There are almost 10 lakh Hyundai Creta customers on the Indian roads. The Creta has been around for years and even until the last month, the mid-size SUV commanded a long waiting period. Hyundai has now updated the Creta after 3 years of its introduction in 2020. We drove the facelift around in Jodhpur and here is what we have to say.
Looks sharper than before
While the Creta facelift in the international markets received a different design language, the India-spec Creta got a “safe” design language. Unlike the previous version that came with polarising “Katana” DRLs, the new Creta gets a sleeker design thanks to the newly designed front-end and rear-end.
The front now gets connected DRLs with a lightbar, a new grille, a newly designed bumper and a new headlamp cluster. The Creta also gets dynamic turn indicators at the front and rear.
From the rear, the Creta looks much sharper as well. You get the new lightbar and much sharper tail lamps too. The position of the reverse lamp is on the bumper now.
The side of the new Creta looks similar to the previous model. There are new alloy wheels though. It gets 16-inch alloys, which are for greater comfort on the Indian roads. Overall, the Hyundai Creta looks like a safe design and will not polarise people as much as before. It is a much more acceptable design. With the popularity of the previous “polarising” design of the Creta, this one is likely to be much more popular!
Loaded to the brim
Hyundai has never shied away from packing their vehicles with new features. Even though the previous Creta was no slouch when it came to the features, the new one is armed with a lot more features. The layout of the dashboard has been updated and the top-end variant now gets two 10.25-inch screens positioned side by side in a curved enclosure. The colour of the upholstery has been updated too.
The new feature list includes a 360-degree camera, an 8-way electrically adjustable driver seat, Hinglish voice commands, a dual-zone climate control system, new seat upholstery and stitching, newly designed AC vents, and integrated rear sun window blinds.
There are USB C-Type chargers in the front and the rear. However, the connection to the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is through the regular USB only. The new Creta looks upmarket but there are a lot of gloss parts that are likely to catch dirt particles leading to scratches and swirl marks.
Is Creta safer now?
While the platform remains the same, Hyundai has now added 36 standard safety features to the car including all four disc brakes and 6 airbags as standard across the variant. The biggest safety addition is the ADAS Level 2 though on the higher variants. The ADAS helps the new Creta to stay in lane, do emergency braking, and a lot more to keep you safe. The new Creta is yet to be tested by crash safety rating agencies.
Better to drive now?
The 2024 Creta brings back the turbo-petrol engine option. The 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol with the DCT is the one we drove first. It generates a maximum power of 160 PS and a peak torque of 253 Nm. The integration with 7-speed DCT is really well done. The Creta does extremely well to accelerate and gain speeds and the transitions are very smooth. But when it comes to handling, it is not the most impressive car in the segment. You can feel body roll due to the soft suspension set-up. The steering feedback is better than before but still not very precise.
The diesel manual that we drove just after felt much better due to the heavier weight of the car. It was much more planted. Given the fact that many Creta buyers will choose diesel over turb0-petrol, Hyundai has done the job well. But the enthusiastic souls out there looking to buy the Creta should do shopping somewhere else.
Should you buy one then?
Hyundai continues its aggressive pricing strategy with the new Creta. It starts at Rs 10.99 lakh while the top-end variant now costs close to Rs 20 lakh. Overall, the new Creta has only become better than before. It is a very practical choice and with up to 7 years of warranty, one can lead a peaceful ownership journey too. The Creta is expected to rule the segment in the coming years as well and the popularity is only going to rise given the new design, which will attract a lot of new buyers.