In June 2015, I found myself in Pune driving the newly launched Hyundai Creta. The car had been out a few days earlier and social media reaction was stinging. In addition to the quips about the name that included some adding the prefix ‘ex’, there were also those who were complaining about the vehicle’s price—many had expected prices to start at under Rs 800,000 instead of the Rs 8,59,558 tag it came with. The company had sent out a release celebrating over 10,000 bookings a few days before the launch.
While driving from Pune to Lonavala down the expressway, I felt the car was quite well specified. I drove the top model back then. The petrol version. And if I recall correctly, it cost Rs 11.19 lakh. It was competing with the Renault Duster, the French carmaker having effectively created the C-segment SUV (C-SUV). Maruti-Suzuki also saw the potential of the segment and launched the S-Cross. But Hyundai was making a big punt with the Creta.
Cut to January 2024.
The Duster and S-Cross are not being sold anymore in India. In fact, Renault is just a small player in the Indian market. The Creta, however, has gone from strength to strength. And as I drove the latest iteration of the second-generation in and around Jodhpur, I couldn’t help but think of that first drive in Pune and just how far the car has come. In fact, Tarun Garg, chief operating officer (COO), Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL), told me that there had been over 980,000 units of the Creta sold till date. One in four Hyundai vehicles sold today is a Creta, and Garg says that in the C-SUV segment, the car accounts for almost one-third of the market share.
The latest Creta will not only help the vehicle smash through the million-mark in sales, it will also make sure it becomes almost impossible to be dethroned as the King of the C-SUV segment.
Also read: Automatic braking isn’t for Indian roads. Bharat NCAP should avoid making it mandatory yet
Looks, interior
Both outside and inside, the Creta has been given a big makeover, and a makeover that is unique for India. There was a lot of speculation that India would get the Hyundai-Tucson inspired Creta that is made in Indonesia. What India got instead was a brand-new design that is inspired by the new ‘H-Design’ that one can see on the Exter and the Santa Fe. The headlights and taillights are so dramatic that one does not notice that the side profile hasn’t been changed.
The interiors, particularly the console, have been dramatically changed. I particularly liked the block-like unit that the fully-digital instrument cluster and infotainment system holds. The trim around the unit does lend a bit of classiness and the way the passenger-side air-conditioner vent is designed is unique too. The layout of the controls is very ergonomic. I love the fact that there are physical buttons. Of course, there are enough charging points: front and rear, both USB-A and USB-C, and also a wireless charger. The upholstery has also been given an update, but despite living with a white-upholstered car (the IONIQ5) for the last six months, I am still not a fan. If there is a negative I can bring up, it was that the plastics used were not as good as one expects from Hyundai.
Also read: Audi’s four rings shined bright in 2023. But India still a small market for luxury cars
The engine
Creta’s higher variants have seen the addition of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and a new turbocharged engine — the 1.5-litre petrol that delivers 160PS of power, the same unit that does duty on the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Verna. There is also the 1.5-litre diesel with 115PS of power. The one I drove was the 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol, producing the same 115PS. Each version has manual and automatic transmissions, although the automatic transmission versions differ according to the engines. The model I drove had Hyundai’s ‘Intelligent Variable Transmission’ (IVT), which is what they call their Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).
Now, this is not a new engine and transmission combination for Hyundai. In fact, during the mid-2021 wave of Covid, I had the previous-generation Verna with this engine and transmission, and made several trips to and from Kanpur. And while it isn’t the most exciting engine and transmission, it is fuel efficient and importantly, easy to drive.
When you add ADAS to the car, on India’s modern highways, this particular variant of the Creta will be efficient and even easier to drive. I was supposed to fly back after the drive on 14 January. But Indian aviation suffered an epic meltdown, giving me more time with the car. I not only spent an hour at Mehrangarh Fort, I even took the car on the recently prepared sections of the under-construction Jodhpur Ring Road. After setting the adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist, the car pretty much handles the driving for you. That said, Rajasthan has a bovine problem, and ADAS or not, you must always keep your eyes on the road.
The new Creta will not sell for its driving dynamics. But as Garg stated again and again, consumers in India choose design and technology as their two key factors for buying a vehicle. Fuel economy is less of a factor nowadays.
The new Creta, with ex-showroom prices starting at just under Rs 11 lakh and going up to Rs 18.5 lakh for the turbocharged petrol with all the toys, is still incredible value. Especially for what you got in comparison to what I drove back in July 2015. And a million Indian families have thought it is of incredible value. The Creta isn’t going anywhere. Even if I can’t stand the new advertisement featuring Shah Rukh and Deepika. Although it is better than Jawaan.
@kushanmitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. Views are personal.
(edited by Anurag Chaubey)