Tata Punch Tech Review: Micro SUV With Affordable Tech

India is exploding with subcompact SUVs - as witnessed with the Hyundai Venue, the Kia Sonet, and even the Tata Nexon and Nexon EV. Hence, it's upping the ante. It's ready to throw around punches, with a new concept. A micro SUV - the Tata Punch. The hope here is that it is loaded with tech. Stylistically this car is quite spartan but it does get a hybrid instrument cluster. Half of it is a virtual cluster that has great legibility and nice-looking graphics, and the other bit has an old-school speedometer. This works quite nicely but it is a basic solution. 

Also Read: Tata Punch Review

In terms of features, the Punch comes with a 7-inch infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and also gets iRA connected car tech

There is a 7-inch screen that has a seemingly nice resolution but it is rough to touch and quite laggard. It isn't a very nice experience. But at the same time, this system gets Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, though in a wired way which is par for the course.

Also Read: Tata Punch Crash Tested; Gets 5-Star Safety Rating From Global NCAP

This system also allows for telematics data and also gets four themes that are a nice change and operate like wallpapers. Fundamentally, this is Micky mouse tech, but at this price point, it is a robust solution. 

There is a 6 speaker Harman Kardon sound system.

Tata also provides a full suite of sensors on the back and also a parking camera with grid lines. It works quite decently even in rainy conditions and it made parallel parking quite seamless. 

There is a 6 speaker Harman Kardon sound system. Fundamentally, there are 4 full-range speakers and 2 tweeters. It works well with Bollywood and hip hop, though it works also quite decently with rock as this system gets a good mid-range. 

As fundamentally the infotainment system is based on Android, it can even support android based games but that's not safe if the driver indulges in gaming. 

The quality and look of the plastics used in the Tata Punch is good, and the colour  palette is also smart, and the cabin has a young, fresh design feel

Tata also offers connected car tech thanks to its IRA stack. The IRA allows for basic connected car tech which works quite decently. Tata has also provided a constellation of controls on the steering wheel which provides granular control and good tactile feedback to the user. 

The Tata Punch provides a good balance between techie features and a very affordable price point. The major differentiation point will be the driving dynamics, at least, in my books.