The Hyundai Creta has had a dream run in the Indian car market from the time it was first launched in the year 2015. Only in the last few months of its life cycle was it challenged in a strong manner by the Kia Seltos, but that was the first generation. This week the Korean car maker launched the SUV in its second generation; one that promises a lot more than before. Amid the Corona virus scare and the ongoing last phase of transition from BS4 to BS6 emission norms, the arrival of new Creta has received a lot of positive response — a part of which is evident by more than 14,000 bookings even before the car was launched.
Looks
This is a new generation which just means you see a whole lot of changes when it comes to design amongst other things. The car is based on Hyundai’s global design language of sensuous sportiness. The façade gets a new signature face with cascading grille along with a very unique trio-Beam LED head lamps, LED DRLs and lightening arch C pillar. The profile gets SUV traits like square wheel arches and roof rails while the rear appeals with nice looking LED Lamps, a big spoiler and twin exhausts. The new Creta is 4.3 metres long and its wheelbase stands at 2,610 mm.
Interiors
There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to the cabin of the new Creta. The colour themes are a combination of 2 Tone black & greige (beige+grey), and there’s plush leatherette upholstery as well. Another appealing bit is the big 10.2 inch infotainment screen that apart from good functionality is very high on quality too. It comes with in-built navigation, is compatible with Apple Carplay & Android Auto and is connected to an 8-speaker sound system from Bose. The D-cut steering is a design highlight and compliments the instrument cluster really well. The feature list is indeed very long. Sample this the new Creta comes with an air purifier, blue ambient lighting, electronic parking brake with auto hold, 8-way power driver seat, tilt steering, ventilated front seats, driver rear view monitor and smartphone wireless charger. The second row is also not a bad place to be in as along with some great thigh support what you also get is a 2 step reclining seat, window sunshade, seat headrest cushion, usb charger and a centre armrest.
Connectivity
Hyundai has been taking a lot of pride when it comes to the connectivity options it has been offering in some of its cars off late. The advanced Blue Link offers over 50 connectivity features to make it more convenient and safe for the user. The car now gets voice command which can used to control features like sunroof open/close, seat ventilation control and climate control. Add to this in-vehicle assistance like dial by number, public holidays information and live cricket scores. You also get to remotely start the Engine and this time it will also work for the manual transmission vehicles. Remotely you can also lock/ unlock the door, get vehicle status information and also get vehicle alerts like geo-fencing, speed and stolen vehicle information. All this can now be done through a smart watch.
Engine
Just like almost every other Hyundai there’s a lot to choose when it comes to engine and gearbox options. There are 3 engines, all BS6 compliant which include a 1.5 litre Petrol that comes with 6-speed manual or IVT options and a 1.5 litre Diesel that gets 6-speed manual and automatic variants. But the one that is sure to bring a smile on the enthusiast’s face is the powerful 1.4 liter Turbo Petrol that comes with a 7-speed DCT and paddle shifts. At 140 PS it is a lot more powerful than the other 2 engines (both around 115 PS) and provides almost as much torque (240 Nm) as the Diesel engine. Mileage ranges from 16.8 kmpl for the Petrol engines to 21.4 kmpl for the Diesel. The new Creta also gets 3 drive modes (Eco, Comfort & Sport) and 3 Traction Control Modes (Snow, Sand & Mud) to take on different road and driving conditions. Hyundai also claims to have worked on the suspension to make it more suitable for the Indian road conditions and they are also promising superior NVH levels. The car also gets 6 airbags in top variant, hill start assist, rear disc brakes and a tyre pressure monitoring system.
Verdict
The new Hyundai Creta presents itself as one power packed product that offers everything a consumer can ask for. The base prices have also been pleasantly surprising as both the Petrol and Diesel variants start at Rs. 9.99 lakh (introductory, ex-showroom). This means all the fears about Diesels getting more expensive post BS6 compliance have been put to rest. The recently introduced Hyundai assurance is also working well with the buyers as it offers different warranty options from 3 Years/unlimited kms to 5 years/50 000 km.