Tata Punch vs Nissan Magnite vs Renault Kiger – The New-Gen of Entry-Level Micro-SUVs Compared

The magic touch of SUVs has reached the entry-level car space too! Say hello to the new breed of micro-SUVs, which are essentially jacked-up hatchbacks with increased ground clearance and few styling bits to make them look rugged over conventional hatchbacks. Till the beginning of 2021, this segment was restricted to only two offerings – Maruti Suzuki Ignis and Mahindra KUV100. However, the segment has now become hotter than ever with the debut of three all-new players – Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger and the most recent, the Tata Punch.

With the overall styling inspired by bigger Tata SUVs like Harrier and Nexon, the new Tata Punch aims to account for 10 per cent of total sales numbers of SUVs in India. However, this ambitious plan is not going to be a cakewalk, for it has the Magnite and Kiger in its crosshairs. Here’s a spec-to-spec comparison of the all-new Tata Punch with both Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger:

Exterior and dimension

Both the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger share the same wheelbase of 2500mm, fuel tank capacity of 40 litres and ground clearance of 205mm. However, the overall design language of both cars makes them look completely different with distinctive stances. While the Kiger is taller than the Magnite, the latter is longer and wider here.

The Tata Punch might be having a lower ground clearance and is smaller than the other two in terms of length and width, but it is the tallest of the three here. Talking about the boot space, the Kiger offers the most – 405 litres.

Design and features

All these three offerings here – Tata Punch, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger – look completely different from each other but do offer the most modern styling elements and features in the price segment in which they are available.

On the outside, all the three micro-SUVs look rugged with body cladding all around, fog lamps, daytime running LEDs and 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. While the Punch gets halogen projector headlamps, the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger get flashier and brighter LED headlamps and fog lamps.

The list of in-cabin features is more or less the same in all the three cars, with common inclusions like a tilt-adjustable steering wheel with audio, Bluetooth and voice command buttons, electrically adjustable and foldable rearview mirrors, push start-stop button and touchscreen infotainment system with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. While the Tata Punch gets automatic climate control, the other two cars offer a full TFT instrument console (part-TFT in the Punch) and optional add-ons like wireless charger, puddle lamps, air purifier and ambient lighting. The Kiger is the only car here to offer rear AC vents.

Engine and performance

Based on the same platform, both the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger share the same 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. This engine is available in both naturally aspirated (NA) and turbocharged versions – while the NA version makes 72 PS of power and 96 Nm of torque, the turbocharged version pumps out 100 PS of power and 160 Nm of torque. A 5-speed manual gearbox is standard in both versions of the engine in both cars. While the turbocharged version of the engine in both cars is offered with an optional CVT gearbox, the NA version of the engine in the Kiger also comes with a 5-speed AMT gearbox.

On the other hand, the Tata Punch will be solely available with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine – the same engine that powers other compact Tata offerings like Tiago, Tigor and Altroz. The performance numbers of this engine are somewhere in the middle of the NA and turbo-petrol versions of the Magnite and Kiger – 86 PS of power and 113 Nm of torque. This engine is available with both 5-speed manual and 5-speed AMT gearbox options.

Safety features

Apart from the standard list of safety features like dual front airbags, ABS and reverse parking sensors, all three cars here get a reverse camera, EBD and ISOFIX mounts for child seats. The Magnite and Kiger go one step further by offering a tyre pressure monitoring system, traction control and electronic stability control. While the Kiger is the only car here that misses out on connected car technology, the Magnite is the only car to offer the feature of a 360-degree camera.

Price

Both the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger shook the sub-compact SUV space with their attractive pricing, which not only undercut all the sub-four metre SUVs but also most of the premium hatchbacks too. While the Nissan Magnite is priced between Rs 5.71-9.16 lakh for the manual gearbox variants and Rs 8.51-10.05 lakh for automatic variants, the Renault Kiger is not too far behind, with price ranges of Rs 5.64-9.21 lakh for the manual and Rs 7.04-10.09 lakh for the automatic variants.

The prices of Tata Punch will be announced on 20th October 2021 and given the history of Tata Motors of pricing its products competitively, the Punch might be priced below the naturally aspirated variants of both the Magnite and Kiger.

(all prices Ex-showroom, Delhi)

(All prices mentioned above are ex-showroom, pan India)

Verdict

Both the Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger have set the bars high with their excellent pricing, which make them terrific value-for-money offerings. The Tata Punch will squarely aim at the naturally aspirated variants of the Magnite and Kiger and has some strong points in favour, such as a fresh new design, tall stance and Tata’s trademark reliance on the aspect of safety. It all boils down to what price points the Tata Punch will be offered, as both Magnite and Kiger are larger and better-equipped cars than the Punch. If you’re looking forward to buying either the Nissan or the Renault during this Diwali 2021, we suggest waiting for Tata’s pricing.