Tata Motors launched the CNG variant of their crossover SUV Punch on Friday at a starting price of Rs 7.10 lakh while the existing Tiago CNG and Tigor CNG have been updated. Tata Punch iCNG will be available in three CNG variants – Pure, Adventure and Accomplished
The new CNG variant of Punch is powered by a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine which gives an output of 84.82 bhp of power and 113 Nm of torque on petrol. But on CNG, the power decreases to 75.94 bhp while the torque comes down to 97 Nm
The 1.2-litre engine is paired to either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed AMT transmission. But Tata Punch iCNG has the AMT option only
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Another big change in the design is that instead of one big CNG cylinder, Tata Punch iCNG will use two cylinders of 30 litres each taking its total capacity to 60 litres. The cylinders are placed in the floor well of boot, so the customers will still have a usable boot space
The CNG variant of the crossover SUV comes with a 7-inch touchscreen and digital driver’s display, 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic climate control, projector headlamps and an electric sunroof. Tata has also added the sunroof in its simple petrol variants of Punch
Just like other CNG models by Tata, Punch iCNG also comes with several safety features like leak detection system and use of rust and corrosion free material. The car also has a thermal incident protection system in which the supply of CNG is automatically cut and the remaining gas in the cylinders is released into the atmosphere automatically. Tata Punch iCNG also has a microswitch which doesn’t let the car start if the fuel lid is open
The new variant of the Punch SUV comes with a switch in the cabin which allows the person to switch between petrol and CNG whenever they like. Tata Punch iCNG’s instrument cluster has also been updated to show a CNG gauge
The direct rival of the Tata Punch iCNG is Hyundai’s crossover SUV, the Exter CNG, which was launched last month. Hyundai Exter CNG comes with a four-cylinder 1.2-litre engine but gives a lower output than Punch at 67.7 bhp of power and 95.2 Nm of torque. Exter CNG has only option in terms of transmission – a 5-speed manual gearbox. Just like Punch, Exter also comes with an electric sunroof
The second rival of Punch iCNG is the CNG variants of Maruti Suzuki’s crossover SUV, Fronx. Maruti has powered its SUV with a 1.2-litre petrol engine paired to a factory fitted CNG kit. The four-cylinder engine gives an output of 88.5 bhp and 113 Nm torque on petrol. But in CNG mode, the power decreases to 76 bhp and the torque drops down to 98.5 Nm. Unlike its rivals, Maruti Suzuki Fronx CNG misses out on the sunroof
The ex-showroom prices of the three crossover SUV CNG variants are
– Tata Punch iCNG price – Rs 7.10 lakh to Rs 9.68 lakh
- Hyundai Exter CNG price – Rs 8.24 lakh to Rs 8.97 lakh
- Maruti Suzuki Fronx CNG price – Rs 8.41 lakh to Rs 9.31 lakh