Is the Hyundai Creta an alternative to entry-level German SUVs?

Many features are completely or partially missing in the Germans and not to forget the asking price, which easily is more than 2 times what one would pay for the top end Creta SX (O) DCT on road.

BHPian QuickSilver85 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Don't bash me for beginning this thread. I know the cars under the comparison belong to very different segments, BUT, I want to highlight the fact, how much value for money the 20 lac rupee segment have become compared to the Luxury brands. The amount of features on the Creta can put to shame the big 3 german entry level SUVs.

I happen to conduct a search using the Carwale car comparator, and I was simply blown away with what Creta top end petrol has to offer vs the top end petrols of the 3 German marque brands, Audi, BMW & Mercedes.

Right from engine, power on offer, active & passive safety, features such as keyless entry, push button, ventilated seats on front seats, memory seats, wireless applecarplay/android auto, wireless charging, alloy wheel design can put to shame some of the SUVs compared here. Many features are completely or partially missing in the Germans and not to forget the asking price, which easily is more than 2 times what one would pay for the top end Creta SX (O) DCT on road. For some perspective, Creta OTR Bangalore is Rs. 24.63 Lakh, while, X1 is Rs. 62.27 Lakh, Q3 is Rs. 67.95 Lakh and GLA is Rs. 61.87 Lakh all prices OTR Bangalore (Before offers/discounts etc). One may what about safety on the body shell, while, Creta is yet to be crash tested compared to 5 star safety of the Germans, I do believe, Creta might score a 5 star at BNCAP as well, considering how Hyundai has responded to the criticism with Verna achieving the 5 star in GNCAP.

I echo with GTOs sentiment, 20-30 lakh car is all the car one needs these days, anything more is pure greed

My Question is: Other than the badge value, Does buying an entry German SUV still make sense

Here's what BHPian Pythonista had to say on the matter:

I agree with you on most parts. The Creta indeed is a pretty feature loaded car that punches above its price, I don't think it can be seen as an alternative for the Germans.

Yes, I agree with the fact that 20-30 lakhs is all you need for a complete car nowadays, but it differs in many aspects such as performance, material quality, dynamics, etc. Also, you can't resist the allure and feel factor of the Germans.

IMO, other than the features on offer, I don't think that the Creta can compete with the Germans here.

Here's what BHPian Nithesh_M had to say on the matter:

Weirdly enough when I purchased the 2nd Gen Creta 3 years ago I noticed just how much value it was when parked next to my uncle's A class, some random guys X1 and Q3 inside malls etc. Similar sized car but somehow the Koreans are more reliable than them all mechanically speaking.

Now I have always admired Japanese reliability over German engineering and have always had a disdain for the products from the big 3 Germans who mostly avoid the middle class in this country to maintain their snob badge value so to see how the Koreans are out-equipping the Germans always brings a smile to my face. Here I am hoping the Japanese makers also realise the significance of offering more for less like they once used to. I remember when cars like the City and Lancer was perceived as luxury class for the salaried class and had more desirability than most brands.

Here's what BHPian motorworks had to say on the matter:

I mean, why stop at the german entry level SUVs when comparing with the Creta? There are more expensive cars which do not have some of the features that the new Creta has! And while we are here, why not compare a Sonet with a Mini cooper country man and keep going in that direction? Or the XUV700 with a GLC? Our very own XUV700 has features that can put many expensive cars to shame.

Sorry, but i find these discussions pointless. Sure, a lot of the german and European cars are super expensive in India, either due to many parts being imported, low localisation or in some cases snob value. I mean, the Germans can command a premium, because they can. Thats their model.

My friend bought the new C class sedan in 2022. It costs 65L, has a ton of features, but still doesnt get a 360 camera that his 2022 Seltos has. The power output too is nothing spectacular for that price. But the car is truly special. No two ways about that. Is it worth 65L? Well that’s a question Mercedes has to ponder over in case they miss sales estimates, right?

And as we get in to the new era of technology, many features become far more accessible, we are also going to be seeing some powerful and efficient turbo petrols across all price bands making specifications on paper easily comparable.

Here's what BHPian vattyboy had to say on the matter:

I own a top-of-the-line Creta SX Optional D AT and a Mercedes-Benz CLA. I drive them both regularly in the city and on the highway. While the Creta is a great value-for-money car with all the latest features, it is a 25 lakhs rupees car and drives like one.

After driving the Mercedes and then switching to the Creta, I feel like something is missing in the Creta, like the superior quality of the engine (not just talking about power but its quality, the way it revs smoothly at any rpm of the rev range).

When it comes to driving dynamics, the Creta doesn't compare to the Mercedes. The Mercedes drives smoothly even at high speeds, making it feel like I am driving slowly. Additionally, the Mercedes has superior braking confidence at any speed.

The Mercedes also has better sound insulation, as outside noise doesn't enter the cabin.

Then there is the safety aspect - driving the Mercedes feels like driving a solid tank while the Creta feels light in comparison.

Finally, there is the badge value. The amount of respect I receive from family, friends and even strangers makes the extra cost worth it.

If someone has the budget for a Mercedes, then they should go for it. However, if their budget is limited and they have to take a loan for 50% of the car's cost, then it may not be worth it. In that case, they should happily buy the Creta as it will do the job just fine.

Here's what BHPian museycal had to say on the matter:

I'll put aside the features, performance and dimensional parity for a moment, and so to the brand/snob value. These are mostly tangible and perceptible aspects which we can assign values to for a comparison.

There's perhaps a big, highly subjective intangible of driving experience and sense of occasion everytime we get into a car. How well is the steering working, how fluid are the direction changes, how are the brakes feeling, how do the interior and exterior appeal, the suspension noises or their lack-off, the ergonomics, the sensations of speed, the keenness in cornering, the stability at high speed maneuvers, the assured-ness in emergency braking situation, that feeling of safe and taut etc. These things are usually vastly different in real life and the cars at various price points will have varying mix of proficiencies and qualities of these fronts.

For example: forget about the Creta vs German rivals, just drive most expensive Creta automatic and the cheapest Jeep Compass automatic back to back, with 4 people on board, on the worst broken roads to the smoothest highways at the limit, and trust me most of us will come out of the Compass nodding, yeah, this is worth 30 big ones alright!

PS: Above is only for the machinery and engineering part. Reliability, TCO (total cost of ownership) etc. are different ballgame altogether.

Here's what BHPian Silverfire had to say on the matter:

Depends on what you are looking for, but in general, I think cars like the Creta and the Seltos are actually much better than the entry or entry+1 level SUVs of the German Trio.

1. Way more features. The Koreans absolute clobber the Germans here. ADAS, Large screens, connected car features.

2. Similar or better performance. The BMW X1 claims 0 to 100 in 8.9 secs, which is the same as the Creta N-line.

3. Peace of mind ownership experience. Add fuel from any petrol pump no need to hunt for XP95. Drive anywhere and a Service station is likely not more than 100 kms away. No issue with parts availability, long service wait times or expensive labour.

4. Designed for India - I feel on our roads the suspension, ground clearance, under body protection etc. that the Koreans come with is way more suitable that the built for German roads Trio. Plonk a BMW on Bengaluru's infamous Outer Ring Road, and bounce your way to regret (if your run flat tyres don't get destroyed that is). Plus features like the Air Purifier, Hindi voice commands, Dashcam etc. make the experience so much nicer in our markets.

5. Rock solid reliability. Cretas especially are known for years of fuss free ownership.

Where the Germans triumph is in:

1) Exclusivity (If you want to show you have arrived the Creta is really not going to do it)

2) Classy interiors and a feeling of being well built (though this does not show up on the reliability rankings)

Net net, is that worth 2X-4X the price of a Creta?

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.