The Tata Punch is among the most popular cars on sale in India, as it regularly appears near the top of yearly sales charts. While Tata’s smallest SUV directly takes on the Hyundai Exter, the Nissan Magnite in its naturally aspirated form is similarly sized and priced and also serves as an alternative to the Punch. We put these two compact SUVs through our rigorous performance tests.
Tata Punch vs Nissan Magnite price and specifications
Punch has more power, torque and weight than the Magnite
| Tata Punch vs Nissan Magnite specifications | ||
|---|---|---|
| Punch | Magnite | |
| Engine | 1199cc, 3 cyls, petrol | 999cc, 3 cyls, petrol |
| Power (hp) | 88 | 72 |
| Torque (Nm) | 115 | 96 |
| Gearbox | 5-speed manual | 5-speed manual |
| kerb weight (kg) | 1035 | 1019 |
| Power-to-weight (hp/tonne) | 85.02 | 70.66 |
| Torque-to-weight (Nm/tonne) | 111.11 | 94.21 |
| Price range* (Rs, lakh) | 6.20-9.72 | 6.14-9.27 |
*Pre-GST 2.0 prices
On paper, the Punch has a decent advantage over the Magnite in terms of engine size (+200cc), power (+16hp) and torque (+19Nm). Despite weighing 16kg more than the Nissan compact SUV, the Tata has higher power-to-weight and torque-to-weight ratios as well, suggesting it’ll be the better performer. It should be noted that Magnite NA prices start and end lower than the Punch’s.
Tata Punch vs Nissan Magnite 0-100kph acceleration test
Magnite 0.81 seconds quicker than Punch
| Tata Punch vs Nissan Magnite 0-100kph acceleration (seconds) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Speed (kph) | Punch | Magnite |
| 0-20 | 1.48 | 1.20 |
| 0-40 | 3.66 | 3.08 |
| 0-60 | 6.95 | 5.88 |
| 0-80 | 10.60 | 10.20 |
| 0-100 | 16.14 | 15.33 |
| 0-120 | 22.57 | 22.87 |
Despite having lower output figures, the Magnite is quicker to the 100kph mark by a 0.81-second margin. In fact, Nissan’s compact SUV maintains its lead from the start up to 100kph, but the Punch’s larger capacity and more powerful engine claws forward at 120kph, leading the Magnite by 0.3 seconds.
Tata Punch vs Nissan Magnite rolling acceleration tests
Magnite continues to outpace Punch
| Tata Punch vs Nissan Magnite rolling acceleration (seconds) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Speed (kph) | Punch | Magnite |
| 20-80 (in 3rd gear) | 15.58 | 14.18 |
| 40-100 (in 4th gear) | 25.77 | 21.43 |
Even in our in-gear acceleration tests, the Magnite is quicker than the Punch. The Japanese SUV is 1.4 seconds and 4.34 seconds quicker than its Indian rival in the 20-80kph and 40-100kph runs.
Tata Punch vs Nissan Magnite braking tests
Magnite out-brakes the Punch by a small margin
| Tata Punch vs Nissan Magnite braking tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Punch | Magnite | |
| 80-0kph distance (metres) | 27.54 | 27.38 |
| 80-0kph time (seconds) | 2.67 | 2.46 |
While both compact SUVs come with a front disc and rear drum brake setup, the Magnite comes to a halt from 80kph marginally quicker (0.21 seconds), and takes 0.16m less. This can be attributed to its lower kerb weight figure.
