most parts including while having two wheels off the road on narrow roads. The car takes potholes reasonably well but the ICE version rides better. On Kochi's Container Road, expansion joints were felt quite distinctly (not harsh but bumpy). This makes me think that ride's stiff on specific road bits like the one above.
Fit and finish: A bugbear of most Tata cars - is good for most parts on the facelifted Punch.EV except the exposed screw on the driver's door. This should've been covered with a shroud. Again, it's small thing but could've been done better.
Now to my pet peeve - the touchpad on the center console for hazard lights, air conditioning and literally most other functions. Since there's no haptic feedback, the user experience is not great.
Space management: It's good. At the rear, 5'7" me was quite comfortable. Three people (60-70 kg), can sit abreast. But the Punch is best enjoyed as a four seater, even through the flat floor makes it comfortable for three at the back for short trips. Besides, the middle armrest makes it a very comfy place. Also, the scooped out front seats ensures good leg room. Only miss: AC vents.
Let's talk boot space: It's decently sized at 366 liters. There's no spare wheel (Tata offers a puncture repair kit standard), and this actually helps capacity. Again, it's a conscious decision taken as the Punch EV is likely to be a city car for most.
The cabin is QUIET, even at 120 Kmph. This was a surprise for me. Tata engineers later shared that overall NVH levels have reduced by about 3 dB.
Getting in and out of the car is seamless. The doors open WIDE. You literally walk into the car: Elder friendly, women-with-kid friendly. Build feels sturdy.
Safety is comprehensive. 6 airbags, ABS, reverse parking camera, 360 camera, and so on. The pre-facelift got 5 stars, and this also will (shortly). The announcement will come soon, say my sources at Tata Motors.
All in all, I think this car is now tremendous value for money (12.59 lakh for the top-end Empowered Plus trim that I drove) and a top pick for those who want a quick, fun car for city driving. The 65 kW charging makes it highway worthy too (135 Km top up in 15 mins). The 40 kWh battery means 300-320 Kms is easy to achieve. I highly recommend that you go test drive one. It's a great way to enter the electric car category. It can be the only car for those who rarely go out of town/take the train/fly out.