Tata Punch EV long term review, 7,000km report

I like big, flashy, ostentatious cars just as much as anyone else, but let’s be real. I live in Mumbai, where commutes are more accurately measured in time, not distance. The streets are small and crowded, traffic moves at a wheel-to-wheel crawl, and when it rains, the road surface starts to resemble Normandy Beach on D-Day. To tackle the first two obstacles, a small car is best, preferably an electric one that doesn’t emit fumes whilst it’s stuck in traffic. That’s why I loved our long-term MG Comet so very much. The latter issue, however, is best tackled with an SUV; something even an ardent sedan aficionado like myself will concede. Enter the Punch EV, which, in its first month alone – an arduous one during peak monsoon – has managed to fulfil that very specific list of requirements.

Okay, it’s a size or two up on the Comet, but that’s not to say it’s large; it feels noticeably more compact than even the Nexon EV we ran in our fleet last year. You pay the price in the back seat, which doesn’t feel as spacious as even the Comet’s (one of the benefits of the MG’s boxy design and skateboard platform). But since I rarely have passengers, this is no bother. What’s most important is its small footprint in a traffic jam, and the ease with which you can park it just about anywhere in Mumbai. On that last point, I find myself relying more on the large rear-view mirrors, as the rear camera quality isn’t sharp. Its feed regularly fails, and during the monsoon, it’s often quickly caked in muck kicked up by the tyres.

With a potent 122hp in such a tiny package, performance feels almost excessive. While it was initially fun watching other motorists’ looks of surprise as a Punch scurried away from them when the lights turned green, these days I find myself staying away from Sport mode because it’s simply too strong for crowded city environs, and flooring it can cause alarming wheelspin. While Eco mode isn’t overtly dull, I’ve come to prefer City (or Normal) mode, which just feels a bit more effortless. What’s more, I’ve been playing around with the adjustable regen, done via paddle shifters behind the steering wheel; very premium. The ideal mix I’ve settled on for around town is City drive mode and Level 2 regen, which I think complement each other well. It also helped contribute to city efficiency of 6.9km/kWh, which translates to a potential 240km from its 35kWh battery.

While I like that they’ve moved to the upmarket paddle-style regen mode selection, I’m disappointed they went back to the rotary dial for the gear selector; the Nexon EV has since moved on to a smart monostable lever. Yes, it’s cool that a colour screen shows you what drive state you’re in, but the shift is still slow and sometimes doesn’t happen at all. You have to look down to see if you’re in D or R every time – a huge frustration in the heat of the moment while making a three-point turn on a busy street, as I have to do it daily to get into my home. Moreover, we too experienced the ‘EV System Critical Alert’ error message, which is a known issue in Tata EVs. While the vehicle started up just fine, it would not lock, although the error subsequently disappeared on its own. Nonetheless, Tata was quick to collect the car for inspection. It’s also really annoying that the car alarm goes off if you exit the vehicle with the key, even for a few seconds while the car’s running, like to shut a gate, for example. My neighbours aren’t fans. 

But these are all things I’d be prepared to learn to work around for the overall package the Punch EV delivers. I’ve mentioned the powertrain already, but the ride quality is something that has to be experienced to believe. Forget compact SUVs, it’s safely on par with midsize SUVs two classes above, and the little Punch just crushes monsoon potholes without flinching. Then there’s the features list, which is so vast, you’d think Tata would’ve saved some stuff for its more expensive EVs. In fact, at the recent Curvv EV launch, I couldn’t help but chuckle when I realised most of its features were available in the Punch EV, too. 360-degree cameras with blind-view monitoring? Ventilated front seats? A sunroof? Connected tech? LED lighting? You don’t expect any of this in a sub-compact SUV.

Also see: 

Tata Punch EV review: Feels like a mini-Nexon EV 

Tata Punch EV road test, review