The Tata PUNCH belongs to a family of solid SUVs from the manufacturer, positioned as the smallest sibling to the Harrier and the Safari. Can it PUNCH above its weight? We headed to the highest tea estate in the world on a pure 4x4 track to find out.
Kolukkumalai, perched 7,130 feet up in the Western Ghats on the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, holds the title of the highest tea estate globally. The peaks here are tall and craggy, featuring steep climbs and rocky trails. Getting up here isn’t easy. You can either trek up the mountain or hitch a ride in the 4x4s that jiggle, bounce and crawl their way up here. The views are spectacular, but so are the drops. This isn’t a climb for the faint of heart. The trail is just 17km long, but it is super tricky - rutted and rocky, with extremely tight hairpin bends, and even steeper climbs. Forget 2WD cars and SUVs, the locals know they will break down and don’t even allow them up here, lest the stricken car block access to the tea gardens. Only 4x4s are permitted, driven by local drivers with experience on this trail. So, the question remains: Does the PUNCH have the capabilities of grown-up SUVs? Compact SUVs often give off the impression that they’re just hatchbacks on stilts - hatchbacks with heavy lipstick and jacked-up suspension. Does the PUNCH break away from that trend? There’s no better way to verify it than by putting it to the test.
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