The ‘big car feel for little money’ game is still ongoing. The advent of the compact-SUV segment saw more and more carmakers throw their respective hats in this particular ring. In fact, no other segment has as many cars contending in one space — there are almost 10 models to choose from and at nearly every price range from ₹ 5.5 lakh to well above ₹ 12 lakh. Tata Motors has brought the Punch to contend in the lower reaches of the compact-SUV segment, where Nissan’s got its own budget-end contender, the Magnite with the naturally aspirated 1.0-litre petrol engine. Having raved about the Tata Punch in isolation, I wanted to see where it stands against an established rival like the Nissan Magnite.
It isn’t just a question of which of the two offers more value for money, or even which is more successful on the sales charts. It’s clear that, on paper, the Magnite — with its ₹ 7.84 lakh, ex-showroom, Delhi price tag — is the value pick thanks to the number of features available on this top-spec XV Premium DT version. Meanwhile, it is the Punch that outsells the Magnite by a decent margin. Nissan announced the sale of its 30,000th Magnite at the end of November 2021, which means it took 11 months to achieve this milestone. The Punch arrived on October 18, 2021, and is said to have already gone to nearly 15,000 homes by the end of November, in less than a month and a half. What we’re trying to ascertain here is which one can offer a better SUV experience, since that is what both manufacturers claim these models are.
Denne historien er fra January 2022-utgaven av Motoring World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra January 2022-utgaven av Motoring World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
DESTINI REWRITTEN
With a pretty major design overhaul, has the Hero Destini 125 found a new footing altogether?
OLDIE'S GOLD?
History makes yet another comeback with the BSA Gold Star 650. Is it what you were hoping for?
THE HIGH OF THE TIGER
Triumph's big cat is in its most ferocious avatar yet
LAUGHTER HOURS
This! This is the greatest single of all time!
BULL'S EYE?
Audi's new flagship SUV — or a budget Lamborghini Urus?
DARK HORSE
The Alcazar is now available in a new avatar, and the multi-faceted SUV deserves more attention than it got in the past
CURVV-BALL!
Tata's new mass-market SUV coupe may have more than a few tricks up its sleeve
GIVEN A RAISE
The EQS SUV looks like an EQS sedan on stilts but it offers a lot more than that
FOR MUCK'S SAKE!
No scooters, commuters or old bikes... this year's Pune Off-road Expedition was serious work
ALL THE WAY UP!
Exploring the vast landscape of Ladakh with Renault India's lineup - why would we say no?!