Here, we have a three-way comparison between the soon-to-launch Tata Punch, Maruti Wagon-R, and Maruti S-Presso
Tata Punch, the production version of the HBX micro-SUV, was launched a little while ago in India. The vehicle has a handsome design and an impressive equipment list, and it gets Tata’s tried-and-tested Revotron engine. It has competitive pricing as well, thanks to which the Punch has generated a lot of hype in our market.
Here, we compare Tata Punch with a few of its rivals in the Indian market, namely Maruti Wagon-R and S-Presso, to see how well it holds up against them on paper.
Tata Punch Vs Maruti Wagon-R Vs Maruti S-Presso – Design and features
The front fascia of Tata Punch is inspired by the Harrier, featuring a vertically split headlamp setup and a bold front grille. It also gets wraparound taillights, beautiful dual-tone alloy wheels, faux roof rails, and black plastic cladding all around. The overall design is quite muscular, and the Punch has a good road presence.
The Punch has a lot of features on offer, like projector headlamps, LED DRLs, LED taillights, 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, a 7-inch infotainment system, automatic climate control, keyless entry and go, cooled glove box, puddle lamps, and optional iRA connected car tech.
Maruti Wagon-R has an extremely boxy design, which is simplistic but attractive. At the front, it gets bulbous headlamps, a wide front grille, while at the rear, it gets tall C-pillar taillights. It has MPV-ish proportions, with a small bonnet and a large cabin.
Its top-spec variant comes loaded with keyless entry, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 14-inch steel wheels (with wheel caps), power-adjustable ORVMS (auto-folding), manual AC, all-power windows, etc. Compared to Tata Punch, the Wagon-R isn’t as well equipped.
As for the S-Presso, it has quite a sporty and muscular design, especially for a car with such tiny dimensions. It has an aggressive headlamp and front grille design, along with a boxy side profile and squarish taillights.
The features list of the S-Presso is quite frugal, to keep the costs in check. It gets manual AC, front power windows, keyless entry, central locking, manual ORVMs, 14-inch steel wheels (with wheel covers), a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, etc.
Tata Punch Vs Maruti Wagon-R Vs Maruti S-Presso – Powertrain
Tata Motors is offering a single engine option on the Punch – a 1.2L petrol motor, with 86 PS and 113 Nm on tap. Transmission options include a 5-speed manual and a 5-speed AMT. There are speculations that the manufacturer might add a turbo-petrol engine option or a CNG powertrain option at a later date.
| Tata Punch specifications | |
| Engine size | 1.2-litre |
| Engine type | Inline-3, petrol |
| Max. power | 86 PS |
| Max. torque | 113 Nm |
| Transmission | 5-speed MT/5-speed AMT |
The Wagon-R has two engine options – a 1.0L petrol unit (68 PS/90 Nm) and a 1.2L petrol unit (83 PS/113 Nm). Both powerplants get a choice between a 5-speed manual gearbox and a 5-speed AMT. The smaller engine gets an optional CNG kit as well, rated at 59 PS/78 Nm, available with just the manual transmission.
| Maruti Wagon-R specifications | ||
| Engine size | 1.0-litre | 1.2-litre |
| Engine type | Inline-3, petrol (optional CNG) | Inline-4, petrol |
| Max. power | 68 PS (59 PS with CNG) | 83 PS |
| Max. torque | 90 Nm (78 PS with CNG) | 113 Nm |
| Transmission | 5-speed MT/5-speed AMT | 5-speed MT/5-speed AMT |
On Maruti S-Presso, only a 1.0L petrol engine (68 PS/90 Nm) is offered, with the option of a factory-fitted CNG kit (59 PS/78 Nm). A 5-speed manual transmission is offered as standard, with a 5-speed AMT option available on select petrol variants.
| Maruti S-Presso specifications | |
| Engine size | 1.0-litre |
| Engine type | Inline-3, petrol (optional CNG) |
| Max. power | 68 PS (59 PS with CNG) |
| Max. torque | 90 Nm (78 PS with CNG) |
| Transmission | 5-speed MT/5-speed AMT |
Tata Punch Vs Maruti Wagon-R Vs Maruti S-Presso – Price
Tata Punch is priced from Rs. 5.49 lakh to Rs. 9.09 lakh, which is quite competitive overall, but rather expensive compared to the other two cars in this comparo. As for the Wagon-R, it is quite affordable, with prices ranging from Rs. 4.93 lakh to Rs. 6.45 lakh.
| Model | Price range |
| Tata Punch | Rs. 5.49 lakh to Rs. 9.09 lakh |
| Maruti Wagon-R | Rs. 4.93 lakh to Rs. 6.45 lakh |
| Maruti S-Presso | Rs. 3.78 lakh to Rs. 5.43 lakh |
The S-Presso is the most affordable among these three, priced from just Rs. 3.78 lakh to Rs. 5.43 lakh. It is also low on equipment, especially compared to the Punch, and in our opinion, it is the Tata micro-SUV that is the best deal among these three.
All prices mentioned are ex-showroom, New Delhi