[pqr]

Hyundai Creta @10 : A Decade of Unmatched Success | Still the One to Beat



Spanning over two generations and respective facelifts (FL), the Hyundai Creta completes 10 years in July 2025. Over the last ten years, Hyundai has sold 12,68,050 units in India. 56% of all Cretas sold to date, have been with a diesel heart.

And what a decade it has been! Ever since the entry of Hyundai in 1998, the competitive rivalry between Maruti and Hyundai has always been epic - with Hyundai starting several new segments (Santro, Getz, i20) and Maruti (Wagon R, Baleno) trouncing Hyundai in the long term.



But the all-rounder Creta's story has been different. Hyundai taught Maruti, and everyone else who tried to take Creta head-on, a lesson in product planning. Proof that when you get the value proposition right, you don’t need to shout - your sales charts do it for you.

“Congratulations to Hyundai India for the sustained super success of the Creta, and Happy 10th Anniversary, Creta! Still making rivals scratch their heads and customers smile - now that’s how you age gracefully.”

[searacer932]

Just like how Hyundai redefined the premium hatchback segment by introducing the i20, they redefined the mid-sized cross over segment by introducing the Creta. The Creta had all engine + transmission options when it was introduced and that was the game changer. Till the Creta came, the Duster (with its outdated interiors and substandard features) and the Ford EcoSport (good car IMHO but may be cramped rear seats) were the first preferences for people looking to get a decent cross over.

Creta came and overhauled the segment and it had so much of success that the mid-sized cross over segment is now known as Creta segment!

That says enough about the Creta

[Venkatesh.C]

While the Duster deserves credit for its brave foray into an unexplored market, proving the existence of a prime segment for mid-size SUVs, the Creta truly capitalized on this by identifying and dominating the 'sweetest spot.' Hyundai achieved what Maruti should have done, and still struggles to accomplish. Creta is the Suzuki swift of the SUVs. Everyone's first aspirational SUV.

[Kosfactor]

The first gen Creta 1.6 Diesel was simply the best vehicle with that brand name, it is a very capable highway machine unlike the current one which has become more of an urban run about.

I have a different view on this, as much as I like the vehicle and it being the default choice especially the diesel AT in that segment I think there is a problem with this Creta business.

I think the brand Creta has taken a fall in terms of its once premium positioning. Along with that fall it has taken the brand Hyundai with it.

To draw a parallel, a product like Safari (not the sharpest knife in the drawer) has either held on to its positioning or has gone up a bit with its 35L pricing currently as well as 3 times the sales that it had 10 years ago.

[buzzy_boy]

The Creta story is undoubtedly an unequivocal success for Hyundai India.

However, I do believe that since the launch of the Creta, Hyundai's product planning has been caught napping.

Here are a few major misses since the Creta's launch:

1. The Alcazar (with much better packaging) should have been launched in 2017, not in 2021.

2. The Creta EV should have been launched in 2021, not in 2025.

3. Hyundai should have introduced a hybrid version of the Creta in 2021.

4. Hyundai should have positioned the Santa Fe slightly above the Fortuner with a more premium proposition — something Kia realised when they launched the new Carnival.

And there are many others. Take the Creta away, and there’s no other bright spot for Hyundai India. It's a sad state of affairs for a company that once succeeded in taking Maruti head-on — a feat nobody else managed.

[turbowhistle]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

I think the brand Creta has taken a fall in terms of its once premium positioning. Along with that fall it has taken the brand Hyundai with it.

As someone who just got Creta N-Line DCT last week, I would respectfully disagree. We looked at all the options we had in the segment and realized there's no better package for our usage.

I feel the product has evolved a lot and has kept up with current times. And even at 25L, I felt it was a tad bit expensive than it's actual rivals. And I would not compare it with full size SUVs, we have Harrier in our extended family and for all it's QC issues and flaws - it's still a class bigger vehicle than Creta simply.

Just look at the monthly sales number, none of the CSUVs have been able to sell the way Creta has sold for a decade. Agreed the last gen was an anamoly but current gen has rectified that beautifully and the car looks fantastic again. Don't think it's going anywhere for few more years atleast.

[dinesha]

But the pivot may have come late. The biggest worry for Hyundai today is that it has lost a lot of market share in the mid-SUV segment, with flagship Creta’s market share plummeting from 68% in 2018-19 to 30% in 2023-24. Maruti Suzuki’s Grand Vitara, Toyota’s Hyryder, Skoda’s Kushaq and Volkswagen’s Taigun have given the company a run for its money. It did not gain much ground in the large SUV space, with the Alcazar, a longer version of the Creta, receiving a tepid response. Nor is it going anywhere in the sub-compact SUV segment, with sales of the Venue stagnant.

https://www.livemint.com/auto-news/c...451634920.html

[Col Mehta]

As someone who took a plunge with the 1st gen Creta (with that tasty 1.6 D AT combo), bought another Creta (the 2nd gen Creta with that smooth 1.5 NA IVT combo), and almost bought another one last year, it makes me very happy to witness what this product has achieved. No other CSUV has been able to leave the kind of mark that the mighty Creta has in the Indian automotive space. It's just not the undisputed king of the segment; it defines it!

Even though we ended up buying the Seltos D AT last year, my heart still skips a beat every time I see the current-gen Creta - if only the center console was of a better quality. Sigh..

[Bane214]

Originally Posted by Col Mehta

As someone who took a plunge with the 1st gen Creta (with that tasty 1.6 D AT combo), bought another Creta (the 2nd gen Creta with that smooth 1.5 NA IVT combo)

Getting a Creta Electric now would complete the entire Creta Portfolio. That would be some story worth sharing with Hyundai. All gens with P/D/EV
And maybe the Hybrid coming in next gen

[Col Mehta]

Originally Posted by Bane214

Getting a Creta Electric now would complete the entire Creta Portfolio. That would be some story worth sharing with Hyundai. All gens with P/D/EV
And maybe the Hybrid coming in next gen

The next gen Hybrid is definitely on the card. Hopefully will be able to share that too. No EV for us though

[gtonsing]

I have the first gen creta auto petrol and I still say, looks wise, it is still the best looking one. The 2025 version design, in my mind, needs a bigger car. I am very happy with my car and if it was not for Kia's garage, I would go nowhere else if I was looking to change my car. Well done Hyundai India

[manojrajakrishn]

Originally Posted by buzzy_boy

The Creta story is undoubtedly an unequivocal success for Hyundai India.

However, I do believe that since the launch of the Creta, Hyundai's product planning has been caught napping.

Here are a few major misses since the Creta's launch:

1. The Alcazar (with much better packaging) should have been launched in 2017, not in 2021.

Your take on Alcazar is true! It should have been launched earlier. After I test drove a couple of creta's in the secondhandmarket. I settled for Alcazar due to the following reasons.

1. Better in terms of comfort, might be due to the longer wheelbase.
2. Can additionally seat 2 kids when needed for a long travel
3. Creta price in the second-hand market was very high; I was reluctant to spend more than 15 Lakhs for a second-hand car for the size and the seating capacity
4. Creta is very common in the market and lacks uniqueness in the market. Every second SUV on the road is Creta

But with all that said, Creta is in a league of its own, a trendsetter.

[car_guy1998]

Creta is truly the king of its segment, and it's an aspirational car for every upper-middle-class family within 25L of budget.

It is the car that I still wanted to have in our garage. Though we ended up buying different cars, i.e, OG T2 Innova and 4th gen Honda City in the used car market in 2016 and 2017, respectively over a brand new 1st gen Creta D AT that costed around 18L during that year, and when we were in the market in 2023, we still considered the Creta once again but we upped our budget a bit ended up getting the Innova Hycross Hybrid as dad wanted only Innova again and nothing else.

Even though we ended up buying different cars over the Creta, my heart still yearns for having one in our garage.

We have been considering getting the Creta since its launch, as dad liked it a lot, apart from the Innova, which he usually loves.

Since we will be in the market soon for replacing our 11-year-old Honda City, I have put my foot down and strongly persuaded my dad that we will get Creta only and nothing this time, as we missed buying this several times whenever we were in the market for a new car.

Told dad that if we get a Creta, be it in Diesel AT guise or in EV guise, it will be a one-time investment if we get one now and retain it for 10 years, just like how we are retaining our Honda City, which has been with us for 8 years.

In our circle, after 3 gens of Innovas and Fortuners, it is the Creta that most people own, no matter how much it costs.

If we end up buying a Creta now, it'd be bought either in Diesel AT guise or EV guise, though strongly considering getting the Creta Electric more than Diesel AT guise.

[Thyag]

The diesel train combined with the torque converter is one of the best in the segment, this is the exact area where the Ecosport failed miserably. The diesel engine is one of a gem, so smooth yet powerful.

I always hate seeing a creta in my IRVM, the car is ok - most of the drivers are not though, so restless, so impatient, as if owning a creta gives them that landlord effect for the roads. Above all flashing the lights continuously for way - no decent ways to explain my anguish fueled by rage !

All said, will I choose a Creta - Nope, Will I suggest to others - Never !

[fhdowntheline]

As someone who has owned both the Duster and the Creta (2020 model-diesel AT) , I would like to say the following:
The Duster was the real trailblazer in terms of affordable "anywhere" car that was also quite hardy, if tad utilitarian. But just like all pioneering efforts, it was not quite perfect. The Creta took that to the next level in terms of the cabin experience, smoothness and refinement. It is less 'forgiving' than the Duster in bad road/no road conditions, but for the majority of urban-semi urban Indians that is good enough because it offers creature comforts as a compensation. My experience of using the Creta in terms of its driving refinement has been the best as far as diesels go within 25L. And whatever the NCAP score may say, the Creta did feel quite hefty in terms of the overall body frame, even more so than the Duster (kerb weight numbers dont lie). Moreover, while the Duster felt every so slightly "floaty" at speeds exceeding 100 kph when lightly loaded, the Creta stayed firm.
Its not hard to understand why it is the segment favorite. It may not be the best in some of the features and capabilities, but it does everything a little bit better. No emotional highs and lows in terms of ownership experience. And that is more than one can say for its competitors.