With the facelifted Punch, Tata has introduced the Nexon’s 1.2-litre turbo-petrol and more features on the sub-compact SUV, leading to a price overlap between the two. If you have a budget of Rs 10 lakh, the turbo-petrol option of the Punch’s top-spec Accomplished+ S and the Nexon’s mid-spec Creative are both well equipped options. We help you choose which one to go in for.
Tata Punch top trim vs Nexon mid trim: Dimensions
The Nexon is the bigger SUV in almost all aspects.
*Approximate values
With 119mm more height, 62mm more width and 53mm more wheelbase, the Tata Nexon is considerably bigger than the Punch in all respects. The Nexon also has 15mm more ground clearance. The Nexon also has more boot space – 16 litres – than the Punch. However, the Punch is lighter than the Nexon.
Tata Punch top trim vs Nexon mid trim: Specifications
Both SUVs get the same engine, but the Punch could have better performance.
*Approximate values
The Tata Punch and Nexon come with the same 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine that produces 120hp and 170Nm. However, with a lower kerb weight of around 1,143kg, the Punch has better power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratios than the Nexon, which has an approximate kerb weight of around 1,350kg. Technically, this should mean that the Punch performs better in real-world conditions; however, a valid comparison can only be made when we have the real-world test data of the both SUVs.
Tata Punch top trim vs Nexon mid trim: Exterior
Front fog lamps and rear LED light bar are missing on the Nexon.
As the table suggests, the top-end Punch gets front fog lamps and an LED light bar that connects the tail-lights, compared to the mid-spec Nexon; all other amenities are similar. One notable difference is that the Punch gets black roof rails, while the Nexon gets silver units.
Tata Punch top trim vs Nexon mid trim: Interior and features
A digital instrument cluster and a sunroof make the Punch better on paper.
The mid-spec Nexon Creative trim misses out on a lot of amenities compared to the Punch Accomplished+ S trim. These include a sunroof, a wireless phone charger, ambient lighting, and even a rear centre armrest. While both Tata SUVs come with similar 10.25-inch infotainment systems, the Punch Accomplished+ S features a fully digital instrument cluster compared to the Nexon Creative’s semi-digital screen. The top-end Punch also comes with 8 speakers, which is superior to the mid-spec Nexon’s 4-speaker audio system.
Tata Punch top trim vs Nexon mid trim: Driving tech
Both Tata SUVs are almost on par in this regard.
Both the Punch Accomplished+ S and Nexon Creative feature drive modes and cruise control; the only difference being that the bigger SUV gets a ‘Sports' mode, which the Punch offering misses.
Tata Punch top trim vs Nexon mid trim: Safety features
The fully loaded Punch offers some more features.
Both comparable variants of the SUVs offer common safety features like 6 airbags, 360-degree camera with rear parking sensors, disc brakes on front wheels and an ESC. However, the Punch edges ahead with features like an auto-dimming IRVM, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and hill start and descent controls. Notably, neither the top-spec Punch nor the mid-spec Nexon gets an electronic parking brake or ADAS.
Tata Punch top trim vs Nexon mid trim: Prices
The Punch turbo-MT has a Rs 20,000 lower price tag.
In terms of prices, the turbo-petrol-manual Punch Accomplished+ S is the more affordable option by Rs 20,000.
Tata Punch top trim vs Nexon mid trim: What should you buy?
The top-end Punch is the better option because of more features at a lower price.
While both SUVs are well loaded with features, the turbocharged top-end Punch Accomplished+ S trim seems to be a better alternative. At a lower price, it not only gets additional amenities like a sunroof, a fully digital instrument cluster, more speakers, front fog lamps, an auto-dimming IRVM and hill start and hill descent controls, but it will also have better performance than the Nexon. The Nexon is bigger and more spacious, but its Creative turbo-petrol MT variant comes with fewer features at a higher price, making the Punch Accomplished+ S the more recommendable option.
Punch prices are introductory; all prices are ex-showroom, India.
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Saumil Shah
Saptarshi Mondal
Uday Singh
