Tata Punch SUV revealed; to sit below Nexon

The Tata Punch will be the brand's new micro-SUV. The company has released a first image of the new SUV in production spec, that was earlier known as the Tata HBX. The new Tata Punch micro SUV becomes the brand's smallest SUV and is positioned below the Nexon compact SUV. The biggest takeaway from the production-spec Tata Punch is that it doesn’t stray too far away from the concept.

• Tata Punch price announcement to take place in the coming months
• Expected to be powered by 1.2-litre NA and turbo-petrol engines
• Based on ALFA architecture, underpinnings shared with Altroz

Tata Punch: first exterior image revealed 

As mentioned above, the production-spec Tata Punch looks very similar to the concept showcased earlier, but has only been toned down very slightly. More importantly, the HBX adopts the family design language seen on Tata’s larger SUVs, like the Harrier and Safari, with a similar split-headlamp setup and Tata’s humanity line grille.

From the image released by Tata Motors, it can be confirmed that the front bumper and the body cladding have been toned down from the concept, but the squared wheel arches and upright stance still give it a proper SUV-like look. The dual-tone exterior paint options also create a nice floating effect for the roof. The Punch rides on a set of stylish looking 16-inch wheels.

Tata Punch: expected interior details and feature list

While the interiors have not been revealed yet, we expect them to stay closer to the concept with the dashboard design characterized by a free-standing 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and squarish air con vents. The Punch will share a lot of interior bits like the three-spoke flat-bottomsteering wheel, HVAC controls, and even the part-digital instrument cluster with a digital tachometer and analogue speedometeris with the Altroz.

Tata Punch: expected powertrain details

Two 1.2-liter engine options are expected to power the Punch micro SUV.  The lower-spec version will be a naturally aspirated unit that sees duty on the Tiago and the Tigor while higher variants are expected to come with the 1.2-liter turbo-charged version.

Tata Punch: expected price and rivals

When launched, we expect the prices for the HBX to start just under the Rs 5 lakh mark.As far as rivals go, the HBX will take on high riding crossovers like the Maruti Suzuki Ignis and the upcoming Hyundai Casper and also entry-level compact SUVs like the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger.