[Shakensoul]

Flashback to 2005, New Delhi

A few years into the first job, need was felt for a four wheeler for the weekend getaways, mall hopping, miscellaneous chores, etc.. Never really remembered why we chose the Wagon R, but maybe it was because of the brand 'Maruti' and a little upgrade from the universal Alto. But till date, have never regretted the buying decision and it is one of the best hatchback to drive with the best driving comfort for short and long journeys. Have several sweet memories of the Waggie where we covered many small weekend getaways in and around Delhi.



The car served me well for the last 10 years and was driven only 39000 kms, always serviced on time and maintained impeccably. During this time, priorities changed and upgrading the car was never in the agenda, mainly because our daily run was very less and the vehicle was in very good condition. We shifted back to our hometown Guwahati in 2012 and the car was also transported here. The next couple of years, got busy in setting up work and again upgrading the car took a backseat.

2014 - 2015

The urge to upgrade the car was slowly creeping in. Ford Ecosport was launched and was impressed by the looks, however was put off by the cramped rear space. We needed a car which can easily accomodate atleast 4 adults (Parents/In-laws) and a kid. Both me and my wife never considered a sedan, primarily due to the fact that after spending so much time with the tall boy Wagon R, the seating positing of sedans were not really favourable. My wife used to hate sitting in her BIL's Verna, hence sedans were out of consideration.

The Contender(s)



To be honest, there was only one contender. We had shortlisted the Ertiga and it was almost our final choice this festive season. Maruti brand, lots of space, can easily carry five to six people and the most affordable option in the MUV section. Though my wife was not very fond of the bland looks, I convinced her that it was the most practical car for our purpose. Scorpio, Safari's were too old and big, both on budget and for our practical use. Because this was going to be our primary and only car, the big SUV's would be a pain to drive around in the congested roads for small errands. Though have to admit, owning a Safari was always a dream and aspiration for me. Never considered Duster, somehow it never appealed to the heart and knew it was overpriced.

S-Cross was not considered because of the looks. We didn't want to upgrade from a 'hatchback' to a 'premium' hatchback. After spending 11.5 grand, we wanted a car which atleast looks like an 'SUV' and not a hatchback.

June 2015

Started following Team-bhp again, reading ownership reviews, new cars, general chit-chats when the ix25 thread caught my attention. The news of Hyundai preponing the launch to July got me excited and I started following all ix25/Creta threads religiously. Every scoop picture, news, bits and pieces of information, price leak was analysed and read over and over again. Showed the ix25 pics to my wife who instantly approved and liked the design. The new i20 and Fluidic designs were appealing and I have always like the Elite i20 which is one of the best looking hatchback among the current lot. Meanwhile in July, during the course of some official work, got acquainted with the owner of a local Hyundai dealership. Had a chance to speak with him about the car and also to some Hyundai officials. He said they were unofficially taking bookings and said I could pre-book if interested and he will try to allocate a vehicle in the first lot.

So after some discussion with wifey, decided to pre-book the car hoping the prices would be in the range leaked by @RavenAvi in the forum. Our budget was max 10L and the prices floating around was favourable.

On the launch day, as expected I was also shocked and disappointed in the pricing and felt Creta to be overpriced by around 1L. We deliberated if Creta was worth the price and went through each and every online review/videos/comments available on the internet. But what the heck, we don't change cars often and decided lets go for the car we want and aspire. So this was a decision purely from the heart and not from the brain.

So finally asked the dealer to book a White 1.4 S CRDI which was the only reasonable option available to us by extending our limited budget. Though I would have loved to get the 1.6L engine, I am a pretty sedate driver and thought the 1.4 should be more than enough for the city and highways. Getting a test drive of the 1.4 was out of question as my 1.4 was the first 1.4 vehicle expected in the city. The allocation of cars in this region is very less, our dealer gets around 7 Cretas in a month, the biggest dealer in Guwahati gets around 15-20 Cretas in a month. The car was expected in about a months time and thus started the waiting period.

With space for only 1 car at home, it was time to sell our trusted and faithful Wagon R. Washed, cleaned the car and listed it on Olx and Quikr with some good pictures. Was able to get a good price for the 10 year old workhorse and finally sold it off for 1.7L, though I still think that we should have retained it.

Delivery Experience

Loan was applied from SBI and it took around a weeks time to get approved. I maintain a very friendly relationship with the dealership and they were very accommodating with my status enquiries. The dealer insurance was quoted at around 31k for normal insurance. I got a quote of 28k from New India Assurance for 'bumper to bumper' insurance and I asked them to match it. They were unable to offer similar pricing and advised me to get it done outside. So got the insurance done outside at 27.5k with zero depreciation.

I asked the dealer to provide me with free mats (any available) at the time of delivery. The car arrived at the dealers stockyard by around 21st August, but as per a new rule, the car can be delivered only after registration. The registration process took a couple of days and finally the car was readied for delivery on Saturday, 29th August 2015. The delivery process took minimal time as all payments and documentation were already done before.

Final Breakup of Payment

Ex-showroom Price - Rs. 1078331
Registration - Rs. 42461 (for 5 yrs including handling charges of around 3k)
Insurance - Rs. 27500 from New India Assurance which was done outside dealership (Zero Depreciation, without cashless)
Logistics Charges - Rs. 5056
3M Underbody Coating - Rs. 2280

Total OTR Price - Rs. 11,55628

Got the Creta floor mats free as requested, installed the OEM mud flaps for around Rs. 450. Went straight to the petrol pump and it gobbled up 54 Litres!

At the dealers stockyard with stock wheels.







The front view with normal headlamps without projector.










Clean rear with no variant badging.



Most of the features have already been covered in the official review. I will try to point out some features of the 1.4 S model.


Engine bay compartment is neat with no ugly looking wires or metal.







Bonnet without sound insulation. May go for after market sound dampening material later.



Interiors with similar layout as other S/SX models. All buttons are easy to reach and thought of carefully.



The 5" display with integrated audio, bluetooth, etc.. Touch is responsive with no lag. Sound quality/clarity is more than satisfactory for the average user like me, no distortion at high volume and bass is adequate. MP3 quality used is 320kbps.





The steering wheel with integrated audio controls, call buttons, trip buttons. Please ignore the fat steering wheel cover, had to use this as a temporary solution until a leather cover is available.




The volume, mute and call buttons.





The trip and reset button, next/previous buttons.





The hazard light button and AC control unit and . AC is effective even at lower levels.





The integrated 12V socket, USB and Aux input with storage area of phones, miscellaneous items.





The instrument console. I have observed that when the re-fuel light comes on, there will be around 5L in reserve. Once you reach ~2L in reserve, it will start blinking.





Cabin lights with sunglass holder.





Power window buttons, central lock button and button to disable rear power windows.





Buttons to adjust the OVRM.





Headlight level adjustment button.





Ample boot space, even the space below the tray can be used for storing misc stuff.







Driving Experience


Please note, this is my first experience driving a diesel vehicle, not even drove a test vehicle before. Hence observations may not be technically correct.

Mostly have been driving around in the city with a weekend trip to Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya. ODO is at around 650 kms with 350 kms in city and bumper to bumper traffic, and 300 kms of hilly roads, open roads, bad roads and no roads. 5th gear utilisation around 3% and 6th gear has not been used till now. Still have around 3 bars left in the fuel indicator, mileage gurus can analyse the fuel economy.


Mileage Update:

The fuel light came on at about 700 kms after first tankful. This was about 50% city driving and 50% hills/ghat driving.



What I like

• Engine is refined. NVH is good as reported, though at higher speeds a little tyre noise is noticed. Tyres provided are Goodyear Assurance.
  
• Steering is good and I felt it weighs nicely when speed picks up.
  
• Clutch is neither soft nor hard, and good for city as well as highway.
  
• Minimal turbo lag, pulls effortlessly after 1000-1200 rpm, but below 800-900 rpm have to downshift.
  
• Acceleration is quick and feels comfortable overtaking on 3rd and 4th gear from 1200-1500 rpm onwards. You do get pushed back a little when accelerating quickly and enough power is available on tap. You do have to slow down at corners, though that depends on how you like to drive. As I said, I am a pretty sedate driver and prefer driving moderately.
  
• Audio quality of inbuilt 5" Unit is very good. With the bass pumped up you get clear and good bass, though not heart thumping bass, but more than enough to enjoy your music. I use 320kbps MP3 on a 16GB Sony Pendrive, no issues of stuttering or skipping. More than satisfied with audio quality.
  
• Good space on the rear. 3 adults and 1 kid were comfortable on a short trip.
  
• Ride quality is decent and good. Have driven through bad roads and gravel roads, car does not bounce and rock like a boat, maintains its composure and minimal impact is felt inside the cabin. Though you do feel the bumps when moving slowly over potholes.
  
• You do get the premium feel when seated inside the cabin, though that may differ on your expectations. All buttons are easily located with good ergonomics.
  
• Horn is loud and clear, love the sound, though would have preferred the horn pad to be a little soft.
  
  

What I dislike

• I think the 1.6 is more refined from my test drive experience. There is a slight diesel clatter which is felt inside the cabin in the 1.4 and the car shudders slightly when switching off.
  
• Engine strains after you cross 3500 rpm.
  
• Egress is slightly difficult for me as I like to drive with the seat pulled up and close to the steering as possible. Maybe I would have to change my seating position gradually.
  
• Lumbar support maybe a concern. I have driven around in my Wagon R to the same place, but never felt any strain on the back. But after driving the Creta, the back felt a little uncomfortable. Maybe I will get used to it gradually, but a little lumbar support will be necessary. Have ordered a Amron Car Backrest (Size small), but found that to be too big for comfort. But it was primarily for my wife and she loves it.
  
• Center console armrest should have been adjustable. First day, drove around in bumper to bumper traffic with my arm resting on the armrest and changing gears, came back home with pain in the left arm.
  
• Rear visibility is poor and rear camera/parking sensor is a must.
  
• Headlights are okay on normal conditions, but very poor visibility during rains. I was using the 90/100W on my Wagon R with relay, hence found the 60/55W to be inadequate.
  
• Stock steering wheel is slippery and will need a cover for firm grip.
  
• No sound when car is locked/unlocked.
  
• Non-illuminated door switches are a pain in the dark.

Overall satisfied with the performance of the vehicle and happy with the decision. Though car feels overpriced and it would have been nice if you got all the features you wanted for a 11.5L car, but there is no perfect car and as said before, this was the car with the least compromise. Maybe in current scenario, if Duster would have been launched at this point and there was no Creta, we would have gone for the Duster.

For people upgrading from smaller hatchbacks or sedans, the 1.4 will be more than adequate with enough power to thrill you. People upgrading from Swifts, Polos and other 1.3/1.5L Engines will love the 1.6L version.










Modifications / Accessories

The 1.4 S does not come with alloys. A good samaritan team-bhp forum member who was upgrading his stock alloys offered to ship the alloys from Mumbai to Guwahati. A big thanks to @Abhi99 who took the pain of packing the shipping the alloys here, so now my Creta is upgraded to the stock OEM alloys!

Rear View Camera

Ordered an auto-dimming IRVM with display and rear camera from Aliexpress which arrived in about 15 days. Installation was done at the dealers place, though at first they were reluctant to install a 3rd party device, but it was done smoothly.


Floor Mats

Wanted to wait for the 3D mats, but after reading reviews and thinking about practical usage, decided to go for the Noodle mats. The noodle mats easily absorbs the dust, dirt and water as everything settles down inside the mats. The noodle mats will prevent dust from flying around also appear less dirty. Got noodle mats installed at an accessory shop for Rs.2100 + 900 for dicky mat.


Bulbs

Ordered and received the Philips X-treme Vision +130% H4 from powerbulbs.com, yet to install.

Will be posting pics of accessories soon.

[naveen.raju]

Congrats on your latest acquisition. Please do share more pictures of the interiors and some that points out the differences from that of the 1.6 model. I am sure it will help potential buyers.

Totally envy your place. Breathtaking!

Drive safe and enjoy the ride.

[vin11]

Congratulations for the acquisition, Shakensoul. The pictures are really a visual treat for us enthusiasts, keep them coming. You got a good price for the 10 year old WagonR also. Did you consider the S Cross? Any major differences you found between the engine characteristics of the 1.4 and 1.6 during the 1.6 TD? Do you have some delivery pictures, or when the car was without OEM alloys? Keep this thread updated with your experiences with the Creta and wish you lots of miles with smiles!

[Dry Ice]

Congrats on the Creta! Looks good in white!

I remember reading your mesh grill D-I-Y and almost did the same to my Alto. Almost.

Time, inclination etc cut me short. Anyway, hope we get to see some more DIYs on the Creta this time.

Originally Posted by Shakensoul

Registration - Rs. 42461 (for 5 yrs including handling charges of around 3k

Is that a typo? I thought registration was always for 15 yrs. Is it done differently in Assam?

[Shakensoul]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Congrats on the Creta! Looks good in white!

I remember reading your mesh grill D-I-Y and almost did the same to my Alto. Almost.

Time, inclination etc cut me short. Anyway, hope we get to see some more DIYs on the Creta this time.



Is that a typo? I thought registration was always for 15 yrs. Is it done differently in Assam?

No DIYs planned on the Creta till he gets old

You can register for 5, 10 or 15 years as per your wish. I got it done for 5 years.

[sandygordon]

Congrats on the acquisition. Have a good time and drive safe. Can you post some pics showing the headlamps. I ve not seen the headlamp cluster of the 1.4 .

[Shakensoul]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

Congrats on your latest acquisition. Please do share more pictures of the interiors and some that points out the differences from that of the 1.6 model. I am sure it will help potential buyers.

Totally envy your place. Breathtaking!

Drive safe and enjoy the ride.

Thanks. I will share pictures of the interiors soon, though interiors of 1.4 S and 1.6 S/SX are the same with same 5" touchscreen unit and other features.

Originally Posted by vin11

Did you consider the S Cross? Any major differences you found between the engine characteristics of the 1.4 and 1.6 during the 1.6 TD? Do you have some delivery pictures, or when the car was without OEM alloys? Keep this thread updated with your experiences with the Creta and wish you lots of miles with smiles!

As mentioned, this was a buying decision purely from the heart and Scross was rejected because of the bland looks. We didn't want to upgrade from a 'hatchback' to a 'premium' hatchback. After spending 11.5 grand, we wanted a car which atleast looks like an 'SUV' and not a hatchback.

This is the picture at the dealers stockyard with the stock rims and wheel caps.

Originally Posted by sandygordon

Congrats on the acquisition. Have a good time and drive safe. Can you post some pics showing the headlamps. I ve not seen the headlamp cluster of the 1.4 .

Thanks. Picture of headlamps as requested.









All features and specifications of 1.4 Base/S and 1.6 Base/S/SX are the same, only engine is different.

[RavenAvi]

Finally! We needed an ownership report for the Creta 1.4L diesel to make the round complete, and we have one.

Congratulations, Shakensoul. She's a beaut! Nice write-up too, laying down how the 1.4L powerplant performs in varied conditions. I love the photographs - your place looks like heaven for us urban dwellers!

Do update us with your Fuel Efficiency figures as well - the 1.4L is more preferred because of it's better FE numbers, although at 224 Nm torque it's no slouch either. Also, does the 1.4L have enough pull to negotiate steep ghat sections?

Eagerly waiting to see some interior snaps, and also some pics of your add-ons - the reverse camera + IRVM kit & the noodle mats.

Wish you plenty of happy (s)miles ahead. Revv hard, but drive safe!

[Shakensoul]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Finally! We needed an ownership report for the Creta 1.4L diesel to make the round complete, and we have one.

Congratulations, Shakensoul. She's a beaut! Nice write-up too, laying down how the 1.4L powerplant performs in varied conditions. I love the photographs - your place looks like heaven for us urban dwellers!

Do update us with your Fuel Efficiency figures as well - the 1.4L is more preferred because of it's better FE numbers, although at 224 Nm torque it's no slouch either. Also, does the 1.4L have enough pull to negotiate steep ghat sections?

Eagerly waiting to see some interior snaps, and also some pics of your add-ons - the reverse camera + IRVM kit & the noodle mats.

Wish you plenty of happy (s)miles ahead. Revv hard, but drive safe!

Thanks, I also live in a concrete urban jungle and this was a weekend trip to Cherrapunjee.

The 1.4 can pull effortlessly in ghats and hills if you are in the powerband 1200 rpm+, if you slow down and rpm drops below 1200rpm then downshift is required.

Pictures of the add-ons will be updated soon.

[Ragavsr]

Congrats on the car and wish u drive lakhs of kilo meters with the car.

Might be a stupid question , but does the 1.4 S model get airbags? I thought only the S+ gets it.

Your place is absolutely stunning and out of this world. Lucky chap. EDIT: Just read it was your trip pictures.

Do comment on the engine performance. Is it good enough for a sedate driver for highway use? Sedate highway driving in this part of this country is 100-120 kmph on arrow straight,long,flat as a billiards table roads of Tamil Nadu. If its able to keep up and accelerate decently fast from 40/50 to 100-120, then it must be good enough. I don't cross 100 90% of times but sometimes a surge of acceleration might be required to get away from long rows of trucks.

I don't find any value in 1.6 trim levels , especially the SX and SXO. A little more extra will get you a much better vehicle in the XUV500.

[Shakensoul]

Originally Posted by Ragavsr

Congrats on the car and wish u drive lakhs of kilo meters with the car.

Might be a stupid question, but does the 1.4 S model get airbags? I thought only the S+ gets it.

Thanks. Yes, the 1.4 S does not come with any Airbags

Originally Posted by Ragavsr

Do comment on the engine performance. Is it good enough for a sedate driver for highway use? Sedate highway driving in this part of this country is 100-120 kmph on arrow straight,long,flat as a billiards table roads of Tamil Nadu. If its able to keep up and accelerate decently fast from 40/50 to 100-120, then it must be good enough. I don't cross 100 90% of times but sometimes a surge of acceleration might be required to get away from long rows of trucks.

The 1.4 has enough power and grunt for the highways. It has enough pickup even on 4th gear if you're in the powerband and feels comfortable overtaking without downshifting.

I have not been able to use the 6th gear till now, even 5th gear usage is negligible. It runs effortlessly in 4th gear in 80-90kmph speed. I will be going on another trip by month end which will have open straight highways, so should be able to give a proper report after that.

[BlackPearl]

Congratulations Shakensoul. The Creta is looking beautiful in white. I am seeing quite few Cretas on road. Initially from the pics before launch I thought it would be another hatchback on stilts. But seeing them in flesh has changed my perception.

Originally Posted by Shakensoul

[*]Lumbar support maybe a concern. I have driven around in my Wagon R to the same place, but never felt any strain on the back. But after driving the Creta, the back felt a little uncomfortable. Maybe I will get used to it gradually, but a little lumbar support will be necessary.

It should not be a concern I feel, you might need to change your posture a bit or give some time to get used to the new car. Why I am saying this is because people used to say that the older Pajero had one of the most comfortable seats. I drive a Bolero LX with horrible seats (non existent lumbar support) and during one trip I drove a Pajero for quite some distance. After driving the Pajero for several hundred kilometers I was having pain in the back. I am sure that I had it as I was not used to such luxury

PS: Your Black Wagon R looked cool, wish you could keep it.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[mohaks19]

Congratulations on your latest acquisition! The pictures indeed look great. If you've ever driven an Elite i20, how would you rate its performance compared to your 1.4 Creta? I believe the i20 is lighter and aerodynamically superior so is the difference in performance noticeable enough? Thanks.

[mustang_shelby]

Originally Posted by Shakensoul

[*]Lumbar support maybe a concern. I have driven around in my Wagon R to the same place, but never felt any strain on the back. But after driving the Creta, the back felt a little uncomfortable. Maybe I will get used to it gradually, but a little lumbar support will be necessary. Have ordered a Amron Car Backrest (Size small), but found that to be too big for comfort. But it was primarily for my wife and she loves it.

Poor lumbar support is an issue with Creta that was also noticed by the official review, so the discomfort may not be just because of your driving position.

Originally Posted by moralfibre

A major downside though is the poor lower back support. Those with a weak back will find it to be woefully inadequate. Trust me, this car needs adjustable lumbar support.