Tata Punch CNG or Electric – what is better?

Tata Motors is constantly achieving new highs in the country. It has gone from strength to strength in the last two to three years. Last year, the much-awaited Tata Punch was launched. Tata played a big gamble by launching the Punch in the non-popular micro-SUV segment. Thankfully, for the brand, the gamble worked well, with Punch raking in close to 10,000 to 11,000 sales per month. Tata has also launched special editions of the Punch, with the latest one being the Camo Edition. So, what’s next for the Punch? CNG or electric? Which will be better? Which makes more sense? In today’s article, let’s talk about Tata Punch EV vs CNG.

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Tata Punch CNG

First, let’s talk about the Punch CNG, as it seems the most probable one. There are some strong rumours that Tata is working on CNG variants for the Punch. It makes sense considering CNG is much cheaper to implement. Also, more & more people are buying CNG cars, clearly reflecting their growing popularity.

What will change in the Punch CNG? The Punch CNG is expected to not get any cosmetic changes, barring the i-CNG badging. Feature-list is also not expected to change much. Changes will happen in the boot space as it will be limited due to the added CNG tank. Also, power figures will drop with the CNG kit. What about its expected pricing? The Punch CNG is expected to start from Rs 7.50 lakhs (on-road, Mumbai).

Tata Punch EV

Tata already enjoys a big lead in the EV segment. Its strategy of converting its ICE cars into EVs has paid great dividends to the brand. So it makes sense that Tata will also be working on Punch electric. The Punch EV is expected to get some cosmetic changes like new colours, blue highlights and EV badging. Feature-wise, it is expected to get some additional features.

What about its range figures? The Punch EV could share its specifications with the Nexon EV Prime. So we can expect a minimum claimed range of 312km. Being an EV, the Punch EV is expected to come with an electrifying performance. In terms of pricing, it is expected to start from somewhere between Rs 14 to Rs 15 lakh (on-road, Mumbai).

Now, one thing to keep in mind is that making Punch EV will also not be a very difficult task for the brand. Why, you might think? The Punch is based on the Alfa-Arc platform, which is a Gen-2 platform. This means that this platform was developed keeping in mind the requirements of an EV as well as an ICE. This means that Tata has already done its study before developing this platform and only the implementation phase now remains. This makes Punch EV very different from Nexon EV, as the Nexon’s underpinning were basically developed keeping in mind an ICE car.

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Tata Punch EV vs CNG – which is better?

We have talked about both the cars, but for which should you wait? Both the cars are quite different, it’s like comparing oranges to apples. The Punch CNG is a cheaper alternative, where you have to compromise on things like performance & boot space. Also, the starting investment is low and also CNG is slightly cheaper than petrol & diesel. However, if you have a budget that can be pushed, waiting for the Punch EV will definitely make more sense.

You get a product that offers great performance as well as savings. However, range can be an issue for EVs which needs to be kept in mind while making the final decision. So, in the end, it depends upon your budget and needs for which one is better.

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