Tata Punch facelift launched at Rs 5.59 lakh – Autocar India
Tata Motors has launched the Punch facelift in India, with prices starting from Rs 5.59 lakh (ex-showroom). This is the first major mid-lifecycle update for the sub-compact SUV since it was introduced in 2021. Apart from the exterior and interior updates that are usual with facelifts, Tata Motors has also introduced two new powertrain options with the 2026 Punch. Bookings for the new Tata Punch have commenced.
The Punch facelift is available in a total of six trims: Smart, Pure, Pure+, Adventure, Accomplished, Accomplished+ S. A single-pane sunroof is available as an optional extra on the Pure+ and Adventure trims for an additional Rs 35,000. At Rs 5.59 lakh, the new Punch's starting price is just Rs 10,000 more than the 2021 Punch, which was launched at Rs 5.49 lakh and went up to Rs 9.39 lakh. In fact, the top-end naturally aspirated petrol is now more affordable, while the new turbo-petrol is just Rs 40,000 more expensive and comes with additional equipment.
One of the major criticisms of the outgoing Punch was the lack of a powerful engine, which Tata seems to have addressed with a new 120hp/170Nm, 1.2-litre turbocharged engine borrowed from the Nexon. It is available with a 6-speed manual gearbox, and Tata claims a 0-100kph sprint time of 11.1 seconds. There's, however, no automatic gearbox on offer, and a possible reason for the omission could be that such a powertrain would have made it pricier while also overlapping with lower variants of the bigger Nexon.
Other than this, the Punch facelift continues with the 88hp/115Nm, 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol and the 73hp/103Nm petrol+CNG engines. Both are offered with a 5-speed MT or an AMT gearbox, with the latter being a new option for the CNG powertrain.
With this facelift, the Punch’s design is now in line with the Punch EV that was launched in 2024. It gets the same triangle-shaped vertically stacked LED headlights. However, the eyebrow-shaped LED DRLs are slightly different and are enclosed in a gloss black trim. The bumper has a black finish and features a silver surround for the air intake vents, giving it a more muscular look.
In profile, changes are limited to a smarter set of 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, and at the rear, it gets new LED tail-lights that are now connected via a light bar. Lower down, the black rear bumper features a new faux silver skid plate. The Punch facelift is available in a total of six colour options – Bengal Rouge, Caramel, Coorg Clouds, Cyantafic, Daytona Grey and Pristine White – with the first four being all-new additions.
Tata claims the new Punch has a water-wading capacity of 400mm and a ground clearance of 193mm. Its boot space is rated at 366 litres for the petrol variants and 210 litres for the CNG ones.
The Tata Punch facelift continues with a similar dashboard layout as the outgoing model. However, there's a new gloss black 2-spoke steering wheel with an illuminated logo. The touch-enabled climate control panel is also new and is similar to the bigger Nexon and Sierra.
The seats continue with a fabric upholstery but borrow the design from the Punch EV, albeit with a different blue-and-grey theme. What's new is that both the front and rear seats now get extendable thigh support. It also gets 3-point seatbelts for all passengers. And speaking of safety, the Punch gets a 5-star Bharat NCAP rating for both adult and child occupants.
On the features front, the Punch gets the same 10.25-inch touchscreen as before, but there's a new 7-inch digital driver’s display that's borrowed from mid-spec variants of the Altroz. The 2026 Punch also gets a new 360-degree camera and a new 8-speaker sound system (with four speakers and four tweeters). Other amenities include a single-pane sunroof, a wireless phone charger, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 65W Type-C fast charger, automatic climate control with rear vents and cruise control.
Its safety suite features 6 airbags as standard, ESP, rear parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), hill hold and descent control, ISOFIX child seat anchorages, auto headlamps and rain-sensing wipers.
In the sub-compact SUV segment, the Tata Punch continues to rival the likes of the Hyundai Exter, Citroen C3, as well as lower trims of the Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite.
All prices ex-showroom, Delhi.
Punch sales will start hitting a new peak, says Tata Motors boss
Tata Punch
₹6.22 – ₹12.30 Lakh
₹9,010/month
Starting EMI
₹9,010/month
Maruti Suzuki Ignis
₹5.96 – ₹8.43 Lakh
₹8,688/month
Starting EMI
Renault Kiger
₹6.41 – ₹12.04 Lakh
₹9,332/month
Starting EMI
Nissan Magnite
₹6.25 – ₹12.53 Lakh
₹9,010/month
Starting EMI
₹8,688/month
₹9,332/month
₹9,010/month
