Tata Punch vs Citroen C3: Ride And Handling Compared

The Tata Punch enjoyed an unrivaled stint in the market before Citroen came along and introduced the C3. Both the micro SUVs are hatchbacks on stilts and are very closely matched in terms of features, price, or even powertrain options, at least on paper. But what about how they ride and handle in the real world?

That’s what we are here to find out today by pitching the two against each other in our ride handling and performance test. Let’s go:

Ride and handling

One of the main reasons for these micro SUVs to exist is the ride quality they offer in contrast to a regular hatchback. They take you off the beaten path and help you scratch that itch for an adventure.  

Now, both the Punch and C3 allow you to do that, but there’s a difference in the way the both go about their business. The Citroen C3’s ride is a bit on the softer side in comparison to the firm suspension setup of the Punch. What this means is that the former offers a really good ride in day-to-day city conditions, soaking up the small undulations and bumps really well. It feels cushioned and the bumps are rarely transferred or felt inside the cabin.

On the other hand, the Punch’s comparatively firm ride quality makes you feel the road surface a tad more. In city and highway driving, you do feel a bit of the bumps inside the cabin, especially over an uneven patch or expansion joints when compared to the C3.

But take the two cars off-road and the story changes. Here, the stiffer ride on the Punch comes in handy as it feels a lot more planted. The stiffer suspension does a better job of absorbing the bigger bumps than the C3 which can bottom out when pushed hard.

Mind us, both the micro SUVs feel very similar and we are nitpicking here, but the C3 does seem to bounce a bit more on rough surfaces, which increases the body movement on the inside. It isn’t uncomfortable in any sense, but the C3 does feel more at home on tarmac than it does on dirt.

Corner test

Road safe, check. Cones in place, check. Cars ready to roll, check. The first corner test which was done at 60kmph was a smooth one. Both the cars made it to the other end without dropping a sweat, although things were a bit lively in the Punch, which showed early signs of understeer.

Next up 65kmph. We can feel the understeer creeping in as soon as we start chucking the Tata into the corner and it becomes all the more prominent as the micro SUV goes wide and wider, knocking down two cones in the process. 

To our surprise, the Citroen C3 had another clean run. Yes, even at 65kmph, the C3 managed to just steer clear of the cones, but we could notice the front wheels beginning to slide a bit. Looks like it's time to up the ante. 

Next we take the corner at 70kmph, and bang, the C3 gives up, goes wide, and hits two cones in the process. Still, this is an impressive feat for the C3 managing to clear the corner quicker than quite a lot of cars we’ve tested before.

Braking

This test is fairly simple: take the cars up to the designated speeds, slam on the brakes and note down the distance in which they stop. The shortest recorded distance wins. Both cars come with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes as standard.

In the stop from 80kmph, the C3 bested the Punch by just 1.63m but the distance grew apart in the 100 to 0kmph test. 41.04m for the C3 and 43.21m for the Punch, the Citroen C3 won this round easily..

Price

Given the fact that the Tata Punch comes with a single naturally aspirated petrol engine option and the C3 only gets a manual transmission, we’ll be sticking to the price for their manual naturally aspirated petrol powered variants only.  

The starting price point for both cars is pretty evenly matched. But given the umpteen number of special editions that the Punch gets, its top-end price goes up to Rs 9.93 lakh, in comparison to the maximum Rs 6.8 lakh price tag of the C3 (naturally aspirated variants). 

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You do get a fair bit of features for that extra bucks as well, and that’s something that the C3 falls short of. But then, you do get a lower entry-level price point in the C3, which is more affordable by Rs 11,000 in comparison to the base-spec Punch.

Verdict

It really is difficult to give an outright verdict, given how the two micro SUVs match so close to one another. But in terms of ride and handling, the C3 just creeps ahead with its softer suspension that offers a well cushioned ride in the city. Even when you do get a bit enthusiastic with it, the C3 handles more than its own and that’s what makes it the winner of this test.

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But if you like to be a bit adventurous and take the trail not taken more often than not, then the Tata Punch might be for you. It tackles rough roads a bit better than the C3, and you can’t fault its more-than-decent list of features, thanks to the plethora of special editions. Although those features do come at a price, it all comes down to your wants and needs now, doesn’t it?