7 observations of my Tata Punch AMT after 2200 km: Upgraded from a Figo

I get around 14-15km/l of fuel efficiency on mixed runs (city + free runs).

BHPian raju2512 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

After 12 wonderful years and 1,84,000 km, I parted with my 2010 Ford Figo petrol Zxi- Metallic Chill and replaced it with Punch AMT Accomplished - Tropical Mist

The vehicle was trouble free till about a year back when multiple issues started showing up, First was an AC compressor failure, then a change of bearing, gear shift lever cable (it took 15 days to get the correct spare), AC water leakage in the cabin and finally oil leakage from the engine which resulted in a major engine repair (took 5 weeks to get the car back).

Till then, I had spent a pittance on this wonderful car. First tyre changes at 65K, next at 135K and then the front tyres at 175K. All the parts are stock and no major overhaul till now.

The well-calibrated HPS, excellent ergonomics and driving comfort made it a pleasure to drive in spite of the slightly underpowered but eager Duratec 1.2l petrol engine.

Best-in-class AC, a wonderful music system, electrically adjustable OVRMs, RVM with antiglare features and theatre-style dimming cabin lamps were all VFM features that many of the cars of that time didn't have. It is one of the finest hatchbacks to have been made and no wonder there are quite a few old-generation Figo's still on the road.

Having decided to replace, the requirements were clear. Budget of 10 lakhs max, AT and petrol.

Vehicles considered

1. Honda Amaze CVT: The top variant was above my budget and the S variant didn't have a touchscreen display. Also, the poor mileage reported was a deal breaker
2. Maruti Ignis: Somehow the vehicle didn't connect with me. I didn't consider Baleno
3. Tata Punch: I read about the underpowered engine and the head-nodding AMT and I was sceptical when I took the TD. The TD changed my opinion and decided on the vehicle without having a look at other options

Buying and dealership experience

I walked into the Lakshmi TATA showroom in Ekkatuthangal to check out the Altroz. The car looked fabulous but decided against it due to the following reasons.

• DCT - Not sure of its reliability after 4-5 years and cost of service and repairs
• Turbo petrol - Same reasons as above

I was looking at NA petrol when the SA suggested that I have TD in Punch. I booked for TD and the SA brought the vehicle to my house the next day. Took the TD without much to look forward but the TD changed my opinion:

• Excellent feedback from the steering. As good as the Figo
• Very comfortable driving position and the bonnet line visibility
• Chiller AC
• Excellent sound quality of the Harmon music system
• It was my first time with AMT and I found no jerks or head nods. In Eco mode, it felt sluggish but in city mode the pickup was OK.

The choice was between Adventure Rythm pack and Accomplished. Decided to go for Accomplished since it had cruise control, a height-adjustable driver seat and PEPS for 40K extra

Booking was done in the second week of October and quoted delivery was the first week of December. It was fine with me since the monsoon rains would be over by then. But within a week the SA called and said the vehicle as been allotted and I could take delivery by End of October. Took delivery on 3rd November. The experience from booking to delivery was smooth and full marks to the dealer.

I have driven 2200 km till now and the first service has been done. The following are the observations.

1. First service was done at 1600 kms. Opted for 3M underbody coating which cost about Rs 1900/- Consumable for the first service came to around Rs 400/- The vehicle was picked up for service from my house and I picked it up after service. The service experience is good.
2. The vehicle feels much peppier now (is it due to the engine settling after the run-in period or some ECU update, I am not sure). In city mode, the engine revs up to 3000rpm before shifting
3. I get around 14~15km/l on mixed runs (city + free runs) and I got 20kmpl during a drive of 380 kms to Thiruvannamalai and back.
4. Gear shift is smooth (I am a light-footed driver) but a few mild jerks are noticed sometimes when the vehicle decelerates and shifts from 2 to 1 gear.
5. I noticed this when using cruise control. If you set the cruise control at say 90km, slow down and again press the restart, the acceleration is very fast and reaches the set speed very quickly. When I first did this I was startled by the acceleration. This could be used as a workaround when you had to do tight overtakes. Set the cruise control to a higher speed than your normal driving speed. When you need to overtake, press the restart cruise button on the steering wheel and zoom ahead. Come back to your driving speed by tapping on the A or B pedal
6. Except for trying it out, I didn't feel the need to use manual mode.
7. Vehicle quickly reaches 100 km/h and I didn't feel the lack of power. Beyond that, I am not sure

If you are planning to buy AMT, do a longish test drive and ensure it suits your driving style.

Enjoying the car and will update the thread periodically.

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