[RSR]

Great review of a great car! Congratulations on the purchase of your new Creta, RavenAvi, and wishing you millions of happy miles & smiles with your Phoenix!

How is the new 115 PS 1.5 Kappa compared to your first gen. Creta's 123 PS 1.6 Gamma?

[deepakdograbhp]

Hey guys,

Tried looking for help on couple of other threads,but didn't get any response. This being an active thread, looking for some answers related to car's security.

I'm going for SX variant which will be equipped with Bluelink feature ( remote immobilization, location tracking, geo fencing etc)

I'm planning to further use a steering lock if I've to park my car in open at not-so-safe location.

My doubts are:

1. Considering thieves are also quite tech-savvy these days, how tamper-proof is bluelink technology especially immobilizer

2. Is there something which I can do to have a better sleep if I'm parking my car at tricky locations?

Cheers

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by RSR

How is the new 115 PS 1.5 Kappa compared to your first gen. Creta's 123 PS 1.6 Gamma?

Thank you, my friend.

The engine, in the ECO mode, is adequate for urban and highway runs. Not sure how it will perform in ghat sections and twisties yet. Acceleration is linear and progressive and it's a laid-back performer.

Most people won't notice much of a difference compared to the erstwhile BS4 1.6, but I think that the older engine had slightly better pulling power in lower RPMs. Also, performance on open roads felt slightly more brisk. The BS6 1.5 in comparison feels slightly strained when running at higher speeds, as if there's a little part inside which is pulling it's reins back ever so slightly.

This is where the SPORT mode shines, as it unleashes the full potential of the engine. There's plenty of pull in lower speeds and more grunt as soon as you cross 60 on the speedo. Even then, the overall performance of this 1.5L is just about par for the course. It's tailor-made for laid-back, calm driving.

Even then, this ~1300 kgs machine deserves better. The EcoSport's 1.5L Dragon could have been a better choice for the Creta in terms of NA performance. That Ford petrol is in a league of it's own. Unmatched.

Originally Posted by deepakdograbhp

1. Considering thieves are also quite tech-savvy these days, how tamper-proof is bluelink technology especially immobilizer

2. Is there something which I can do to have a better sleep if I'm parking my car at tricky locations?

Congratulations in advance, Deepak.

No technology is tamper-proof these days. The best you can do is follow precautions and hope for the best. Do a few things to keep your car safer:

- Ensure that overnight parking is inside gated premises, not out on the streets or road sides.

- Ensure that the car is completely locked with the sunroof lid closed when you pack it in. Geofencing the car will also be a great tool to keep it safe.

- Remove the barcode sticker which is stuck on the rear left passenger glass on the outside, which contains the VIN number.

- Ensure that all glasses and sunroof are rolled shut and tight.

- Don't leave any valuables inside your car which may attract unwanted attention.


Rest is down to luck. All the best.

[RSR]

Originally Posted by RSR

How is the new 115 PS 1.5 Kappa compared to your first gen. Creta's 123 PS 1.6 Gamma?

Oops, my bad, RavenAvi!

The new 1.5 petrol is also a member of the Gamma family of engines, just like the earlier 1.6 petrol, but I guess you already knew that. Only the 1.4 T-GDi is a member of the Kappa family.

Glad to hear that it's a very refined and good performer. Always nice to see many powertrain options on a car, like what Hyundai have done with the Creta.

[pandatrooper]

An excellent and top-notch review RavenAvi. The attention to each and every aspect of this particular variant is just fab. Little do we see such a dedicated and detailed review of lower end automatic variants of cars.

This certainly helped me pull out of the selection quandary between the Creta SX IVT and the Seltos HTX IVT. I also fortunately took the test drives for both the variants in the past couple of days. Mind you, despite living in a state capital, convincing the Hyundai dealerships to get the Creta Petrol Variant at my place for a test drive was nothing less than a battle.

With all due respect to Seltos owners and fanatics, following are my initial impressions after the test drives [ Fellow BHPians, feel free to comment if you felt otherwise ] :

1. Creta's in-cabin experience was way more comfortable than the Seltos. Creta glided through the potholes like a hot knife gliding through butter, while Seltos struggled a bit in that department. This was something even my mom [ who has limited knowledge about cars ] noticed.

2. The cabin felt a bit roomier than Seltos [ The panoramic sunroof might be the secret ammunition for Hyundai ]. Also, The NVH levels were very well contained in the Creta than the Seltos. Personal Opinion - Creta's interior somehow felt much more practical and straightforward than Seltos. I found the Seltos's interior a bit too busy to my liking.

3. However, I felt the steering response from the Seltos was better than that of Creta. Though they have the same mechanization under the hood, I felt the power response at the lower RPMs was marginally better in Seltos. [ That's quite possible because the Seltos was already Test-Driven massively while the Creta deployed for Test Drive duty was brand new ]

4. Looks are very subjective for sure . I found the rear pretty attractive contrary to your opinion, but the front seems to be a rip off from the Venue. Especially with the Seltos in the foray, the front looked too difficult for my heart as well as my wallet to digest. Kind of the same feeling when I upgraded from a sturdy handsome iPhone 5 to the wannabe futuristic, bend-gate fame iPhone 6s. [ Analogy makes no sense but kind of explains how accepting the reality with a heavy heart feels like]

Seltos costs about 70k cheaper OTR but after reading gazillions of posts and reviews [ especially this thread ] the compromise on the design over safety and comfort seems to be pretty just. While the services rendered by Kia is miles ahead of Hyundai in my city [ despite the Sonet frenzy], I guess I need to bid adieu to the amazing folks at Kia and attune myself with those at Hyundai.

A couple of questions though :

a. The Creta that came in for the test drive seemed to be a brand new vehicle that was supposed to be delivered to a fellow customer sometime soon [ I pity the customer ]. How do I ensure that the vehicle I've booked is not deployed into such subsidiary services and remains pristine right from the offloading to the delivery?

b. Any idea on how escalated are the maintenance costs for the CVTs at Hyundai? I'm upgrading from a Maruti Suzuki so a ballpark figure would help me set a mindset.

c. I see you've ordered floor mats from a third party vendor. Any particular reason for not settling with the company provided floor mats and seat covers?

d. Since this is my first time negotiating for an automobile machine, I don't have the necessary skills to squeeze all the citrus out of the fruit. Can you suggest any other avenues of negotiations with regards to the price discount apart from insurance and accessories aspect of it ?

May the Phoenix clock ending miles. Cheers

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by pandatrooper

The Creta that came in for the test drive seemed to be a brand new vehicle that was supposed to be delivered to a fellow customer sometime soon [ I pity the customer ]. How do I ensure that the vehicle I've booked is not deployed into such subsidiary services and remains pristine right from the offloading to the delivery?

Avoid the dealer! You can never be sure of a dealers ethics if he sends you someone else’s car for a test drive. You never know what else the dealer can be up to, trust is impossible in cases such as this.

Cheers

[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by Cyborg

Avoid the dealer! You can never be sure of a dealers ethics if he sends you someone else’s car for a test drive. You never know what else the dealer can be up to, trust is impossible in cases such as this.

Cheers

What can one possibly do if he is the ONLY dealer in your area?
Is there any other way catch this mal-pratice?
How do we, as customers ensure that our soon-to-be purchased cars aren’t abused this way? I use the word ‘abuse’, because I seriously find this criminal to give a TD of a prospective customer’s car.

[pandatrooper]

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

What can one possibly do if he is the ONLY dealer in your area?
Is there any other way catch this mal-pratice?
How do we, as customers ensure that our soon-to-be purchased cars aren’t abused this way? I use the word ‘abuse’, because I seriously find this criminal to give a TD of a prospective customer’s car.

As much as I'd like to be wrong, I had pretty much the same experience with Honda City ZX CVT TD wherein the vehicle that was supposed to be delivered to a prospective customer the next day was at my disposal for a Test Drive.

However, the situation seems to be pretty strange for me with Hyundai. There are more than 4 dealerships in my city, yet just one obliged for a Petrol variant TD. Morally, I should stick to that dealer given his efforts to arrange a petrol TD at my place, however, I do have serious second thoughts about purchasing it from that dealer. What if the dealer assigns me with the same TD vehicle ?

Since White and Black are abundantly available in stock, the only solution I could think of is to book the Metallic Silver variant [ closest I can get to the White color] so that the dealer specifically orders it from the factory instead of assiging me something as a result of someone's cancelled booking or from the existing pre-ordered stock.

[Cyborg]

Originally Posted by ashvek3141

What can one possibly do if he is the ONLY dealer in your area?
Is there any other way catch this mal-pratice

If you have proof of this with photographs etc, then post it on social media. In this day and age, naming and shaming should put a damper on things for sure.

Originally Posted by pandatrooper

Morally, I should stick to that dealer given his efforts to arrange a petrol TD at my place, however, I do have serious second thoughts about purchasing it from that dealer. What if the dealer assigns me with the same TD vehicle ?

Why do you think any morals apply in this case? This dealer is unscrupulous, they send a brand new car which somebody has paid with their hard earned money to be test driven by another person. You don’t owe anything to such people. Cancel your booking and book it with another dealer since you have the option. While booking with the other dealership make sure to mention the reason of cancellation with the first place.

Cheers

[S.Shyam]

Finally got hold of my new Creta last weekend.

Model – SX(O) IVT (1.5L NA Petrol), Polar White

This is my first review on T-Bhp, and this is mostly an add on to RavenAvi’s amazing review of the SX-IVT, so I will avoid putting up pics or repeating what he has covered – unless something specific is required (or asked for)

Decision Cycle:

Had been looking for a decent SUV for almost 7 months. I had booked the Creta SX IVT in February but due to the lockdown, didn’t go ahead with the purchase. Sometime in July, I decided to go ahead with the purchase, but wanted to check out all the options available in the market. Moreover, this was going to be my first car so naturally, I left no stone unturned in going through reviews for all the options.

My Requirements:

• Automatic Petrol car with decent power
• SUV build for easy ingress/egress
• Maximum safety features as highway runs would be very common
• Good service network
• Comfortable ride quality
• Not overly bothered with Mileage 

The cars I considered and test-drove:
1. Seltos – tried the HTX IVT version and GTX Turbo DCT as well. Did not like the ride quality at all. It’s awesome for highways but if 80% usage is in City (Bangalore), I was simply not cool with this. Moreover the DCT didn’t inspire confidence for a 21L car in terms of reliability.
2. Harrier 2020 – tried the XZA and XZA+ variant. Most amazing car so far – hands down! Downsides were - it was Diesel only (always the scare that Govt could bring new rule on car’s on road life term). Also, I wanted to restrict my budget to 20-21L and with discount XZA was about 22.5L OTR. (also it’s wider than Endeavour, Fortuner, Hector – if you are going for it, make sure your parking is wide enough)
3. Hector – Liked the interiors, not the overall MPV look from outside. No fun!
4. Kicks Turbo – launched on May 17th, they couldn’t arrange for a Test Drive till September 15th on the CVT version. Manual Turbo was of course awesome. But the CVT would have been the choice – awesome build quality, excellent ride and handling, most powerful engine in segment, NO DCT, only CVT so more reliable (with loss of little bit of fun). Sadly top end CVT came with only 2 airbags, not the leather finish interiors like in Manual. There was also concern over serviceability as Nissan could leave India anytime, same way Carlos Ghosn left Tokyo overnight !
5. Duster Turbo – Jaded interiors, ancient Dashboard design put me off. Usability of the touchscreen for navigation etc was poor. Only reason I waited to try this was my absolute delight at the ride quality. That didn’t change – it’s still the best. What’s lacking however, were the safety features. At 17+ L OTR for CVT top end, it became difficult to justify why we couldn’t get more Airbags etc. I could have lived with the sad interiors but that kind of engine (154HP, 250Nm) calls for extra protection by default.

Apart from this, I have rented and driven the manual variants of Honda City, XUV500, Figo, Amaze, EcoSport (diesels), Swift, Vento (Petrol) for at least 1000kms on long drives to hills in western ghats etc.


Creta became the obvious choice once I was able to move away from Nissan Kicks Turbo CVT.

Between the SX and SXO, the choice was easy – SXO felt safer. For a premium of ~1.3L, I was getting 6 Airbags instead of 2, Ventilated Seats, TPMS, Powered Driver seat. Seemed like a decent upgrade. If you had a budget of 16 and stretched up to SX variant at 18.5 (Bangalore), it’s an excellent choice. If you started with the SX variant in the first place, the stretch to SX(O) is definitely worth it.

I test drove the Turbo Automatic (SX O) variant as well. Being a relatively sedate driver, I found the performance to be very punchy and exciting. But the dry DCT and added components from a turbo spooler made me think twice about my priorities – peace of mind over excitement.

Experience so far
1. Got the vehicle on Friday, 25th Sept. Bought at Trident Hyundai near KR Puram. I was reasonably impressed by the service. I paid 5L down-payment on 1st Sept and they guaranteed delivery by 15th October, but after chasing them non-stop they were able to do it within 25 days. Cheers!
2. I am driving the vehicle mostly on Eco mode, and its perfect for traffic conditions. No sudden surge (as was in turbo model) of power, the lag in acceleration from CVT sits well with actual requirements of moving slowly in traffic even if pedal is pushed harder than intended. I am not too fond of closing every gap on the road, and darting left and right to find my way seems too much of a hassle to me (I am lazy).
3. At higher speeds on highways (above 60) the modes really don’t matter much. Except the minor growl of engine on sport mode! Otherwise the car is pretty silent. It’s not a car for overtaking on highways above 80-90 kmph briskly. It will do the job calmly. So some planning is necessary.
4. The vehicle is sturdy and stable, with excellent braking power. We tried braking hard from 60 to 0 twice on an empty stretch and car came to a halt very fast with no slipping. ABS kicked in, no screeches, no slips and in my experience of driving nearly 300kms in last 4 days, I did not find the ABS kicking in early as was reported in previous gen Creta.
5. Sport Mode is useful in my experience only for quick acceleration from 0 to 30-35kmph. Some people will really like that in a city run around. There is a big difference in pick up at low speeds between the ECO and SPORTS mode. Post that, difference is not big. The max speed I have touched so far is about 90kmph – for less than 30 seconds and don’t intend to again till I am able to do at least a 1000kms on this.
6. Ride Quality – Pay heed to the advice here on T-BHP forums and get the Tyre pressures downed to 32 or 31. It came at 37 from showroom and buoy – the ride was bumpy. I thought I was in a Seltos till I remembered this. At higher speeds the bumps get smoothened out significantly, at lower speeds you get to know all that your car rides over. So if the benchmark was Duster here, there really is no comparison. But after driving 300kms, the learning curve kicked in nicely and I now understand how to tackle bad roads to a great extent.
7. Mileage – The eco mode and stable driving, even in light traffic gave me average reading of above 14kmpl within City limits at night. During the day it comes down to 10-11kmpl.. I tried the Sports mode with a lot of hard acceleration on the highway to Bangalore Airport with low traffic, reading was at 15kmpl. I tried cruise control for about 40kms, and the reading went up to 19.1 kmpl. Either the MID is way off the mark or it is as impressive as it sounds (we were two people with total mass of about 180kgs during all this).
8. Features
a. Sunroof – I am not a fan of this, but the Panoramic spread does add a lot of value for rear seats. I am going to be in driving seat 90% of the times I am in the car so this is not my thing.
b. Hill Assist – works like a charm getting me out of our parking. It’s a steep slope with a hard 90 degree turn so I have to stop, reverse and move sometimes.
c. Headlamps – unimpressive. The throw is decent but not tall enough. I wouldn’t do 100+ at night on a dimly lit highway with these. You have to use High beams with the lamps scrolled down for decent look, but if you turn down high beam, you need to roll up the headlamps again. At this position the high beam lights up the trees ahead. I am not sure if this is an alignment issue. Will get this checked on my first service.
d. Ventilated Seats - thought of this as an unnecessary gimmick, but after using it on my long drives, it makes a lot of sense for India. No more wet pants!
e. Powered Driver seat – same thought as Ventilated seats – gimmicky at first. Later on long drives you realise the usefulness. Can change position of the seat to add back support, thigh support, etc. while driving. Unless you have used it, you will not miss it. Once you have, it becomes a must-have!
f. Speakers - Harrier was best in this department, but the Bose speakers in this Silent NA Petrol do a very good job. If you disagree, maybe try playing from Spotify instead of YouTube or FM/AM. If you still do, maybe you have been exposed to the best while I haven’t.

RavenAvi has covered a lot of ground on this car in his review, so a lot I know now are probably the same things. But I am happy to revert on specific queries on SXO if any.

Some of my concerns here
1. Do we really need underbody Anti-Rust Coating in Bangalore? Dealer offered at 4K, but I rejected saying it’s a new car and seems like an overkill. I took a few pics of the underbody and can’t really tell if that’s rust or just the regular colour of the body panels.
2. Do the headlamps feel underwhelming in terms of lighting up the road ahead?


*i wrote this on MS Word, and copied here. So please ignore any misses on highlights/bullets

[jmshaw]

Mod note: Removed excessive smilies, please limit to 2 per post as per the forum etiquette. Thanks.

This is a great review RavenAvi, many thanks for it.
I am about to book a Creta IVT this week, and am torn between the SX and SX (O). My biggest fear is I go for SX and then repent at leisure that I could have gone for the SX (O) for the creaturely comforts.

The SX (O) keeps beckoning, with my mind playing tricks that a OTR Rs.1.40 lakh difference depreciated over 5-6 yrs (average time I keep my cars) plus at time of selling I should get 30-40% of this difference back.. Which means I am essentially paying only 80-90k more..

To come to more real and logical conclusions, I went to Shreem Hyundai again yesterday. The 3 big draws for me which SX (O) provide over SX are:
1. 4 additional airbags - can't be tested, and pray to God never need them
2. Ventilated seats
3. Bose speaker setup
The rest like diamond cut alloys, Tpms, 7in color Mid etc seem more nice to have than decision clinchers. So thought of checking the speakers and ventilated seats again.
So armed with my USB loaded with my favorite tracks visited Shreem Hyundai yesterday and played around with the Bose and Arkamys systems for 10 mins each. My observation - while the Bose was slightly better, I did not find the Arkamys system lacking per se...
Also during TD of the SX (O) again; as it was a hot afternoon, I started the TD with the ventilated seats off, and AC on 16, and after a few mins of driving in traffic, switched the seat ventilation on. My observation - the Creta AC was so powerful, I in fact reduced the fan and temp. The ventilated seats again seemed nice to have, but could not see them as must haves
Obviously, 10 minutes is far from ideal to judge both audio and the ventilated seats experience, but then can't expect Shreem to let me have the car all day

In short, was unable to come to a decisive conclusion

On the other hand, to be rational, my budget is closer to SX. If I save that 1.40l, it will be much easier decision to upgrade the tyres to Michelins (currently using Michelin Primacy 3ST on my 2015 Honda City from day 1, done almost 51k kms and the SA told me during last month service, tyres are fine for another few months. So that plus new seat covers as I have a strong feeling the white covers in SX will soil fast. If I save the dough from SX (O), then new rubber plus seat covers will be the most likely additions. Somehow i dont see the JK tyres as my long term contact with the road beneath.

Still have a day to decide.. Ahh the problem of choice
Not sure what I will end up reading that may sway my decision either way...
Sorry for the long rant

[deepakdograbhp]

Originally Posted by jmshaw

Still have a day to decide.. Ahh the problem of choice
Not sure what I will end up reading that may sway my decision either way...

I suppose, thats what companies aim when they decide their trims, to entice prospespective buyers to go for the higher trim.

PS: My decision to go for SX IVT was much simpler as I had budgeted for SX manual transmission

[SedateMotorhead]

Originally Posted by jmshaw

My biggest fear is I go for SX and then repent at leisure that I could have gone for the SX (O) for the creaturely comforts.

If you can afford the SX(O), it's a no brainer. You are going to use the car for years to come. Every time you see an SX(O), you will repent your decision of going with the SX. I saying this from experience. (Although in my case in 2017, I did not have a choice as I needed an automatic which was unavailable in the SX(O) trim.

So my suggestion is, if you can afford it, go for the SX(O). Those extra bits of comfort, however small they may seem, do translate into a much better experience for many years that you will spend with your car. You will not regret it one bit!

[ashvek3141]

Originally Posted by jmshaw

Still have a day to decide.. Ahh the problem of choice
Not sure what I will end up reading that may sway my decision either way...
Sorry for the long rant

Originally Posted by SedateMotorhead

If you can afford the SX(O), it's a no brainer. You are going to use the car for years to come. Every time you see an SX(O), you will repent your decision of going with the SX. I saying this from experience. (Although in my case in 2017, I did not have a choice as I needed an automatic which was unavailable in the SX(O) trim.

So my suggestion is, if you can afford it, go for the SX(O). Those extra bits of comfort, however small they may seem, do translate into a much better experience for many years that you will spend with your car. You will not regret it one bit!

+1. If you can afford, do go for the SX(O). I think I have mentioned this is another Creta post; the regret of seeing a top spec Creta from your ‘SX’ variant is real bad. Trust me!

Do take the plunge and opt for that SX(O). Believe me, it’s definitely worth it.

1.5L in the 5-6 years of your ownership will easily breakeven. Also the feel-good factor of the top spec model with all the leather & stuff is really nice.

[karthikkr]

Originally Posted by jmshaw

Still have a day to decide.. Ahh the problem of choice
Not sure what I will end up reading that may sway my decision either way...
Sorry for the long rant

share the same dilemma, really! Am not able to really narrow down. The SX variant is loaded to the gills and really like it. But with additional 1.5L you do get some cool features. My kids love the Digital MID

It's a tease really!!!