Tata Punch has become the safest car in India – Beating Altroz, XUV300 and Nexon in Global NCAP crash test

Global NCAP has officially released the safety rating of upcoming Tata Punch today. As was leaked earlier on the official website, it is indeed true that the Punch has scored 5 star safety rating. Not only that, it has now become the safest car in India – Beating the likes of Tata Nexon, Tata Altroz and Mahindra XUV300.

Before today, it was the Mahindra XUV300 which was the safest car in India, with 16.42 points in adult safety and 37.44 points in child safety. Tata Punch has beaten that, and scored 16.45 points in adult safety and 40.89 points in child safety. Below is the list of cars currently on sale in India and have been tested by Global NCAP.

Tata Punch Safety Report For Adult Protection

The protection offered to the driver and passenger’s head and neck was good. Driver and passenger’s chest showed good protection. Driver and passenger knees showed good protection. Driver tibias showed adequate protection while passenger’s tibias showed adequate and good protection.

The bodyshell was rated as stable and it was capable of withstanding further loadings. Footwell area was rated as stable. The car offers standard Seat Belt Reminders (SBR) for driver and passenger. The car pass UN95 side impact test, it has front passengers SBR that pass the requirements and it offers standard ABS (4 channel). All of the above explained the five star rating for adult occupant protection.

Tata Punch Safety Report For Child Protection

The child seat for the 3 year old and 1.5 year old were installed rearward facing with ISOFIX connectors and support leg. The CRS was able to prevent excessive forward movement during the impact and offered good protection to the head and chest of both dummies. CRS marking was permanent.

The recommended CRS did not show incompatibility. The vehicle offers a lap belt in the rear centre position. The car has standard ISOFIX anchorages. All of the above explained the four star rating for child occupant protection.

Tata Punch Trims and Colour Options

For a change, Tata has decided to use a new variant naming strategy in which they have discarded the traditional XE/XM/XT/XZ list and instead have used adjectives like Pure, Adventure, Accomplished and Creative. Pure happens to be the new base model, while Adventure sits over it. Creative is the top-end trim and Accomplished is the second from top. Colour options include 7 different colours, including Atomic Orange, Meteor Bronze, Daytona Grey, Calypso Red, Tornado Blue, Tropical Mist and Orcus White.

The Punch is based on the new Agile Light Flexible Advanced (ALFA) architecture. It shares it with the Altroz which too is based on the same platform. Tata’s signature IMPACT 2.0 design philosophy dictates the overall appeal of the car. To add to its SUV quotient, Tata’s design team has employed thick plastic claddings all around the Punch. Top of the line trims also get a dual tone colour scheme, which further adds to Punch’s aggressive look.

Under the hood, Tata has employed its tried and tested 3 cylinder 1.2 litre petrol motor, which also powers other Tata products like the Tiago, Tigor and Altroz. The motor can dish out 85 hp and 113 Nm of peak torque. On the Punch, Tata will be offering 2 transmission options, a 5 speed MT and an AMT setup.

On the inside, the Punch’s design looks similar to the one seen on Altroz. It gets a semi digital instrument cluster, 7 inch touchscreen infotainment unit which is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Tata’s new iRA connected features pack, flat bottom steering, multiple drive modes, cruise control, auto wipers and headlamps and much more.

In Tata’s portfolio, the Punch will be positioned as the new entry-level SUV and hence will be placed below the Nexon. Due to its pricing and positioning, it will be placed above the Tiago and at a similar level as the Altroz. Unsurprisingly, it also shares its platform and considerable powertrain components with the Altroz.

The Punch is expected to be priced in the range of INR 5-8.5 lakhs, and hence will be a direct competitor to other Micro SUVs and multiple hatchbacks. Competition would include Maruti Suzuki Swift, Hyundai i10 NIOS, Mahindra KUV 100 and Maruti Suzuki Ignis. Thanks to its pricing, it will also land up competing with the entry level trims of the Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite. Official bookings have already commenced and one can book a Punch for INR 21K at Tata dealerships or Tata’s official website.