[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by Wheeliej

Its one of the bellary road ones in bangalore.

Lakshmi Hyundai.

Mods. No value to this post,but it's a Caveat Emptor.If it's true the dealer is looking to improve his cash flows. 😂

[RavenAvi]

Sorry guys, but I can't divulge too much information nor add any more pictures, or it might cost some people their jobs.

I can tell you this much:

- The Red shade looks absolutely gorgeous from close quarters.
- Although they have been advertised as LED Positioning Lamps, they throw illumination out like proper DRLs when viewed from a distance.
- The projectors' collective beam is sharp. Brightness wouldn't be a trouble for drivers.
- The foglamps are pretty bright, despite their unusual shape.
- The seats have just the proper amount of cushioning to keep one really comfy. It also has height adjustment, in a healthy range.
- The view from the driver's seat is similar to that of the Duster.
- The cabin feels airy and open on all sides when one is seated in the front.
- Plenty of space for the driver and front passenger up front, for his legs, shoulders and roof over head.
- Glove box is pretty deep.
- All controls fall easily to hand.
- The engine starts with a slight thrum and then goes absolutely silent!
- Rear seat is slightly narrower than the Duster's. 3 healthy people might be a bit of a squeeze. Absolutely no problems with 2 people.
- Roof height in the rear seat is slightly lower than in the front.
- Rear AC vents are very effective.
- The boot is humongous, but the wheel wells intrude into the boot space a bit. Usable boot space capacity could be lower than advertised.
- The 16-inch "silver"-ish alloys, while not as fancied as the 17" black-ish diamond-cut ones, look fabulous as well. They compliment the black cladding all around and the Red shade of the SUV quite wonderfully.
- The spare is a full size one, in steel. Comes packed under the boot area.
- The rear looks absolutely stunning, save for the very outlandish chrome garnish.
- Tail lamps when lit up, look like pseudo-LEDs from a distance.


I can't post fresh pictures of the dashboard right now, but they look just like the one my birdie sent us about 2 weeks back.

It's exactly like this:

That is a 5" touchscreen Audio-Visual-Navigation based Head Unit. I am told it's same in all functions to the 7" touchscreen HU of the SX(O).

[pgsagar]

RavenAvi, your sneak previews are getting pretty titillating. It's like a teaser trailer. The car is indeed looking smashing. It got everything I am looking for in a car.

I booked SX AT on 3rd July. The dealer took 1 L. There seems no uniformity in booking amounts across dealers. From 25K to 1 L. Anyway, no regrets on that one but I hope I will be among first lot to lay my hands on this. Your words are really reassuring. If it is not too much to ask, do you have a pic of 16" alloys that come on SX AT? 17 inchers look pretty good. How's 16 inchers? And do the tyres look skinny? I hate upgrading tyres etc. for the fear of tampering with car's originality and resultant change in driving dynamics and stability.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by pgsagar

If it is not too much to ask, do you have a pic of 16" alloys that come on SX AT? 17 inchers look pretty good. How's 16 inchers? And do the tyres look skinny? I hate upgrading tyres etc. for the fear of tampering with car's originality and resultant change in driving dynamics and stability.

I do, but I can't post them. Sorry.

The car shod with the 16-inch alloy wheels doesn't look under-tyred at all! In fact, the tyres fill up the wheel wells very, very snugly.

The tyre brand on this particular car is Goodyear Assurance - 205/65/R16, 95H.

Most people won't feel the need to upgrade tyres at all. Gripping might improve with the 215-sections, but the 205s are equally good, IMO.

[BNM]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

I do, but I can't post them. Sorry.

The car shod with the 16-inch alloy wheels doesn't look under-tyred at all! In fact, the tyres fill up the wheel wells very, very snugly.

The tyre brand on this particular car is Goodyear Assurance - 205/65/R16, 95H.

Most people won't feel the need to upgrade tyres at all. Gripping might improve with the 215-sections, but the 205s are equally good, IMO.

One tiny question - was it an AT version?

[delix]

I am continuously getting calls from hyundai dealers in kolkata for booking creta and I am strictly refusing unless I get my hands on one and test drive the same. Anyone has any idea as in which dealership in kolkata has already got the creta in their warehouses?

[itwasntme]

Am also getting calls here in BLR probably because I specifically stated my interest to immediately go for the 1.4 S+, i.e. the S with the airbags, ABS and alloys.

Don't think they are facing any issues in selling the 1.6 diesels. It's the 1.4 that they also want to push!

[RavenAvi]

Good news for all prospective Creta customers - Hyundai India will offer a three-year unlimited warranty on the SUV in the beginning.

The Hindu Business Line has published a nice little piece on the history and development of the Creta.

Some excerpts:

It was the Mahindra XUV 500 which was the initial trigger for the thought process on the Creta. This was the time Hyundai noticed that there was a growing momentum in the Indian market for SUVs. The reaction to the Renault Duster which followed soon thereafter only reinforced this opinion as customers make a beeline for the product.

Work on the Creta kicked off nearly three years ago with Hyundai’s R&D teams from Korea, Hyderabad and Chennai coming together for this important initiative. The Hyundai Marketing Lab was created as a taskforce to work around the launch of the Creta. The team carried out research along with counterparts in product planning, service, R&D and production.

“Hyundai realised that SUVs were the need of the hour in India especially for youngsters who like aggression, high seating and safety,” says Rakesh Srivastava, Senior Vice-President (Sales and Marketing) of the Indian arm.

For Hyundai, the top priority was to create a product that would be disruptive and set a new benchmark in the SUV space. It had to be aggressive, spacious and comfortable with a strong road presence.
Among the important decisions taken was to dispense with the sub-four metre reference point just to capitalise on lower excise duty.

The company was clear in its thinking that the Creta had to be a product that would break away from traditional thinking on SUVs. The goal was simple: it had to be really strong outside and comfortable within. Hyundai’s research showed that SUVs in general were perceived to be rough, noisy, masculine and not entirely comfortable.

“From our point of view, an SUV did not have to just be rugged but strong and beautiful too,” adds Srivastava. It would have to catch the eye of other road users and create a sense of aspiration in the process. Market research for the Creta also showed that women accounted for a fair share of SUV users in India. It was important to address their needs too and this is where the automatic version was added to the lineup.

The Creta will be launched in the third week of this month and Srivastava is confident that it will do the trick in attracting customers by the droves.

As part of the goodies basket for the Creta, Hyundai will offer a three-year unlimited warranty while focusing on extensive training to 4,000 sales consultants in two phases. There will be regional launches in malls to attract buyers and spread the word.

Mahindra & Mahindra has been the leader of the SUV space for many years now and its Bolero is the country’s single largest selling model with monthly numbers averaging 9,000 units. However, industry experts believe the Creta has the potential to wean away buyers even as M&M is preparing to launch its own compact SUVs during the course of this fiscal.

The Hindu Business Line


Also, a must-watch video in which Sid Patankar of NDTV Auto talks to B.S. Seo, CEO, and Rakesh Shrivastava, Senior Vice-President, Hyundai Motor India.

[RSR]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

- Although they have been advertised as LED Positioning Lamps, they throw illumination out like proper DRLs when viewed from a distance.

Are they wired like DRLs that dim down when the parking lamps are switched on?

- The spare is a full size one, in steel. Comes packed under the boot area.

So glad to hear this. Even if it's not an alloy, the spare is thankfully not a space-saver rubbish!

It's also nice that the spare is placed properly inside the boot, where it should be.

- The 16-inch "silver"-ish alloys, while not as fancied as the 17" black-ish diamond-cut ones, look fabulous as well. They compliment the black cladding all around and the Red shade of the SUV quite wonderfully.

The car shod with the 16-inch alloy wheels doesn't look under-tyred at all! In fact, the tyres fill up the wheel wells very, very snugly.

The tyre brand on this particular car is Goodyear Assurance - 205/65/R16, 95H.

Most people won't feel the need to upgrade tyres at all. Gripping might improve with the 215-sections, but the 205s are equally good, IMO.

How many different alloys do the variants get? I thought there were only 2 alloy designs, plus black steel wheels & wheel caps for the lowest variants.

The 17" alloys are those dark-ish "diamond cut" ones, and 16" alloys are the silver-ish "clean silver" ones featured on the red Creta you've posted.

Is there another 16" alloy design?

Yep, the difference in terms of grip, ride quality and handling between 205/65 R16 tyres and 215/60 R17 ones would only be marginal at best. I think they're doing it only to bring in some external visual differentiation between the variants, as the SX(O) variant also carries the SX badge at the rear. However, unless they've changed the ride height, 215/60 R17 tyres would give an additional GC of ~ 8 mm over the 205/65 R16 ones.

Apollo, Bridgestone & MRF were the commonly preferred tyre vendors for Hyundai so far (along with Nexen & Hankook for a couple of specific models). It looks like Goodyear has been added to the list.

I wish Michelin is also included soon, as XM2s, P3STs & Latitudes would make for some seriously good OEM footwear!

Edit: Oops, my bad! Goodyear have also been supplying tyres to Hyundai for quite a while now, so it's not surprising to see those Assurance shoes on the Creta.

[Wheeliej]

Hey, i didnt pay the advance. Discussed and they agreed paying makes sense only after test drive. Think they were convinced that i am a serious buyer. Looks wise, only doubt in my mind is the high window line. Havent liked it from swift launch era. Makes the insides a bit claustrophobic. I also wish they had the highest variant in auto with 6 airbags.
Btw, the refused to let me have a look at their stockyard.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by RSR

Are they wired like DRLs that dim down when the parking lamps are switched on?

They behave exactly like the i20 Active's DRLs (and the earlier-gen "fluidic" i20).

Originally Posted by RSR

So glad to hear this. Even if it's not an alloy, the spare is thankfully not a space-saver rubbish!

Someone needs to call Honda India and tell this, regarding their newly launched Jazz.

Originally Posted by RSR

How many different alloys do the variants get? I thought there were only 2 alloy designs, plus black steel wheels & wheel caps for the lowest variants.

Yes, you are right. Just two.

Originally Posted by RSR

The 17" alloys are those dark-ish "diamond cut" ones, and 16" alloys are the silver-ish "clean silver" ones featured on the red Creta you've posted.

Again correct.

Originally Posted by RSR

Is there another 16" alloy design?

Nope.

Originally Posted by RSR

Yep, the difference in terms of grip, ride quality and handling between 205/65 R16 tyres and 215/60 R17 ones would only be marginal at best. I think they're doing it only to bring in some external visual differentiation between the variants, as the SX(O) variant also carries the SX badge at the rear. However, unless they've changed the ride height, 215/60 R17 tyres would give an additional GC of ~ 8 mm over the 205/65 R16 ones.

Exact differences between both tyre specifications of the Creta is this:



Around 8.5 mm of Ground Clearance can be additionally attained by the 17-inch 215s, which means that the lower 16-inch 205s could be pegged at around the 190-mm Ground Clearance mark, while the 17-inch 215s might go near the 200-mm Ground Clearance mark.

This is the only major and noticeable difference.

Gripping should be almost similar, while body roll could be more in the 215/17s, compared to the 205/16s. Fuel Efficiency should be slightly better in the variants shod with 205/16s as well.

Originally Posted by RSR

Apollo, Bridgestone & MRF were the commonly preferred tyre vendors for Hyundai so far (along with Nexen & Hankook for a couple of specific models). It looks like Goodyear has been added to the list.
Edit: Oops, my bad! Goodyear have also been supplying tyres to Hyundai for quite a while now, so it's not surprising to see those Assurance shoes on the Creta.

The official Technical Specifications sheet of the Creta shows Goodyear & Kumho listed for the 16-inch 205s, while Bridgestone is default for the 17-inch 215s.

Originally Posted by RSR

I wish Michelin is also included soon, as XM2s, P3STs & Latitudes would make for some seriously good OEM footwear!

I won't be surprised if some owners flip their Goodyear Assurances for the Latitudes or the P3STs immediately after launch. They are a bit squealy and don't have a long shelf life compared to Bridgestones.

From what I heard, Hyundai India was very keen on having Michelins on the Creta, but the discussions and payment agreements didn't pan out.

[pgsagar]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

The car shod with the 16-inch alloy wheels doesn't look under-tyred at all! In fact, the tyres fill up the wheel wells very, very snugly.

The tyre brand on this particular car is Goodyear Assurance - 205/65/R16, 95H.

Most people won't feel the need to upgrade tyres at all. Gripping might improve with the 215-sections, but the 205s are equally good, IMO.

Good to hear this. 16 " or 17", the overall diameter of the wheel will be the same, right? Else the smaller-wheeled one will have shorter GC AND speedo reading will be erroneous, however minuscule. Actually, smaller dia wheel rims with bigger tyres look better on SUVs. Low profile tyres look better on sedans and sports cars. Some of those behemoth American SUVs, especially customised ones, have a tiny deep-dish shiny chrome bowl like wheel rim burried in a huge sidewall tyre.

[BNM]

Met with the dealer today. Based on the training they underwent, Features of SX+ AT confirmed as listed on the forum earlier (he in fact called somebody and double confirmed the Shark fin antenna). I veered the conversation towards the price and stated the ex-show room price posted on this forum. He seemed to be in agreement when I said "could it be 16 Lacs OTR" in Bangalore. The vehicles are also available in the stock yards - Hint Mysore road but entry will be restricted for sure. I also spoke to the accessories guys and told him that I want to switch to 17" Lenso Alloys with Michelin P3. He also did not know the PCD but it could be 114.4 based on Elantra and Sonata Stock rims.

[crskumar]

I was lucky to get a sneak preview of two variants today at our local Hyundai showroom. The preview is only for a select few (first 20 odd booking according to the manager) so we can confirm the color. The preview is in their yard with the cars parked all the way back where they were noticeable.

The models we previewed were SX in white and SX(O) in red. Both were manual models only. The dealer has got 8 vehicles so far and expects to have 22 before launch, two of which will be automatic. The other information such as price, delivery schedule, etc. is not available to them yet. Overall figures quoted were between 9-16 lacs on road.

The vehicle looks good inside and out. The changes I could spot between in the SX(O) was the leather trim seats which was very nice to sit on and looked great, 7" avn system, 6 air bags and push button start on the inside. On the outside the 17" alloy look so good compared to the standard alloys on the SX.

The manager did confirm that SX(O) will not be available on AT which is major disappointment for me. Color options that he confirmed were white, red, grey, blue, silver and black. He said there is also a gold like color and maybe a copper orange but was not sure about it.

Now I have to decide what color (deciding between black and white) and if I should stick with the AT in SX+ or go for MT in SX(O). I will probably need to get the price as well test drive the car before I can finalize.

I guess if I choose the right color and variant (matching what they get in the first lot), I should be able to take delivery end of this month or early next month. Super excited about it.

[carfreak]

The Goodyear Assurance tires do not look like they are all terrain ones whereas i think the Bridgestone Duelers in the 17" ones are H/T. Will this make any significant impact?

The dull beige interiors did not look too good to me though it may not get dirty that soon as the light beige shade

@Raven, any idea about the colours? In Advaith here they told it would come with red, white, a beige and a blue/grey shade.