[Aditya]

The Hyundai Creta Facelift is on sale in India at a price of between Rs. 9.44 - 15.04 lakhs (ex-Delhi).

What you’ll like:

• A smart-looking urban SUV. The same successful formula, now improved in the 2018 avatar
• Well packaged interiors offer sufficient legroom & headroom
• New goodies: Sunroof, electric driver's seat, smartkey cum fitness band, cruise control, Auto Link & wireless charging
• 1.6L petrol & diesel engines are top class. Refined 6-speed AT available with both
• Butter-smooth nature! NVH levels are simply outstanding
• Balanced suspension offers comfortable ride quality with neutral handling
• Safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, hill-start assist & more
• Hyundai's reliability, competent after-sales & 3 year unlimited km warranty

What you won’t:

• Premium pricing strategy continues! The pricey Creta has only gotten more expensive with time
• Many missing essentials (telescopic steering, auto-folding mirrors, auto-headlamps & wipers...)
• Weirdly, the ATs are still unavailable in the top SX(O) variant! You can't have an automatic with 6 airbags
• The Automatics need stronger brakes. Their stopping ability isn't confidence inspiring
• Rear seat is more suitable for 2 adults, not 3
• Variant planning has several errors (e.g. split seats & ISOFIX unavailable on the MTs)
• No AWD capability like the Duster, XUV500 & Hexa. Adventure tourers, look elsewhere
• Some competitors offer you 7 seats for the same money

[Aditya]

Since the Hyundai Creta has already been reviewed by Team-BHP, this report will only focus on changes made to the facelift. To read the full official review, click here.

[Aditya]

When it was launched in 2015, the Hyundai Creta stormed straight to the lead of the Crossover (monocoque SUV) market in India. The Creta simply didn't have any strong competition; the combination of good styling, Hyundai badge, modern product (which the Duster wasn't) and generally meeting all the crucial customer criteria made it an overnight success, despite the stiff price tag & many variant goof-ups. It was only after Maruti introduced the smaller + cheaper Vitara Brezza that it lost the no.1 position among crossovers. Even so, the Creta has been the king of the 10 - 20 lakh segment. It has consistently sold more than 9,000 units every month and occasionally, even gone past the 10,000 mark. This makes it the most popular Hyundai car in India, along with the Grand i10 and Elite i20. That's particularly impressive when you consider its premium pricing - we still think it's priced a lakh over where it should be. Other than the equally successful Innova Crysta, there's no million+ rupee car in the history of the Indian auto scene that has generated such volumes.

To maintain that sales momentum comes this 2018 facelift. Perfectly timed, we say. Has the facelift been well received? Well, it got almost 15,000 bookings in the first 10 days alone!

Hyundai has kept the Creta's appeal strong by bringing updates that were missing in the original launch. In 2016, the company introduced an automatic variant of the Creta petrol and now, it has brought this facelift. On the outside, the 2018 Creta gets some cosmetic changes and a couple of new body colours, while on the inside, more features have been added. These include a sunroof, electrically-adjustable driver's seat, a smartkey cum fitness band, wireless phone charging and AutoLink connected car technology. Additionally, the instrument cluster and infotainment system have been updated, while an auto-dimming IRVM (finally!!!) & cruise control have been provided. Apart from these changes, Hyundai has dropped the S+, SX+, SX+ AT, SX+ Dual Tone and SX+ (SE) variants. Things have been simplified and there are broadly 5 trim levels to choose from now, but it's not all perfect (e.g. AT gets features the MT doesn't).

Test mules of the Creta Facelift were first spotted by BHPians Veeru27 (link) and Insane Devil (link). Team-BHP also brought you the first undisguised image of the car (link) in April 2018 .



The Creta retains the same engines and transmissions as before. These include a 1.6L Petrol (MT and AT) making 121 BHP & 151 Nm, a 1.4L Diesel (MT) producing 90 BHP & 220 Nm and a 1.6L Diesel (MT and AT) developing 126 BHP & 260 Nm. While there are no changes to the 1.6L petrol or 1.4L diesel, the 1.6L diesel's torque is now spread over a slightly wider revv range. Offering an MT & AT with the petrol & diesel, both, surely works to the Creta's advantage. It's not easy to do that; even giants aren't able to. Case in point = the Vitara Brezza still doesn't have a petrol engine and diesel ATs are rare (unless you consider jerky AMTs or 7-seaters).

As before, ABS with EBD is standard across the range. The safety pack of the top variant includes 6 airbags, traction control, ESP, VSM and hill-start assist. Here, Hyundai should move with the times. When Toyota is launching a cheaper Yaris with 7 airbags as standard even on the base trim, why is Hyundai restricting the max safety kit only to the topmost variant? The Creta comes with a 3-year unlimited km warranty & roadside assistance; an extended warranty till 5 years is available and recommended.

So, what's new on the outside?

Must say, the front looks smart. It gets a bold trapezoidal grille like the Tucson. The headlamps get revised detailing and merge with the grille in an Audi-like manner. The bumper is new and houses LED DRLs. The design has become a lot more aggressive compared to the understated front end of the outgoing version:


Not much has changed at the rear. That's sad because the rear has been the most boring part of the Creta. The only changes include reworked tail-lamps and a new bumper. At the minimum, Hyundai should have given it snazzy LED tail-lamps:


Except for the new alloy wheels, there are no changes to the side profile. This 'Marina Blue' metallic shade along with another colour - 'Passion Orange' - has just been introduced (check it out here). Orange & White Cretas are available in dual-tone too, with a black roof. The dual-tone Cretas get darker interiors (e.g. black dashboard, no beige):


The overall design of the headlamps remains the same as before. However, the detailing has changed. Like earlier, they have halogen projectors, cornering lamps and turn-indicators. The LED pilot lamps have been deleted though. The flow of the chrome insert has been revised as well:


A peek at the detailing on the turn-indicator. Notice the two horizontal slats:


With all the lights in action:


The hexagonal front grille wears a thick chrome border and silver horizontal slats. It is intimidating. Look closely and you will notice that the vents in the upper half of the grille are sealed:


Smart honeycomb mesh detailing behind the badge:


New bumper features more cuts and creases than before and houses a wide, black air-dam with a thick silver border and a thin black insert. LED DRLs are placed on the bumper:


LED DRLs are located in deep recesses and double up as pilot lamps. They come on only when the handbrake is disengaged (I spent some time going back & forth during the photoshoot ). Foglamps are smaller on the 2018 car:


DRLs are bright & prominent, even under sunlight. They are smart - among the better-looking DRLs we've seen:


Tow-hook cap is located on the right and has an arrow indicating where you should press to remove it:


Dark silver plastic skid plate adds to the "SUV" look, but it obviously has no function on this FWD car. Purely aesthetics:


The SX(O) variant comes with a fitness band, which doubles up as a smartkey. Charging is via a USB cable. The car can be opened & started by just wearing this band on your wrist (no need for the key). It also displays the time, has an alarm and functions as a sleep monitor, step counter & calorie counter. It'll show incoming calls as well. This is a first-in-segment feature. IMHO it's a good-looking smartwatch and has utility value too. We see Creta owners wearing this on a daily basis (notice how popular Fitbits are):


New dual-tone diamond cut 17" alloy wheels shod with 215/60 section rubber on the SX AT, SX Dual Tone and SX(O) variants look funky. Hyundai has gone with GoodYear Assurance tyres, which provide sufficient grip levels. Lower variants come with 16" rims & 205/65 section tyres:


The Creta no longer gets raised roof rails. They have been replaced by flush-fitting units:


SX AT and SX(O) variants get a very-welcome sunroof! At this price, we would have liked the sunroof to be a size bigger though. This one is smaller than expected:


Like the headlamps, the tail-lamp clusters get revised detailing. The various lights have been rearranged as well. We reiterate that Hyundai should have spiced up the rear with snazzy LED tail-lamps. These are rather boring:


Reflectors on the sides of the tail-lamps have been tweaked:


With all the lights in action. Both clusters get reversing lamps, although rear foglamps haven't been provided:


On applying the brakes, only the outermost bulbs light up:


Rear bumper features a larger black insert which extends all the way up to the tailgate. The skid plate has been redesigned. Some of you will find the skidplate to be too big (we liked it). As before, four parking sensors have been provided:


Another look at the fake skid plate that's grown in size:


Rear tow-hook cap is now located on the skid plate. Earlier, it was on the black insert of the bumper:


Safety reflectors have become shorter:


Side by side with the outgoing model. Larger grille dominates the front and gives the new car a more imposing appearance, although the older one looks classier:


Larger rear skid plate and black insert of the bumper make the new car look a bit more rugged:


Except for the flush fitting roof rails & new rims, the cars look identical from the side:

[Aditya]

So, what's new on the inside?

On the inside, Hyundai has not made any major changes to the Creta. However, it has added some first-in-segment features such a 6-way electrically adjustable driver's seat and wireless smartphone charger. Other new features include a sunroof, sliding driver armrest and cruise control. Additionally, the infotainment system and MID have been revised. Unfortunately, there has been some cost cutting as well. The SX(O) variant no longer gets an alloy wheel as a spare.

These black & beige themed interiors look nice. The beige isn't very light like in some other cars. Overall, it's a neutral & user-friendly design:


The leather-wrapped steering wheel is also the same, except for a few extra buttons on the spokes. The horn pad is convenient to access. Press it and a very sweet-sounding wind-tone horn is heard. It sounds better than even some of the horns found in European cars:


Buttons for the infotainment system, telephony and voice commands are placed on the left spoke. Mute button is very useful. The detailing on the buttons to answer or disconnect a call, which was in red and green earlier, is now in white.

Buttons for operating the MID and newly added cruise control are placed on the right spoke. To engage cruise control, press the 'cruise' button, push the toggle switch downward and a SET indicator is displayed on the MID. Increase or decrease your speed by moving the same switch upwards or downwards:


Instrument cluster sports the same design as before. The dials have been carried over. However, the MID has changed and now comes with the same functions as seen in the Verna. The digital fuel + temperature gauges are now housed inside the dials:


A short system check is performed every time you start the car:


The MID shows average and instant fuel consumption, distance-to-empty counter, a single trip meter, digital speedometer & outside temperature reading. The trip meter shows the distance travelled, average consumption and time taken:


The MID also displays a trip summary when you switch the car off:


The illumination of the instrument cluster can be altered (21 levels of adjustment). In the MT, a gearshift suggesting tool has been provided. The parking sensor display comes up as soon as reverse gear is engaged. If the key is moved outside the vehicle, the MID pops a warning for the same. The prompt that was displayed to tell you to straighten the steering wheel before you start driving has been left out. The prompt warning the user about the traction control being switched on or off has been left out too:


To change the MID settings, engage the handbrake (park gear position for the automatic). Parameters that can be customised include functioning of the auto-locking & unlocking of the doors. Also new = auto-locking doors are finally standard on all variants:


Follow-me-home lights & number of flashes for the 'lane change indicator':


Uniquely, the MID also displays the position of the lights and front + rear wipers (as you adjust their respective stalks). These readouts appear for a few moments whenever their positions are changed. Trust Hyundai to come up with these little feel-good touches (is Maruti listening?). The displays can be turned off as well:


Other readouts that can be altered include the auto reset of the fuel economy, the display of the fuel efficiency readouts and the temperature unit of measurement. When you change the temperature unit, the display on the climate control system also changes accordingly:


The MID also tells you when the service is due, in terms of months and kilometers. These can be set by the user:


If traction control is switched off, a warning indicator comes on at the top of the instrument cluster:


MID has a gearshift indicator. Newbies will appreciate. It shows which gear you should shift to in order to obtain the best fuel economy. As an example, if you are in 4th and revving hard, it will tell you to shift straight to 6th!


When the cruise control function is engaged, an indicator appears on top of the MID. The feature can be engaged above 28 km/h:


The MID displays the specific door that is open. Neat touch - It shows you the motion of the door being opened (albeit with a little lag):


Boot open? It'll flash on the MID. This is useful - most cars have ajar warnings for the doors only. There's no warning for the bonnet though:


A scan tool (provided with the car) can be connected to the OBD port. It helps owners stay connected to their cars through a smartphone app called AutoLink:


This is the setup screen:


Auto Link helps owners keep a check on the vehicle's health, monitor the driving pattern, get their driving history (distance, time, FE, hard braking, aggressive acceleration - good if you have a chauffeur), get the parking location & time, call for roadside assistance, book a service appointment, check dealer locations etc. Don't miss the driving score & rank. This is so cool


In terms of design, upholstery and comfort, the front seats remain unchanged. It would have been nice if Hyundai had provided ventilated seats like the Verna's. After all, the Creta is the more expensive car and depriving it of features that cheaper siblings get leaves a very bad taste in the mouth. Front seatbelts now get a pretensioner:


The SX(O) variant now comes with a 6-way electrically adjustable driver's seat. Lumbar adjustment (even manually adjustable) would have been expected at this price point:


Fore & aft travel range is enough to accommodate tall & short drivers alike:


Height adjustment range is healthy as well. Short or tall, no one will complain:


Armrest now slides forward, making it easy for shorter drivers to use as well. No adjustment for height though:


IRVM is wide enough to cover the entire rear windshield. Thick C-pillars do restrict visibility:


IRVM gets the auto-dimming function...finally! While it is “ON” by default, it can be switched off by pressing a button. When it is active, the green light glows:


Center fascia is identical in design to that of the outgoing car. It remains clutter-free & easy to use, and now features an improved infotainment system and a wireless smartphone charger at the base:


7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system has been updated with software from the Verna. It gets new detailing on the physical buttons as well. The system features Bluetooth and USB connectivity with navigation, and further supports Android Auto, Apple CarPlay & MirrorLink. SD card can only be used for navigation data. There is no AUX-in connectivity (we doubt anyone will miss it). ICE functions have been covered in a dedicated post later in the review:


Like earlier, 12V charging socket with illuminated USB port are located at the base of the center fascia. However, the Aux-in port has been left out. The USB port can be used for charging gadgets as well as connecting a smartphone to the infotainment system:


Hyundai has provided a plug-in USB port that can be slotted into the 12V charging socket. Super cool! It comes with a plastic cover:


The additional USB port proves handy to charge devices if the primary USB port is being used for Android Auto:


The base of the center fascia features a wireless smartphone charger - a first-in-segment feature. Remember, your smartphone needs to have the wireless charging function for this feature to work:


Lights to indicate the various functions of the smartphone charger. Warnings have been printed asking you not to place coins or the smartkey here:


Thankfully, the Creta petrol now gets the same gear knob as the diesel. That ugly basic unit has been dropped:


In March 2018, Hyundai started providing portable dustbins in all their cars. In the Creta, the bin can be placed in a cupholder on the center console. It is fairly deep and can easily swallow toffee wrappers, small papers, pins and other items you want to discard. We found this to be an incredibly useful add-on


The dustbin has a rubberised coating on the body to prevent it from rattling when placed in the cupholder:


Roof bezel now features sunroof controls. Like before, it houses map lights, the Bluetooth mic and a sunglass holder:


The sunroof cover is manually operated:


We welcome the sunroof! Can be a lot of fun to use on pleasant days and at night. That said, the sunroof is definitely a size smaller than we'd like at this price:


You can pop it up for ventilation by pushing the button upwards:


With the sunroof open, a fair amount of light comes into the cabin. This is the max it opens to:


Small wind deflector rises up when you open the sunroof. Reduces wind noise too:


Notice how the roof liner dips down to accommodate the sunroof:


Still, it is recessed where the rear passengers' heads would be and does not affect headroom at the back:


Rear door sills no longer get silver scuff plates:


Rear seat is the same. What is disappointing is that the 60:40 folding function and ISOFIX child seat anchors are still available on the SX AT variant only. Weird:


Even the SX(O) variant no longer gets an alloy wheel for the spare tyre. Instead, a steel wheel has been provided. Still, the wheel-tyre combo is full-sized and one will not need to drive at lower speeds when the spare wheel is used:


A quick glance at the dual-tone variant's Tangerine Orange pack. Orange highlights on the seats & gear shifter:

[Aditya]

In-Car Entertainment

The SX and SX(O) variants of the Hyundai Creta get an updated 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with 6 speakers (including 2 tweeters). The features of this system are identical to the Verna's. Connectivity is through Bluetooth & USB. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink are supported as well. A CD player is missing & rightly so (who uses CDs today?). The system also comes with SD Card-based navigation and voice recognition. The touchscreen has no lag and the visibility is satisfactory, except under direct sunlight. Screen resolution and clarity are good, but not as impressive as the system found in the Ford EcoSport facelift. Physical buttons have been provided as well for those who prefer using them over a touch interface.

7-inch touchscreen ICE is bug-free. IPS display & capacitive touchscreen are new (was introduced in the new Verna & i20 facelift). The interface is quite responsive. Buttons are big enough and the system is easy to operate. See the star button on the left? You can set it for a frequently accessed function:


Like before, the system suffers from poor visibility under direct & harsh sunlight. Hyundai should have addressed this issue with the facelift:


Music is played through 6 speakers – one on each door…


…and a tweeter on each of the front doors:


The system displays this warning each time you start the navigation function:


You can have a split screen to display both - the map as well as the media being played:


A variety of settings can be altered to suit the owner's preferences. Additionally, the display can be switched off (for night driving). To bring it back to life, simply touch the screen anywhere:




Sound quality-wise, it is a satisfactory system with no real complaints:


"Arkamys sound mood" provides a quick way to get different feels. It has 4 settings - natural, club, lounge and live:


Some of the useful advanced settings:


Illumination preferences with individual day / night settings too:


One can adjust the display brightness in each of these modes:


Smartphone pairing via Bluetooth is very easy. But remember, it cannot be done while the car is on the move. You need to put the car in neutral and engage the handbrake ("P" in case of the automatic) to pair your phone. One can pair multiple phones and set which one should be prioritized in connectivity:


The infotainment system offers support for Android Auto, MirrorLink and Apple CarPlay. For running any of these features, your smartphone must be connected to the system via a USB cable:






You can pick a QWERTY keyboard...


…and choose between the screensavers:


Phone clarity is fantastic:


Transferring the call from the system to the phone (for privacy) is carried out instantly:


Navigation can be switched to full screen mode as well. The voice has an Indian accent, making it easy to understand. With Google Maps available via Android Auto (and soon, Apple CarPlay), we doubt anyone's going to use the inbuilt navigation though:


You can zoom in up to 25 m or zoom out up to 1,000 m:


SD Card slot is only for maps (provided by MapMyIndia). They are extremely accurate; worked well even when the car was taken to some rural areas:


View of the map in night mode:


The various functions of the navigation system. Don't miss the customisable shortcuts at the bottom, starting with home & office:


Like most GPS systems, a list of POIs is available, including Hyundai dealerships & workshops nearby:


Your coordinates are shown in Degrees / Minutes / Seconds and…


…Decimal Degrees:


Some of the settings that can be changed include the map colour:


A trace can be displayed as well:


Driver is warned about upcoming curves! This feature is awesome if you are in unknown territory - surprise curves can catch one out. On your regular route, it gets irritating and you might want to turn it off (the 'curve ahead' audible prompt comes up even if you aren't using the navigation):


You can add apps in your preferred sequence to the menu, or remove them with drag-and-drop actions:


The system supports Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink. To use Android Auto, owners have to connect their smartphones to the system via a USB cable. The USB slot is provided at the base of the center fascia:


You can get directions, make calls, send and receive messages and listen to music through the Android interface:


Navigation through Google Maps is obviously superb. Android Auto helps in getting real-time traffic updates (via Google) on the screen:


Touchscreen doubles up as a display for the rear view camera, and features adaptive guidelines which indicate the path that the car is going to take (based on steering input). As we have seen earlier, there are 4 rear parking sensors provided on the car. Camera quality is fair:


Camera quality in dark surroundings is satisfactory:


Owners can download the Hyundai iBlue Remote App on their smartphones, connect it to the infotainment system via Bluetooth and use their phones as a remote control. Might be useful for chauffeured owners:


You can select the music source, adjust the volume, equalizer & more:


Pretty much all the ICE controls are here:

[Aditya]

Driving the 1.6L Diesel MT

The Creta retains the same 1.6L, 4-cylinder diesel engine as before. It produces the same 126 BHP @ 4,000 rpm and 260 Nm of torque. However, this torque is now developed at 1,500 - 3,000 rpm compared to the earlier 1,900 - 2,750 rpm. If we had to describe the engine in one word, it would be 'excellent'.

Crank the diesel motor with a tap on the start / stop button + the clutch pedal engaged. You’ll immediately notice the smooth idle. Get moving and the diesel feels extremely refined. In this department, the Creta is easily the best in class. It's damn smooth.

Hyundai has tweaked the 1.6L diesel well and it has a practical state of tune. Start off is easy and the diesel has sufficient torque on tap for city driveability. This engine uses a variable-geometry turbocharger that helps keep lag under control. A small amount of turbo lag still exists, yet there is decent torque available even at low revvs. The engine is at home in the city and doesn't require excessive gearshifts. 2nd gear over a speed breaker? No problem, it'll drive away without any need to downshift to 1st. From a city driving perspective, the ratios are closely spaced and this helps in pulling the Creta in any gear. You can shift up as early as ~1,500 rpm without lugging the engine. This, coupled with the light controls & tall seating position, makes the SUV easy to drive. At commuting rpms, the engine is also very silent.

Once you cross 1,900 - 2,000 rpm, that's when the diesel is truly alive and performs enthusiastically. The 1.6L offers punchy power delivery, with a nice surge when the turbo starts spooling. Power delivery is linear in nature, but you can feel the turbo push. By diesel standards, the throttle feels sharp. Floor the pedal and the Creta will easily out accelerate the XUV500 (already a fast SUV), thanks to its superior power-to-weight ratio. The diesel is revv happy too - a lot more so than the 8-valve Duster & EcoSport 1.5L. Keep it pinned and the rpm needle will climb to just over 5,000 rpm.

The strong mid-range makes light work of overtaking other vehicles. We enjoyed working the engine through the gears on the expressway as it's free-revving and eager to push. You can make fast progress on the open road. The 6th gear ratio makes the Creta a relaxed long distance cruiser as well. At 100 km/h, you are at 2,000 rpm; a sweet spot where the turbo is kept on the boil. 120 km/h is seen at 2,500 rpm. You won't need to downshift too much on the highway either. Hyundai's 1.6L diesel is a jewel of an engine and suited to both, city & highway duties.

The SX(O) is equipped with 'hill-start assist'. The feature works just as it should, without any driver intervention (completely in the background). Stop on an incline steeper than 4.6 degrees, and the car will hold itself in place for almost 3 seconds, giving you enough time to get your foot off the brake pedal and onto the accelerator. No roll-back worries. We drove the Creta on some inclines and it was a fuss-free experience. Newbies will appreciate this feature.

In terms of NVH, there is just one fly in the ointment. You can feel the engine's vibrations on the ABC pedals, and they're directly proportionate to the rpm. This was a big downer for me! Hyundai should sort it out - never too late. In all other aspects, NVH levels are top class. The Creta is S-M-O-O-T-H. Open road refinement is such that you could easily confuse it with a petrol. There's absolutely no diesel clatter. Even as you work the engine through the revs, it maintains its smoothness and doesn’t sound too harsh. The engineers have added a lot of damping to various points on the monocoque frame to make the cabin quieter. There are hardly any unwanted sounds filtering in. Road noise is within acceptable limits too. This includes driving over the concrete surface of the Mumbai-Pune expressway that is notorious for generating excessive tyre noise. Wind noise at sane speeds is well controlled. It becomes noticeable only beyond 120 km/h.

The short-throw gearbox is sure slotting with properly defined gates. The effort required to change gears is minimal and the shifter has a light action. To slot into reverse, pull the unlock clip and move the gearlever up, beyond 1st gear. The clutch is uber light, but it sure has a long travel range - longer than you'd expect in a car-based SUV. Owners will definitely complain about this aspect.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Official Reviews. Thanks for sharing!

When I & Moralfibre reviewed the Creta in 2015, we knew that it will be a success. But such a blockbuster success? Fascinating. I don't think even Hyundai expected its million+ rupee crossover to sell 9,000 - 10,000 copies a month. It's an unprecedented blockbuster of the 10+ lakh segment. The lack of any formidable competition certainly helps - there's no alternative from Maruti (no skills to develop such expensive cars), Honda (lack of focus) or Toyota (too slow).

Drive the Creta and it's easy to see why people buy it. This Hyundai is an all-rounder. I think the styling is what draws people into the showroom (women l-o-v-e the Creta too, so husband + wife automatically in agreement). Once in the showroom, a simple test-drive and the deal is sealed. The refinement is impressive and so are the engines. It's got a long list of variants, engine & transmission options. Pick & choose based on your budget & requirements.

I have a bone to pick with Hyundai though. The Korean company has always been at the forefront in providing features, be it the new Verna & its ventilated seats or the 1st-gen i20 and its 6 airbags + rear disc brakes. But man - the Creta is perhaps the only Hyundai where the company is counting its pennies. Just look at the number of missing features that you would take for granted at this price point (auto-folding ORVMs, telescopic steering, rear disc brakes, LED headlamps & tail-lamps, auto headlamps & wipers, vanity lights on the sunvisors, illuminated power window buttons, gas struts to hold the bonnet, paddle shifters on the AT….the list goes on). What makes it worse is that the cheaper Verna gets some features (e.g. ventilated seats, hands-free boot) that the Creta doesn't. Why do this to your most important car, Hyundai?

[extreme_torque]

Have to commend Hyundai on crowd pleasing features. Its got all the techie basics covered from Android Auto to Apple Car Play to even an activity key. And unlike Tata, that activity key looks much better quality and does more than just opening the car. Genius! But lord is it expensive. The top end variant at 15 lakhs plus on road costs in insanely expensive. For the same money (converted to AUD) you can get a decently spec'd Tuscon and we say cars are expensive in Australia. I am just wondering what profit margins Hyundai is operating at given this does 9k units every month. No wonder then that India is a location of one of their global HQ's.

[strawhat]

A comprehensive and very well compiled review yet again!

Creta and overpriced are two terms which cannot be separated. Have driven the petrol MT last week with my friend who is on the look out for a car in 10-15L range. Was mightily impressed by the smoothness of the drive. The clutch is light and the engine felt super responsive. Was at ease even in notorious Bangalore traffic. It has enough grunt in the low range to get you going in the 2nd gear from standstill. Have to say the Petrol engine in this is better than pre-facelift.

But Creta has always felt like a car which is priced at least 1L more. Sunroof, fitness band are features you would call luxury rather than essential. The fact that they prioritised these over telescopic steering, auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, hill hold(AT) is damning. Also not equipping the top end with automatic is a disappointing strategy by Hyundai, when most makers are offering one.

Alas! You get some, you lose some.

[PrideRed]

Creta is a good example what great looks can do to numbers. Keeping the looks aside, when you compare to Verna, you pay 2.8 lacs premium for better GC and higher seating. But look at the numbers, while Verna is struggling to maintain 4K, Creta manages to sell a cool 10K copies every month. I always consider Creta as a case study material for other manufacturers in India.

[aviraj]

Is the Petrol MT still a good buy considering the price difference with the Diesel?

[pannags]

Originally Posted by Aditya

What you’ll like:

• A smart-looking urban SUV. The same successful formula, now improved in the 2018 avatar


What you won’t:

• Premium pricing strategy continues! The pricey Creta has only gotten more expensive with time
• Many missing essentials (telescopic steering, auto-folding mirrors, auto-headlamps & wipers...)
• The Automatics need stronger brakes. Their stopping ability isn't confidence inspiring

At the certainty of sounding cliched - a fantastic review indeed! The good looking urban SUV looks better in its new avatar.

I'm beginning to think that the long list of missing features and essentials is a clearly thought out strategy - a bad one at that - to retain high margins, while being able to meet the unexpectedly high demand.

I imagine Hyundai will be overjoyed with the sales they've clocked and will think about adding more kit when they see the need for it. From how the new edition looks, I bet this will take a good deal of time.

[Viraj_Guru]

Very comprehensive review, Thanks Aditya.

During my visit to the showroom for a TD, few points I would like to add : Diesel variants already have waiting period at-least in Pune and 'Passion Orange' color is made to order as per the SA and needs 2-3 months to be delivered.

Looks like Creta will remain king in the segment till Kia launches SP in 2019 & TATA's upcoming H5X . .

[Mu009]

Originally Posted by GTO

Why do this to your most important car, Hyundai?

Probably because they know it'll still sell like hot cakes. I mean, forget this segment, I think even in many segments above, the average buyer in India doesn't prioritise safety - it's far easier to lure them in with the convenience of an automatic at a reduced price thanks to lower safety kit. Even here on team BHP, I've observed buyers only briefly considering 6 airbags as a necessary condition (when exhortations pour in from well-meaning members), but they eventually "compromise" on safety kit rather than, say, convenient or ride quality. Then it's hardly surprising that the average customer views safety kit as less important than paltry gizmos.

I personally haven't ever been able to stomach how buyers, even some apparently very-different-from-the-average-buyer here, will opt for saving a few lakhs (say with changing duties), or prioritising convenience (AT) over safety. And these are buyers with families and/or small kids. *shrugs*
Frankly inexplicable - especially given the extra awareness even occasional highway travelers can get here, with myriad threads on road safety and issues.
15 big ones are worth it for fulfilling requirements. A few more for safety aren't. Few compromises are palatable to them, but when it comes to compromising on safety vs convenience, convenience wins a disquieting number of times.

That said, I'd like to know about how the economics of this work out - automatic not offered with top trim/safety features - Hyundai certainly isn't the only offender on that count in India, I believe. Is it simply that they're trying to offset overall price tag and/or have higher margins with the costlier AT variant? A little off-topic, I know, but a pertinent discussion under the heading of a car that is the prime example of this situation - especially since it ostensibly wasn't something even thought of as needing rectifying with the facelift.

P.S. - Back on topic, as for the other missing niceties, they are easy to rationalise away for any prospective buyer given the overall competence of the package. Even if the Vitara, HRV, Renegade, Tivoli etc were to come out, I think there'd be few customers swayed by, say, missing auto-folding ORVMs if the package is superior. And India is a market where visibility and commonness is prized - indicators of cheaper maintainance and a reliable product. Very few complain "Arrey bahut common hai". First mover advantage is HUGE if the product is a hit. Somehow Ford lost the plot to the Brezza though. Sorry, OT again.
Anyhow, this is essentially a facelift that does 3 things for Hyundai IMO - one is the bog standard "all new" marketing rights available in mid-life refreshes. The other 2 are perhaps what resonate most with customers of a certain, majority type today - a sunroof, and bigger and/or chrom-ier grill.
Meh.

[hemanth.anand]

Nice! both the review and the car.

One thing I'm missing in this review which generally is present in other TBHP reviews however. When comparing something with the older model (like the front view or the rear view or the silver skid plate), link to the corresponding picture from the older generation vehicle's official review used to be given. that was such a help

Coming to the car, some wonderful features are added. But I still can't digest the fact that such a feature-rich car misses out on telescopic steering and auto folding mirrors, wipers and headlamps! Also confusing is the features on variants.

Feels good that finally wireless charging comes fitted from the factory. I so want that in my car but don't want to have those cheap Chinese items available online.

The smart key/fitness tracker looks cool. But personally I don't like it for 2 reasons. Fitness trackers comes with a battery life of around 3-5 days. What if it runs out of juice and is switched off? Will the car still open?
What If we already have an iwatch or Samsung Gear S3 or some other such device. tying two things on the hand doesn't look so good IMO.