Tata Punch.ev long term review | Wrap up

The Tata Punch.ev has finished its stint in the Auto Today long-term fleet, and in this report, we detail our experience of living with and driving the electric SUV.

Model: Empowered + S LR
Test started: November 2025/13,592km
Current ODO reading: 16,900km
Total mileage: 3,308
Efficiency: 270km/charge

The completion of the Punch.ev’s long term stint with Auto Today coincides with the launch of the updated Punch.ev. With over 2,500km on the odometer, the Punch served me as my daily driver, and in that time it became the de facto recommendation to anyone seeking to get a small electric car for the city. There are many reasons to support this, and the primary of them being, just how fun the car is.

While there is a definite upgrade to the battery pack in the new Punch, the power outputs aren’t that contrasting, infact the new one has less torque and more power, and is a smidge (half a second) faster from nought to 100kmph, and this meant that one could really overtake anything, without as much as going 70 per cent on the throttle, which is a flex. The acceleration is of course addictive, but more than that, the compactness of the Punch made it even better to enter gaps that would otherwise not exist for a lot of other vehicles. And this is also where the handling becomes a highlight, with the battery in the floor, the weight is managed pretty well, and the Punch can really be hustled through corners and quick directional changes.

But the one thing that really made me prefer the Punch.ev over larger and more comfortable cars day after day is its ability to take punishment from our country’s roads. Despite its size, the Punch.ev goes over literally every single kind of undulation, pothole, speed breaker that the city throws at. I got so used to the go-over-everything capability that I had to re-learn careful driving every time I got into anything else that would break with the kind of punishment that the small Tata enjoys. Features and tech also makes the Punch.ev a very easy choice, which has only grown with the new one.

The IP works well, the infotainment is hi-res, the cameras are good, the audio quality is decent, and the seats, while being fabric and on the firm side, do get ventilation so it’s nice overall. While I did get an average of 275km every time I filled up the battery to full, there were instances when it would give much less, and this range anxiety meant I wasn’t too confident driving the Punch.ev around on the weekends. With the new one though, Tata has slotted in a bigger battery, so that is one of the shortcomings already addressed.

Specifications
Powertrain: Permanent magnet synchronous motor
Power: 122bhp
Torque: 190Nm
Battery capacity: 35kWh
Electric range: 365km (MIDC)

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