[Artyom]

After getting married and moving to Bangalore I felt the need for a 4-wheeler as the frequent trips on my beloved Apache 160 was becoming tiresome and so the search began.

Being my first car, I was apprehensive buying a bigger vehicle especially in Bangalore .

One fine day I was talking to my dad, and he brought the idea of relocating our Alto 800 from Punjab to Bangalore.

This would meet our requirement and so the vehicle was relocated to Bangalore in February ,2014.

We thoroughly enjoyed the trips to Ooty, Kabini , Coorg , Mangalore, Gokarna, Pondicherry in our beloved Alto and it drove like a charm.

Fast forward to 2019 we observed our trips were getting frequent and the distance we were traveling was increasing.

Alto was capable enough to travel from point A to B but it was not that comfortable and so we decided to make the move to something bigger which offers features and comfort.

Finally, we sold the Alto at 28k Odo Reading after 5 years.

Budget
It was finalized- 11-11.5 OTR Bangalore

Priorities:-
-Petrol as our running didn’t qualify buying a Diesel.
-High Ground clearance.
-NA Engine strictly with Manual Transmission.
-Tried and tested mechanicals.
-5-seater with a decent boot space.
-Quality fit and finish for Interiors.

Coincidentally there were couple of new launches, so we kept our options flexible just in case.

The test drives were taken in the following order:-

Ford Eco Sport ->First test drive & we felt at home. Build was top notch, and the commanding position was a new experience. Despite being a 3 cylinder, it was refined. The suspension was on the harder side and within city was little unsettling.

XUV 300-> The size was overwhelming.The interiors were too flashy and test drive vehicle had squeaks and sounds coming which the SA couldn’t explain. Plus, it was a Turbo unit. It was a proper 5-seater though.

Venue->Had been following the launch and was impressed with the features on offer and we felt it’s the right choice so pre booked it. On the day of launch we both sat in the front seats and to our disappointment it felt claustrophobic. We were so disappointed that we immediately visited the Ford showroom which was next door and sat in EcoSport’s cabin to observe the difference and mind you it was considerable. We took a TD for the DCT version and felt just OK. Space was a major concern. It’s a strict 4-seater.

Duster-> We took the TD for the manual variant, and it was Ok. The SA was least interested to sell the vehicle. That clubbed with the dwindling sales we felt its better to drop it.

We took Multiple test drives for all the vehicles above to ensure we take an informed decision.

We had finalized EcoSport Titanium Plus and was about to book but at the last minute we were told that Ford is not taking booking for Titanium + and there was a facelift in works. I read through various forums and all of them said the facelift will have a lot of options removed which usually made EcoSport a value for money option. Again, I was left disappointed.

I had almost given up and thought let’s take a break and resume the hunt after a few months with a fresh mind. Since Venue was dropped, I wanted a refund so visited Trident Hyundai. It was a busy weekend as Venue had just launched and the staff was busy in catering customers. I was waiting for them to process the refund.

It was taking time, so I started glancing through the models casually and saw the Creta on display. To kill time, I asked the SA to give me a test drive and so he obliged.

It was a Top model Manual transmission test vehicle. Oh boy. Instantly we felt we are sitting in a bigger and more spacious vehicle with a refined engine. The acceleration was butter smooth and it had oodles of space for the 2 of us. Cabin was quiet. Fit and finish was A level.I took 2 test drives back-to-back.

After the TD we both were perplexed. There was a major bump in the price (11.5 Lakhs vs 15.45 Lakhs). I felt that if we go with Creta it will be a future proof buy. This was the last iteration of the 1st Gen Creta which meant all the niggles were sorted out. I wasn’t a fan of the new gen Creta looks so if it was Creta it had to be this model.

It was almost 8 Pm and I quickly called my parents to discuss, and my dad said. “Buy what brings smile to your face” and the decision was made. We finally booked Creta SX 1.6 Petrol Manual.

Booking, PDI, Delivery Experience
The Booking was seamless, and the delivery date was promised 1 month from booking.
25 days later I followed up and no one had a clue where the vehicle was . I had to escalate and finally got the status and ETA.
I got the VIN allocated to the vehicle from the SA and then checked and it was a fresh out of the oven piece.
Did the PDI 1 day before delivery and it was to my satisfaction.
Finally “Artyom” as I call him came home on 19th June,2019. Overall, the experience was satisfactory.

What I Like
1.In the dying breed of NA 4-cylinder engines it’s one of its kind 1.6 Litre unit.
2.Fit , finish and quality of interiors are holding up fine without issues.
3.Easily can accommodate 5 people
4.Soft suspension makes the city drives a breeze and gobbles up the bumps.
5.Seating position and seat comfort has been phenomenal. I have driven 18 hours straight and was surprised there was no fatigue or backache.
6.FE is acceptable considering it’s a 1.6 liter engine (11.5 in City and 15-17 on Highway)
7.A lot has been said about its braking but in my experience, I have encountered the notorious issue 2 or 3 times that too on a gravel surface. Other than that, it has worked effortlessly. No Complaints.
8.The steering weighs up as the speed increases and unless you are 135+ you will not feel nervous.
9.I have done Bangalore - Punjab trip twice with full load and I never felt the engine is under powered.
10.Very good NVH insulation especially coming from an Alto.
11.AC is satisfactory and chills in no time.
12.Touch and feel of all buttons and click reeks quality.
13.Gear shifts are butter smooth without any jerks.
14.HU is no nonsense unit with basic features working without any surprises.
15. Service Costs and spare availability is acceptable.

What could have been better
1.OEM tires were lowest of the grade, 3 tires had gone bad within first year due to manufacturing defects.Fortunately they were replaced with help from a friend.
2.No 12V socket in the boot.
3.It has a Projector setup which is useless on highways especially when the oncoming traffic is using high beam. Even driving during the night, the throw of light is very weak.
4.At this price point telescopic steering adjustment should have been provided.
5. Ground clearance at 190mm is lower than the competition.
6.This is not a vehicle for enthusiasts and is more suited for sedated driving.

Parts Replaced so far (Mechanical Issues)
1.At 19947 Km I faced a pre-mature Slave Cylinder failure which was replaced under warranty.

Niggles
1.Squeaking noise from the rear seats which was due to a loose locking and was fixed by the Service Center.

After Market Accessories /Additional fitments or Purchases
Sensairy TPMS (Internal)
Dashcam (Front and Back)
Roof Wrapped
Ceramic Coating (IGL Kenzo)
Tyre Inflator
Jumper Cables
Under body Coating

Service Maintenance Costs
1st Service -> Zero
2nd Service -> 4359 Inr
3rd Service -> 7081 Inr
4Th Service -> 13365 Inr

Total-> 24,805 in 3 years 8 months

Chalaans

Two Challans for Over speeding while passing Telangana.
One Challan for wrong parking in Bangalore .

Dents and Breakages
1.1st dent courtesy a luggage carrier who couldn’t brake on time and scrapped the rear right side. Painful but can’t help.
2. Multiple Chippings on the front windshield observed.
3. Left Side rear View Mirror cracked while parking so got it replaced.

Future Plans
1.If all goes well the next trip will be to Northeast followed by a Leh Ladakh trip. Travelogue will follow rest assured.
2. I will be extending the warranty till 7th year soon to ensure peace of mind. Currently its till 5th year.
3. Changing the tires in another 10000 Kilometers and Brake pads during next service.

Overall Impressions.
Every time I drive Artyom it brings a smile and every time I park it a 2nd glance is assured . I hope that sums up my emotions.

My First ride Alto 800_2014 Till 2019_28000Km

1st Glance and PDI Inspection

1st Trip to Pondicherry

Artyom Comes Home

On the Way back from Pondicherry

Roof Wrapped

On the way back from Vizag

TeamBhp Meets

TeamBhp Meets

TeamBhp Meets

TeamBhp Meets

Trip to Shimla

Fully Loaded during 1st Trip to Punjab

Artyom and dads Venue

Left RearView Mirror Breakage

Left RearView Mirror Breakage

The Dent. Ouch.

Slave Cylinder Replacement

[Artyom]

Milestone Click

[Chhanda Das]

Loved the colour combination of the (roof+spoiler) wrap among other things. It is always a pleasure being able to feast my eyes on such a well-maintained Creta like yours. The saying "They don't make them like that nowadays" aptly sums up the first-generation Creta. Wish you all happy and safe trips ahead. люблю тебя Артём

[silvercloud]

Looks like both you and me were searching for the same type of vehicle in the same budget at the same time in 2019. I test drove all the vehicles that you mentioned and in addition to that, I also test drove the Vitara Brezza.

I had to set aside the Creta since I couldn't stretch my budget any further and in the end chose my diesel Manual duster. I chose a late 2018 manufactured model with a juicy discount. It has been 40000 km of trouble free ride since. (except for dings and scratches).

I loved the Creta though, so good choice and happy riding.

[skb1811]

How's it that you've got the facelift front lights and bumper(gen 1 of course) but the original prefacelift taillamps?

[DriverNo.420]

Originally Posted by skb1811

How's it that you've got the facelift front lights and bumper(gen 1 of course) but the original prefacelift taillamps?

I think these are LED tailights that were on the last year of facelifted 1st gen creta(2019-2020). Their design mimicked the pre-facelift tailights when off.

[airguitar]

Originally Posted by Artyom

Duster-> We took the TD for the manual variant, and it was Ok. The SA was least interested to sell the vehicle.

^^ One of the reasons I ended up buying the Creta, though I was interested in the Duster AWD. The sales guy at Renault Mahadevapura was hardly bothered and didn't return calls or messages for more than a week.

Must say that the Creta wasn't a bad decision and the car ages well, mine is 7 years old now.

[Artyom]

Originally Posted by airguitar

^^ One of the reasons I ended up buying the Creta, though I was interested in the Duster AWD. The sales guy at Renault Mahadevapura was hardly bothered and didn't return calls or messages for more than a week.

Must say that the Creta wasn't a bad decision and the car ages well, mine is 7 years old now.

I had similar experience with Renault Mahadevapura.
They were least interested and were very cold to all my queries .
I asked for the top model test drive and they said its not available.
Overall I was getting very laid back vibes as if they have already given up.
The same thing happened with Mahindra as well. After I stopped following up one fine day out to nowhere this guy lands at my doorsteps for test drive. No prior intimation just right on the face.
Since he had come from far I didn't feel like sending him back so took the test drive for XUV 300 which was a bigger disappointment than Duster. Duster was at least a tried and tested vehicle but XUV300 was like a half baked attempt .
I agree that the 1st gen Creta has a distinct character which will age well.
Yours is Petrol or Diesel ?

[Artyom]

Update -3rd Paid Service
********************
Odo Reading-31917 Km
Date of Service-1st Sep,23
Charges->10101 Inr

Items changed:-
**************
1.Engine Oil(Shell 5W30)
2.Air Filter

Observations:-
************
1.Got the Battery Health check performed and the state of health showed 90%
2.There was some battery acid leak which spilled onto the transmission and caused a white deposit which upon pointing was cleaned thoroughly.
3.The Service Center guys had put 0W30 engine oil instead of me specifically asking to put the 5W30 from Shell. Upon insisting they had to drain that oil and refill 5W30.
4.For checking the battery health initially they used a Battery Tester and only upon insisting they performed a full battery check by using the machine.
5.The OBD scan yielded no errors however displayed a ECU update which was performed
6.The Service Center tried to include some items which were performed last year also . I believe it was Clutch Bleeding and Brake Bleeding and when I reported it was performed last year they removed it.

Overall this time I felt the service center was trying to mint money as much as possible by doing the least .
Had I not pointed out the errors they would have easily fooled a customer by performing sub standard service.
Although they did give some 500 INR discount on the bill but this time I felt the quality of service was not at par.
Maybe next time I will try Trident Hyundai centers.


ECU Upgrade


Battery leak on Transmission


Engine Oil before Replacement


Shell 0W30 which is now default for Fully Synthetic Engine Oil Replacement


Shell 5W30 which has been in all the previous services


Battery HC receipt

[Chhanda Das]

Originally Posted by Artyom

Update -3rd Paid Service

This is one of the many reasons why we service our 1.6 petrol Creta mostly by ourselves at home.

About the engine oil, that switch to 0W-30 oil was largely for logistical reasons by Hyundai and not for technical reasons with regards to the health and longevity of the engine as you can see in the image below which captures a part of the internal communications from Hyundai to their service centres across India :-

Additionally, Hyundai still recommends the 5W-30 oil for your 1.6 petrol Creta which you can verify in their link below :-

https://www.hyundai.com/in/en/connec...les/engine-oil

Hence, I would still stick to the 5W-30 oil if I were you.

Also, since battery acid is quite corrosive, I would suggest to get the transmission casing and other affected areas cleaned and then resprayed with some high temperature rated paint like the ones used for brake calipers.

Wishing you happy and safe drives ahead

[Artyom]

Completed a 5946 Kilometers trip to Punjab and back in December,23 and back by Jan,24 mid.
The vehicle performed without any fuss. Overall the odo reading now stands at 39463 Kilometers.
Few pictures taken post washing the car while in Punjab.
December,23 also marks 2 years with the coating and I am happy to report its performing well.

[Artyom]

8600 Km since the last service and a 1600 Km trip upcoming I decided to get the service done to avoid any issues during the upcoming trip.
It did burn a hole in my pocket but again its been 5 years so few things had to be replaced proactively to ensure the vehicle performs optimally.

Update -4th Paid Service
********************
Odo Reading-40296 Km
Date of Service-26th March,24
Charges->14932 + 5000 Inr

Items changed:-
**************
1.Engine Oil(Shell 5W30).
2.Air Filter
3.Cabin Filter
4.Bake Pads( I asked them if they should be replaced and they were confident it will still have 4-5k life left.I still went ahead with the replacement as i had a 1600 Km trip juet the very next day and plus the servicing was anyway getting done.)
5.Battery( The Battery report which was generated said "Bad and Replace" with a 78% as state of health and 89% charging.Since a bad battery could affect other components also i thought of replacing it with an Amaron FLO. The replacement was done from outside .

Observations:-
************
1. There was again some battery acid leak which spilled onto the transmission and caused a white deposit which upon pointing was cleaned thoroughly
2.Got 5W30 filled from the drum under my supervision followed by replacement,
3. The OBD scan was performed and I am assuming it went Ok as I wasn't there to see the results.
4.For checking the battery health initially they used a Battery Tester and only upon insisting they performed a full battery check by using the machine.
5.No Discount offered this time and the service alone without Brake pad and Battery replacement would have cost me 10892 which i feel is higher.
6.My Extended warranty expires in next 3 months which means now i can get the vehicle serviced from outside as well provided they offer equivalent quality of service as the OEM consumables can be easily procured from MOBIS.
7. This time I wanted to try Trident service centers but they don't procure Shell Fully Synthetic oil so that was a bummer.
Overall the Brake pad replacement and battery replacement did add to my service cost by additional 8k+(3812 for Brake pads and 5k for the battery) but considering the vehicle is almost 5 years old and 40k run i don't mind it considering they anyways had to be replaced in near future.The very next day we did a 1600 Km trip and the vehicle performed without any fuss so i am a happy man .

[Artyom]

“Artyom” had completed 5 years this June and I thought why not get some TLC for my ride.
Spoke to Nirmal and realized their new setup "Auto Engage" was just 20 minutes away from my house. What better and more efficient way to accomplish my goal? Eh.

Called Nirmal and fixed an appointment on a weekday and reached around 10 am and left around 4:30 pm.

Following were the tasks undertaken by them in these 6.5 hours:-

Deep Cleaning :-
-Crevices
-Door Handles
-Alloys
-Beadings
-Engine Bay
-Roof Rack
-Decontamination of any scaling overall
-Plastic Trims
-Bonet
-Full exterior wash and drying
-All door mats were thoroughly washed.
-All the Interior plastics were thoroughly brushed and cleaned
-All the Fabric seats which were soiled with 5 years of dust and spots owing to the use were cleaned like new.
-All the External plastics were protected with a product they called "Akme"which gets absorbed onto the surface and offers good protection. The exterior plastics had gathered hard water spots and some nasty grime which was cleaned and protected.
-The glass had somehow accumulated some kind of oil or greasy substance which was not going away in previous washes. I pointed that out and they did a tremendous job of cleaning them .

Verdict:-
After 6.5 hours of work on my vehicle I can truly say it was worth it and the TLC accomplished without any complaints whatsoever.
I am waiting for the current coating to wear off and whenever it does the next coating will be from them.

FYI I am not associated with Nirmal or Auto Engage in any manner. This post is just to share my experience with the forum.

[bijims]

Great work done by the team, and the car looks gorgeous.

[northstar*]

Originally Posted by Artyom

“Artyom” had completed 5 years this June and I thought why not get some TLC for my ride.
Spoke to Nirmal and realized their new setup "Auto Engage" was just 20 minutes away from my house. What better and more efficient way to accomplish my goal? Eh.

Excellent work. Would you mind sharing how much you was charged for this ?