Tata Punch EV Long Range: 6 months long term review
The Punch EV is a pint-sized boxer with an electric soul, but does it punch above its weight?
The Punch EV moves with gusto, while the disc brakes on all four corners inspire confidence
When the Tata Punch EV joined our fleet, it instantly impressed us with its breadth of abilities within the city, coupled with the extremely low running costs. So much so, that it became our favourite tracking car, but has the extended stay coloured our opinions? I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again, living with a vehicle is the only way you can truly appreciate the vision behind its conception. And the Punch EV is no different. Stuffing a 35kWh battery that puts out 121bhp and 190Nm in a car that isn’t any bigger than your shoe means it is a hoot to drive. Be liberal with your right foot, and chances are you might have a tonne of fun or get into some serious trouble, depending on how well your instincts can handle the instant torque. The front wheels break traction even at parking lot speeds. But when you synergise your inputs with the car, the power delivery is linear, predictable and harmonious. Hence, its aforementioned title of the perfect support car on shoots.
The Punch EV can gain and lose momentum in a jiffy courtesy of the excellent front and rear disc brakes. And if you are not in the mood to do the braking, one-pedal driving is a great option. Tata Motors was one of the pioneers in making EVs mainstream in India and the depth of its experience is clearly visible. The four levels of regenerative braking can be easily increased or decreased via the paddles and can be an excellent method to maximise the range.
Wish they were the right way around, though! Something we learnt on our way back from our shoot location, with 60km to go and an indicated range of 35km. We did make it to our destination without needing to stop and with 3 per cent battery remaining. While the claimed range is in the ballpark of 421km, we could extract a maximum of 270-280km with the car in max regen and eco mode. City and sport mode would have a noticeable increase in performance and an inverse effect on its range.
The 10.25-inch infotainment is intuitive to use. My only gripe with the digital cockpit is that the minimalist approach made it difficult to spot the indicated speed or range. The seats are extremely well contoured and finding the right driving position is super easy. The seat ventilation feature is truly an exquisite touch for an EV in this segment. That, coupled with the noiseless driving experience and the soulful speakers, can get you in a state of zen. Therapy on the move.
Driving the Punch EV is indeed a calming experience, be it the amicably contoured seats or the cabin isolation
The serenity, though, is interrupted when you find yourself wrestling with the Jaguar-esque rotary gearknob. Even though it’s a futuristic visual delight, it can get a bit frustrating to use if the system has not completely booted up. Also, three-point turns in peak traffic can be a bit anxiety-inducing if the rotary dial decides to play Russian roulette with you. Then there's the gloss black interiors, which elevate the vibe of the cabin but urge you to invest in a good microfibre cloth. This is especially true if you have kids at home who will ensure they leave behind smudgy prints after devouring a pack of chips (true story).
The location of the charging port was absolutely spot on and a perfect fit for our narrow garage. It was the interaction with the button that controls the flap on the charging port that has always been entertaining. Lucky for us, we would generally have a spotter indicating if the flap had opened or not, but if you are a lone wolf, hopefully your building’s watchman will come to your rescue.
The placement of the charging port in the nose is very convenient, but its electrically opening mechanism is quite fiddly to use
The Punch EV became an integral part of the fleet and was used daily, since it was easy to drive and easy to park courtesy the brilliant 360-degree camera. It's also loaded with every imaginable feature for an EV in this price bracket, and 9 out of 10 times was the only car that we ever needed. We are sad to see it leave the fleet since the Punch EV truly punches above its weight.
Date acquired: June 2025
Total mileage: 15,679km
Mileage this month: 523km
Costs this month: Nil
Overall km/kWh: 7.7
