“When you try to bring a very powerful engine into any car, you have to make sure that all the structural stability is taken care of,” says Mohan Savarkar, Chief Product Officer, Tata Motors
Mohan Savarkar on engineering, safety, NVH and ride handling of the turbocharged Tata Punch.
In conversation with Mohan Savarkar, Chief Product Officer, Tata Motors
We spoke to Mohan Savarkar, Chief Product Officer at Tata Motors, about the facelifted Tata Punch and the engineering changes involved in introducing a turbo petrol engine in a compact SUV.
Turbo engine, safety and packaging
Mohan Savarkar said that introducing a powerful engine requires ensuring structural stability and safety indexing. He also said “We have to make sure that all the crash spaces are protected and there is no intrusion into the cabin”.
Ride, handling, braking and Altroz engine integration
The Punch uses the 118bhp, 1.2-litre turbo petrol engine from the Altroz Racer, which sits lower and has a different centre of gravity. Savarkar said “We have made sure that even with the higher speeds and the higher cornering forces that you can encounter with this engine, combination on this car, it still is an extremely stable car”. He also confirmed that the brakes have been tuned to manage the increased performance.
NVH, balancer shaft and engine mounts
Talking about three-cylinder vibrations, Savarkar explained that “You have one more shaft which is connected to the crankshaft. Which runs at exactly the opposite frequency of the main crankshaft. That is what balances out the vibrations”. He added that rigid engine mounting points ensure vibrations do not transfer into the cabin, and the setup has been tuned in this iteration.
Suspension, ground clearance and load handling
Despite the Punch’s tall stance and high ground clearance, Savarkar stated that “even when you are driving a CNG which has CNG tanks at the rear and you load it fully, our suspension makes sure that the car stays level. He also stated that the car fully loaded will not be unduly stressed under any situation.
Digital focus
When asked about the engineering feature he is most proud of, Savarkar pointed that “It is now going to appeal a lot to the younger generation who likes a lot of gadgets in the car including telematics”.
