India was for long a market dominated by small cars. The hatchbacks commanded a market share of over 60 per cent just a decade ago. But, Indian’s love for sports utility vehicles has been growing and how in recent years. From just around 15 per cent five years ago, SUVs now account for a 35 per cent share in the passenger vehicle industry.
As the demand has grown, automakers too, have focused on newer products targeting the Indian market, particularly those buyers who want to switch away from small cars and sedans to SUVs, but those that are still compact and convenient. So, Hyundai launched the Venue, sibling Kia launched the Sonet, and Renault Nissan launched the Kiger and Magnite respectively. Even Mahindra, which is known for its rugged UVs, has the KUV100. In the year ended March 2021, over a million UVs were sold in India, it was the first time that a million UVs were sold in a single year in the country, and this happened despite the disruptions and lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. No wonder then that this segment continues to see the most number of launches.
The compact SUV is already a crowded space. Tata Motors, which has seen good traction in the SUV space on Monday unveiled the much-awaited Punch micro-SUV or sub-compact SUV, which the company says “offers the agility of a hatch with the DNA of an SUV.” First showcased as the HBX or Hornbill concept, the Punch will take on the likes of the KUV100, Maruti Suzuki’s Ignis and even the Kigers and Magnites of the world.
The Punch will be the fourth SUV from the Tata stable, after the Nexon, Harrier and Safari.
It is a new entry point for people who want to drive a Tata SUV. A high ground clearance of 190 mm, cladding on doors, wheel arches and sill cladding, tall stance, commanding driving position, 370 mm water wading capability, large approach and departure angles are all trademark SUV traits. Surprisingly, though the Punch will only be powered with a 1.2-litre petrol engine mated to a manual or an AMT automatic gearbox and there is no diesel option for now. The SUV is built on the Alpha platform, which also powers the likes of the Altroz hatchback.
The platform as such being ready for electrification, an electric Punch could well be possible in the future, although company officials say the way the market evolves and demand pans out will determine what new powertrains it will get.
Safety has been a big focus in some of the recent launches by Tata Motors and Punch is no exception with features like extensive use of high strength steel, dual airbags, ABD, brake sway control (detects the tendency of instability in case of abrupt braking before the ABS kicks in), child seat Isofix anchors and rear parking cameras among other things.
Other features include push-button start, 7-inch Harman infotainment system, Tata’s iRA connected car tech, auto headlamps and rain-sensing wipers, up to 366 litres of boot spacer, idle start-stop and even cruise control in some of the variants.
The Punch certainly has the features and design. How competitively does Tata price this will now be key. The bookings opened for the Punch on Monday, at Rs 21,000, but the pricing will only be revealed on October 20. The expectation is that the entry-level trim will cost around Rs 5.0-5.5 lakh ex-showroom, with the top end trim going up to around Rs 8 lakh. Deliveries are also likely to commence around that time.
