The one-of-a-kind Kaziranga Edition of Tata Punch will be auctioned at IPL 2022, and proceeds from it will go towards conservation efforts at Kaziranga
Tata Motors is the official sponsor of this year’s IPL, and the carmaker has some big plans regarding it. The manufacturer will put on auction a special edition of Tata Punch, named ‘Kaziranga Edition’. The IPL 2022 auction event can be caught live from 12th to 13th February. The production of this vehicle will be limited to just one unit, thus making it completely exclusive. It seems to be based on the top-spec ‘Creative’ trim of the micro-SUV.
Tata Punch Kaziranga Edition sports the ‘Meteor Bronze’ paint scheme, or perhaps a variation of it. There don’t seem to be any noticeable differences in the design though. It should be noted that the regular variants of the little Tata crossover come with a rhino motif on the rear windscreen and inside the glovebox; Kaziranga is famous for the greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis), which is protected species.
Tata Punch comes loaded with features like a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a semi-digital instrument console (with 7-inch MID), automatic climate control, automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, climate control, dual front airbags, rear parking camera, keyless entry and go, cooled glovebox, power-adjustable ORVMs (auto-folding), etc. The car gets iRA connected car tech as well, but as an optional package.
Currently, Tata Punch is available with a single engine option – a 1.2-litre, naturally aspirated, inline-3 petrol unit. This motor is good for 86 PS and 113 Nm of peak power and torque, respectively. The transmission choices include a 5-speed manual gearbox and a 5-speed AMT, both of which send power to the front wheels.
The engine strikes a good balance between economy and performance, but it feels underpowered on the heavy little SUV. Tata Motors is considering more powertrain options for Punch, which will be offered in the near future. A 1.2L turbo-petrol engine is expected to be added to the range next year, and a fully-electric version of the micro-SUV (Punch EV) is also in development.
The price of non-special edition Tata Punch, i.e., the regular version, ranges from Rs. 5.64 lakh to Rs. 8.98 lakh (ex-showroom, New Delhi). The Tata micro-SUV competes with the likes of Maruti Ignis and Mahindra KUV100, and even Nissan Magnite and Renault Kiger.