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Tata Motors’ aggressive plans to unlock further growth for the recently launched new Punch (facelift) may involve a diesel engine
The introduction of a 118 hp turbocharged petrol engine in the Punch with the facelift signals Tata Motors’ bold ambitions in the powertrain area. The company may take another such step with the addition of a diesel engine in the future.
Despite the tightening emission norms and the expected high pace of transition to pure electric models, diesel models still contribute nearly 20% to India’s car sales. Most companies stopped selling diesel models in the sub-4 metre segment when the BS6 Phase 1 and 2 emission norms came into effect in 2020 and 2023, respectively. Tata Motors, though, continues to be present in this space and is showing no signs of a planned exit anytime soon.
While many of its rivals are scrambling to electrify their line-ups ahead of the CAFE 3, which will come into effect in April 2027, Tata Motors, which already has a wide EV portfolio and enjoys healthy EV sales, is open to adding a diesel option to one of its top-selling models – the Punch. Mohan Savarkar, the company’s Chief Product Officer, has said that the company will not ignore a potential demand for a Punch diesel.
When Tata Motors launched the Punch in 2021, it offered the model with only a naturally aspirated petrol engine. The company added a bi-fuel CNG version of the same engine in 2023, followed by a pure electric motor in 2024, and then a turbocharged petrol engine this month. Savarkar cited this progression to highlight the company’s readiness on the powertrain front, should diesel also come into the equation in the future.
Tata Motors is loud about marketing the Punch as a genuine SUV, and Savarkar says the potential addition of a diesel engine would reinforce its authenticity. Tata Motors had a small 1.05-litre Revotorq diesel engine earlier, which it used to offer in the Tiago and Tigor, but it discontinued that ahead of the BS 6 Phase 1 emission norms.
Developing a new diesel engine is certainly out of the question, which means Tata Motors would need to look at the 1.5-litre Revotorq mill from the Altroz. For now, however, a Punch diesel remains only a possibility and is still far from becoming a reality.
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