Tata Punch facelift achieves high adult and child safety scores in Bharat NCAP
Tata Motors recently updated Punch facelift has been independently rated in the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP), achieving high marks in both adult and child occupant protection evaluations. The scores underline the compact SUV’s focus on safety as it continues in the highly competitive entry-level segment.
In official results published by Bharat NCAP, the Punch facelift earned 30.58 out of 32 points for adult occupant protection and 45 out of 49 points for child occupant protection. These results support Tata’s earlier announcement that the model had secured a 5-star overall rating under the agency’s testing protocols.
Crash Test Performance — Adult Occupants
The adult protection score was derived from assessments in several impact scenarios. In the frontal offset deformable barrier test, the Punch delivered predominantly ‘good’ protection to key body regions of the co-driver, with the exception of the right tibia, which was rated ‘adequate’. The driver’s head, neck, pelvis and thighs were deemed to have ‘good’ protection, while the chest, tibiae and feet offered ‘adequate’ levels.
In the side movable deformable barrier test, most body regions again showed ‘good’ protection, with only the chest receiving an ‘adequate’ rating. In the side pole impact test, all measured parts of the adult crash dummy were assessed as having ‘good’ protection.
Crash Test Performance — Child Occupants
For child occupant protection, the Punch achieved perfect scores in both the dynamic score (24/24) and child restraint system (CRS) installation score (12/12). The vehicle assessment component contributed the remaining points, with the Punch losing four points in this area, bringing the total to 45 out of a possible 49.
Child seats for both an 18-month-old and a three-year-old test dummy were positioned rearward, and both recorded full points in the frontal and side crash elements of the test. The high overall score reflects well on the structural and restraint performance for younger occupants.
Safety Equipment and Specifications
The Punch facelift carries a robust suite of safety features across its range. Standard safety equipment includes six airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and ISOFIX anchor points for child seats. Additional driver assistance features include a 360-degree camera with blind spot monitoring, hill start and descent control systems, and an auto-dimming internal rearview mirror.
The tested variants in the Bharat NCAP programme were the Pure+ CNG AMT and Accomplished CNG MT versions, but the published rating applies to all Punch variants on sale.
Market Positioning
Priced from Rs. 5.59 lakhs to Rs. 10.54 lakhs (introductory ex-showroom), the Punch facelift competes with the Hyundai Exter, Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger.
