Tata Punch EV to borrow 10.25-inch infotainment screen, steering wheel from Nexon facelift

Tata Motors will announce the pricing for the Punch EV around a month after the heavily updated Nexon EV that was launched on September 14. While the Punch EV will not see major styling tweaks, there are quite a few feature upgrades in the pipeline, most of which are from the Nexon EV facelift.

1. Punch EV to get unique styling elements
2. 10.25-inch infotainment on higher variants
3. Could get a sunroof in higher variants

Tata Punch EV: what do the spy shots reveal?

In its final stages of road testing ahead of its market launch, we caught the Punch EV test mule doing almost 100kph on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The test mule seemed to be a close-to-production unit with equipment that would make it to the final production car.

First up, the Punch EV seen in the spy shot had an LED headlamp set-up, which is not available on the standard petrol-powered Punch. Secondly, a quick peek at the interior not only confirmed the all-new Nexon-like steering wheel with an illuminated logo but also a much larger, horizontally oriented infotainment screen. 

Tata Motors recently unveiled the Nexon EV facelift with a much larger 12.3-inch infotainment screen, along with a 10.25-inch unit for the mid-variants, and we expect higher variants of the Punch EV to be equipped with the latter. The Punch EV’s direct rival, the Citroen eC3, also comes with a similarly sized infotainment screen.

Tata Punch EV: will it get a sunroof?

While the Punch petrol line-up recently got sunroof in some variants, it remains to be seen if Tata Motors equips the Punch EV with the same. If equipped with a sunroof, it will be the most affordable EV in India to get this feature as its direct rival the Citroen eC3 does not get one.

Additionally, as we've reported before, the Punch EV will come with Tata’s Ziptron powertrain, and will be the first EV by the carmaker to get a charging socket on the front bumper. There will be some styling tweaks as well, along with a different alloy wheel design and disc brakes on four wheels as standard.

Tata Punch EV: powertrain and range

The Punch EV will be based on the ALFA platform with Tata’s Gen-2 EV architecture, which essentially is an ICE to EV conversion with major modifications. It will come with a liquid-cooled battery and a permanent magnet synchronous motor powering the front wheels. Like with the Tigor, Tiago and Nexon EVs, Tata Motors could offer the Punch EV with two different battery sizes and charging options.

Tata Punch EV rivals

The Punch EV will take on the Citroen eC3 in the Indian market. It will be positioned below the Nexon EV MR but above the Tiago EV hatchback. Sources tell us that it will be positioned as an SUV alternative to the Tigor EV sedan, which now sees a major chunk of its sales coming from its XPRES-T EV fleet.