Tata Motors had launched the micro SUV Punch and it is the safest car in India. With a Global NCAP safety test rating of 5, it is by far the safest micro SUV in the country. However, the market for micro SUVs is large in the country and there are many cars that are competing for this lucrative market.
Some of the key competitors of Tata Punch are Renault Kiger, Nissan Magnite, Hyundai Casper. While Casper is yet to be launched in India, Nissan Magnite is almost the same as Renault Kiger. Both the cars are manufactured in the same plant and almost have the same features. There a few differences between the Renault Kiger & Nissan Magnite. For the ease of comparison, they both can be considered as the same. So, in this let us see the comparison between the newly launched Tata Punch and the Renault Kiger alone.
Both the micro SUVs are of comparable sizes and there are also other options like Maruti Vitara Brezza, Hyundai Venue, KIA Sonet, etc., that are of the same segment. However, due to the presence of larger engine options and more premium features in these models, we can safely remove them from the comparison too. The price of both Tata Punch and Renault Kiger are also similar.
Tata Punch vs Renault Kiger
Tata Punch & are both good Micro SUV’s but they have their own unique perks and features. The Tata Motors’ Punch is a 5-seater automatic/manual transmitted vehicle that comes as 7 variants. Pure, Adventure, Accomplished and Creative are the manual transmission variants while Pure does not have an automatic transmission option.
The Renault Kiger is also a 5-seater and it comes as 5 Trims (RXE, RXL, RXT, RXT (O), RXZ) or 23 variants. RXL, RXE, RXT, RXT DT, RXT Opt, RXT Opt DT, RXZ, RXZ DT, RXT Turbo, etc., are some of the manual transmission variants. All these variants have their automatic transmission counterparts.
Dimension & Power Train
While both the cars are only available in petrol engine, it can be safely assumed that Tata will launch an electric model in the next year. With the huge success and demand for Tata Nexon EV, the Indian car maker will not leave the lucrative market. However, the plans for electric vehicles of Renault is not very clear and we are not expecting a launch of the electric variant of the Kiger in the near future.
The Renault Kiger is powered by a 999cc engine that produces a 71 bhp@6250 RPM and a torque of 96 Nm@3500 RPM. The vehicles come as Front wheel drives (FWD) with an average mileage of 18 – 20 kmpl. The Tank capacity is at 40 litres and the size of the vehicle is 3991 x 1750 x 1605 mm.
On the other hand, the Tata Punch comes with a 1199cc engine producing 85 bhp@6000 rpm with a torque of 113 Nm@3200-3400 rpm. The Tank capacity stands at 37 litre. The Punch is also FWD, front-wheel driven. The vehicle dimensions are, 3827 x 1742 x 1615 mm.
Both the vehicles occupy the lower end of the sub 4-metre vehicle segment and are evenly poised.
The wheelbase of Kiger is at 2500mm while that of Punch is 2445mm. Even with a slightly smaller wheel base, Tata Punch will be quick to make the 0-60 km/hr. Renault has given a slightly higher ground clearance than Tata in their Micro-SUV, 205mm. Punch has a decent ground clearance of 187mm. So, Renault Kiger can come in handy if you are planning to visit bumpy and slight off road terrains. At the same time, Tata Punch is no shy to take slight off-road trips.
Exterior, Features & Colour Options
Tata Punch’s exterior design includes a split headlamp, LED DRLs, and projector headlamps. Also available are fog lights, single slat grille – front, dual-tone bumpers, and dual-tone alloy wheels – 16-inch, C-pillar mounted rear door handles, 90-degree opening doors, and LED tail lights. They are all available on order with all the variants.
The interior of Punch houses features such as 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, cruise control, flat bottom steering wheels with mounted control buttons, two different drive modes (city & eco), height adjustable driver seats and Tata’s own iRA technology.
It comes in 7 colours namely, Orcus White, Tornado Blue, Tropical Mist, Atomic Orange, Daytona Grey, Meteor Bronze and Calypso Red.
The Renault Kiger on the other hand comes with LED headlamps, 16-inch alloy wheels, silver roof rails, LED tail lights, LED DRLs, and an integrated spoiler on the outside.
On the inside, the Kiger features an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), wireless charging hub, cruise control, climate control(automatic), fully digital console, ambient lighting, rear AC vents and an air purifier too.
The Kiger comes in 6 colours, Radiant Red, Ice Cool White, Caspian Blue, Planet Grey, Moonlight Grey, and Mahogany Brown.
Safety Features of Tata Punch & Renault Kiger
The safety features in Renault Kiger include 4 airbags, ABS with EBD, speed alert system, seat-belt reminders, and rear parking sensors.
As for Tata Punch, dual airbags for the front, rain sensing wipers, rear parking cameras, ABS with EBD, Rear defogger, fortified cabin, rain sensing wipers, automatic headlamps, front fog lamps with cornering function and the back seats can support ISOFIX for the safety of your child.
On Road Price & Resale Value
The on-road price of Tata Punch starts at ₹ 5.49 lakhs while the Renault Kiger starts at ₹ 5.64 lakhs.
The top end variant of Tata Punch, Punch Creative iRA Pack AMT, which is fully loaded, along with automatic transmission comes at ₹ 9. 39 lakhs. Comparatively, the Renault Kiger’s top variant, Kiger RXZ Turbo CVT Dual Tone stands at ₹ 10.09 lakhs.
When you buy a car, it is always important to know the resale value of the cars. Most first time car buyers, ignore this important factor and end up making poor buying choices. The average life of a car is 9-10 years in the world and most frequent car buyers sell of their cars in the first three years to upgrade.
Generally the resale value depends on the condition of the car, the brand, the availability of the model on the day, and other features like availability of spares, service centres, etc.
In this regard, Tata Punch has a slight edge over Renault Kiger. Tata has better presence in the country and the service network is wide. More importantly, with Tata Punch being launched only in the fag end of 2021, we can expect the car to be in production for at least 3 more years. However, Magnite and Kiger are more than 3 years old and the French automaker might discontinue the model soon.
Final Verdict – Which One Should You Buy
Both Tata Punch and Renault Kiger are compact, affordable SUV’s. While both the cars are equally poised with features and power train, Tata Punch has a slight edge over the competitors. The ability to customise the car as per your preference is one added advantage. Better safety and newer make makes Tata Punch the better option of the two.
What do you think? Will you buy the new model from the Tata or do you prefer the seasoned French micro SUV?
