The Hyundai Creta is being marketed by the company as the ‘perfect SUV’, and on the first drive, Kushan Mitra found out that it really is quite nice. However, is it perfectIJ
The Sahyadri hills are bountiful during the monsoons, the lush landscape makes for stunning vistas and driving down the Mumbai-Pune Expressway is quite beautiful as the grey skies blend into the green peaks. But we had a different task, and that was to evaluate the new Hyundai Creta.
This is one of Hyundai’s most significant launches of the past few years. In fact it would be safe to argue that this is Hyundai India’s most significant product launch since the i10. The company has been buoyed by the sales success of the i20, the most expensive domestically produced hatchback to sense that they have an opportunity in a price segment above that product.
Hyundai India is so confident about this car that they have been teasing it in the market for a few months now. As such there were no secrets about the Creta on how it looks, and because the drive took place after the launch, the price range was also very clear. But this was the first time that automotive writers had the car for an extended drive. So how was itIJ
First things first. The Creta is not a small car, and Hyundai India has definitely made sure the car has SUV characteristics. It rides high, and the large plastic panels on the wheel arches and throughout the lower part of the car give the Creta a more muscular look. like all modern Hyundais, the Creta’s body panels have the requisite crease lines.
As such, looking at the Creta, even from the inside, there is little doubt of the car’s Hyundai lineage. Any Hyundai owner will have a sense of familiarity inside the Creta. Hyundai has added a spot of colour on the higher-end versions by specifying a dual-tone interior. The driver’s seating position is comfortable and rear-seat legroom is impressive. The Creta has a large boot, with enough space for a family’s luggage. The infotainment system on the top variants has all the features that one expects, including Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, coupled with full steering controls.
We tested both the automatic and manual versions of the Creta featuring the 1.6-litre diesel engine that has an output of 128PS.
According to Rakesh Srivastava, Vice-President, Marketing, Hyundai India these two models — which are the most expensive variants of the Creta priced at Rs13.5 lakh and Rs13.6 lakh respectively — have enjoyed tremendous interest with close to 45 per cent of initial orders being for them. There have been close to 20,000 orders in the first week and a half according to Srivastava. The Creta is also optioned with a 1.6-litre petrol engine with 123PS and a 90PS 1.4-litre diesel.
The automatic variant features a six-speed gearbox, an improvement over the four-speed automatic gearbox featuring on the Verna. The car is a pleasure to drive in the congested city roads of India, shifting smoothly between the gears and there was no sense that the car is hunting for the correct gear. There is no sense of ‘shift shock’, the jerking sensation that often occurs on less advanced automatic cars.
On the highway, though, the automatic gearbox appears to be tuned towards economy rather than performance. It does not accelerate particularly fast and appears to run out of steam at the top of the power band. Troublingly, the car we drove had a buffeting issue at higher speeds, one suspected that this was due to poor wheel alignment. Given that this was the second day of a media drive, where the cars are driven hard, this might have been an issue related to that particular vehicle.
That is possibly the reason that we found the manual version of the 1.6-litre diesel much more exhilarating to drive. The gearbox is well set-up and the engine’s flat torque curve means that it is punchy enough to accelerate quickly in third or fourth gear from low revs.
And it is very stable at high speed and on the highway where gear changes are less frequent. In the city, particularly an Indian city, a six-speed manual box feels like having one gear too many, but that is not a problem peculiar to the Creta.
Honestly speaking, depending on where the car is driven should determine which sort of gearbox should be invested in. In heavy traffic yet longer commutes such as ones between Delhi and Gurgaon, the automatic gearbox version makes the most sense. Shorter commutes with the occasional highway cruise could suit a petrol model, which are affordable at around Rs8.6 lakh onwards, although the base models are shorn of safety features.
If the car will spend a lot of time on the highway, then the manual diesel makes the most sense. While the bigger engine suits those who want the power, the smaller diesel engine is not a bad buy on paper, and once we test it we shall give a detailed review. In fact the smaller diesel option is a consistent option that the Creta’s rivals — the Duster/Terrano and S-Cross — have as well. This is targeted at the value buyer, people who feel they don’t need the oomph of a powerful engine, just the economy from a diesel.
Hyundai India is so confident about the success of the Creta that they have boosted initial production at the factory from 5,000 units a month to 7,000. They feel that Indians are spending more on cars and there is a shift to SUVs and Crossover vehicles. If they are right, the Creta could become a massive sales success. It may not be the ‘perfect’ car to drive, but it could be perfect for Hyundai India.