Just went to have a quick look at the Creta (in the flesh) at a dealership in Noida. They had the top spec SX(O) Turbo Petrol variant in black standing in their showroom.
Here are my (personal) views/observations. All members and viewers are free to agree/disagree with me!
Also, sorry but I was on a time limit (had an upcoming meeting) so could not take any pictures. (But apparently had the time for a quick overview of the car!)
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The exterior was looking quite alright. I mean I do understand the other views/comments on this thread regarding this and I must say that it doesn't look all that bad once you actually see it in person. Sure there are, and will be, polarizing views, but I think if one was to get this car, he/she wouldn't mind the looks. I get how important exterior features are when you are buying a car, but we are all going to spend the maximum time inside the car. (more on the interiors later)
They also had a silver SX variant standing there, and I would go for that colour instead of the black. It looked much more elegant and poise. Also for the people that don't like that silver plastic panel, silver colour is the way to go. Can't comment on the other colours, since I haven't seen them yet.
On to the Interiors:
FRONT
So went ahead and took in seat inside. Now I've sat in the previous Creta and I must say that this is definitely a few steps above that in terms of the layout and quality. The plastics, switches, placement it all very good and also feels good to the touch. Now this is no BMW, or Audi, so yes, you will feel in "some" places the tactile feel "could" have been better, but nothing really to complain about. I did however find that the front seats are a tad bit narrow, and larger folks might feel this change. (I myself am pretty slim built and around 5'8", so had no issues. But my dad who is 6 feet felt this) This might be due to the large (and wide) center console as this takes up a lot of space in the middle. Props to Hyundai for including an E-brake as this frees up a lot of space in the center to store knick-knacks. It has a good driving position and a great view out over the bonnet, so that felt good. The screen is placed slightly lower than Seltos (as some people have mentioned online) but quite reachable nonetheless.
(I own a Seltos GTX+ as well, so have a good idea about this point at least)
The paddle shifters also felt great to the touch and upon pressing them, gave a good feedback. (on a stationary car at least!) The alloys that were placed on this car were NOT the diamond cut alloys that we all thought would be on the top spec SX(O) variant. Surprise surprise!
REAR
Coming to the rear, the seats are well cushioned. They have really good under thigh support, which is amazing, considering the size of this car and the segment. Even my Seltos doesn't have this level of support at the back. However after further examination of the seat, I realized that this id due to the recline of the rear seat. If you recline the seat to the second position (furthest to the back towards the boot) only then you can get a "good" level of under thigh support. If you change the angle back to towards the front (less recline) then some of this support is lost. The windows seem to be a bit larger than the previous gen Creta, and come equipped with the rear sun blinds (which is a damn good relief considering the weather in Delhi NCR!) The panoramic sunroof also adds a great feel to the cabin, as it is decked in all black interiors. I know many people like this as it adds a bit of sportiness to the feel.
So overall seems to be a comfortable place to be in at the back.
I know this post is quite long, so I will wrap it up with some closing thoughts really quick!
First point:
I don't understand why they could not include a 360 camera. I mean my Seltos has it, so why not include it here as well. They've pretty much got everything else here.
Second point:
And on the camera front, when I put this car into reverse, I saw the reverse camera and was shocked. The resolution was NOT GOOD AT ALL. I don't know if this is just an issue with this particular piece, but when compared to the Seltos (which is the car that will be used for all comparison's) it was not on the same level. Seltos's camera (even if you exclude the 360) has a smooth and crisp resolution.
Third point:
I mentioned above that many people will like the all black interiors in the top spec SX(O) but I really wish Hyundai would have offered a dual tone (like in the Seltos) colour scheme as well. I know for a fact that a lot of people prefer that look as well. (This might be a nitpicking, but when you are shelling out 20 good ones, I think its justified)
Last point: (I promise!)
Why is there no diamond cut alloys in this TOP SPEC SX(O) model? I did not like the ones on this car one bit! I mean come on Hyundai, don't shortchange us on things like this. When a company says top spec, it should look and feel top spec. I don't mind paying a bit extra, if it makes me feel good about my car.
In any case guys, I hope you managed to reach the end of this post. I may have missed out on some things here and there as this is a very long post, so apologies for that. Just wanted to try and cram in as much information as I could for everyone.
I myself have booked the top spec SX(O) in white, but might change to silver. Already have like 3 white cars!