Why I chose the Hyundai Creta facelift IVT over the Seltos

I did not want a turbo-charged engine or DCT gearbox for issues heard on different platform and did not want any complications with engine or gearbox/clutch technologies. Had checked Nexon DCA as their AMT is not good.

BHPian satya_ip recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Booked Creta Facelift S(O) IVT

Reasons to buy a new car:

• Currently, I own Swift (Vxi-2014). It was my first car and it has served me very well to date. I had never driven a car till that time in my life. But Swift has proven itself beyond words and expectations. I have driven it all across Maharashtra and have clocked 80k kilometers so far (70% city + rest highways) and believe me and fortunately, it has not broken down for any reason so far.It has gone to service centers only for regular servicing, nothing else. I always filled Nitrogen and was regularly checking tire pressure every two weeks. The result, tires had just 2 punctures in their whole life.
• It had Bridgestone tires which I changed to Yokohama ones after 60k. The battery was changed twice after the 4th and 8th years. Stock headlights replaced with projector ones.
• I still love this car very much. But now with so many advanced cars in the market with so many features and wanting to experience something new, I decided to go to the market to search new car.

Requirement for a new car

• Has to be an automatic one. With heavy traffic in Pune specially from the last 2-3 years, automatic would be a good choice.
• Refined engine, reliable car, good after-sales service. Should give decent mileage specially in the city.
• Need to have all possible safety features and good lifestyle features.
• A more powerful engine, good suspension, low maintenance, and good back seat space to accommodate 3 medium-sized adults.
• Driving should be enjoyable, fatigue fatigue-free on long journeys.

Cars considered and reasons for rejection

Kushaq and Taigun 1.0 TSI - Rejected because

• Limited back seat space
• 3-cylinder turbo engine. Not a fan of turbocharged engines personally.
• Not so reliable after-sales service (experience may differ for individuals/cities but did not want to take chances). Costly spares/availability of spares.

Grand Vitata/Hyryder Mild Hybrid - Rejected because

• I went to the Nexa showroom. But as soon as I entered the GV, the interiors made not so positive impression on me. It reminded me of 10-year-old Swift. The rear design is more beautiful than from facia. Plus Zeta Smart Hybrid AT does not have a rear seat arm-rest which is present in the top model but it costs around 20L otr Pune. So skipped it and Hyryder as well.

MG Astor - Rejected because

• Lack of adequate rear seat space
• Not-so-positive reviews about fuel efficiency.

Nexon - I was very much looking for a Nexon facelift even though it is a category down to the above ones. But

• Petrol DCA was costing around 17L otr Pune
• QC-related issues and some not-so-inspiring experiences heard about it on the team-bhp forum. After-sales service is still a lot to be improved. The experience may not be the same for all dealers/cities but did not want to take the risk if I am going to pay so much for a new car. One of my close friends purchased a Harrier last year and he is already cursing himself because of bothQC issues and after-sales service issues. Not anything against Tatas or the owners.

Seltos - Had a test drive of Seltos IVT HTX. But decided to wait for the Creta facelift. Seltos costs around 1L more for its HTX ivt model than Creta facelift s(o) ivt and it does not have the rear seat armrest. Also from various sources learnt that it still has a somewhat stiffer suspension. Creta has a somewhat softer suspension compared to it.

New Verna - Liked the interiors very well. Was eager for it as it has got a 5-star GNCAP rating. But the low GC and the front and rear looks went against it.

So, it left only Creta as the option for me. I did not want a turbo-charged engine or DCT gearbox for issues heard on different platforms and did not want any complications with engine or gearbox/clutch technologies. Had checked Nexon DCA as their AMT is not good.

Creta TD to Booking

• Went to a nearby Hyundai showroom with wife and daughter. Got the chance to see Sx(O) manual in black color. My wife and daughter instantly liked it for its interiors, features, audio system quality, and panoramic sun-roof. I wanted to see and have a test drive of S(O) ivt only as that was the one I was going to buy. The SA was quite friendly as he readily agreed to take us to the stockyard which is nearby from the showroom.
• We went there and got the chance to check the one which we were looking for. The dashboard layout, the beautiful looking center console with Electric parking brake, Auto-hold, and premium looking gear lever with multiple drive modes. We played some music there and were quite happy with the output. It has 4 speakers and 2 twitters. The output was quite good for our choice.
• By the time we reached back to the showroom, the SA had arranged Sx(O) ivt for a test drive. It was my first time to drive an automatic car. The SA allowed me to take quite a long test drive in which.I used all driving modes, paddle shifter, manual mode, and auto-mode. Experienced the rubber band effect as well when I tried to accelerate it hard. I took to one of the nearby open grounds. It had quite an uneven surface. Drove there a bit fast to test suspension and ground clearance, and drove it a bit fast on speed brakers but the Creta behaved excellently and proved itself. Came back happily to the showroom.
• The ivt gave a good response if we accelerate it gradually. Gear shifting is smooth with gradual acceleration, paddle shifters are also good and one can enjoy manual mode as well.
• Checked the engine bay, and bonnet. It felt heavy and as reported by one of the team-bhpian, it weighs more now. As per the steel structure demoed by Hyundai, it seems that they might have improved the build quality by using high-strength steel with a facelift model. But they need to prove it by testing it. Also, the new Verna is 5-star rated, so we may see some good results for Creta as well.
• The decision was made final. The daughter was happy and excited to have such a big sunroof. The black color choice was of a daughter. Wifey was happy with the interiors and spaciness and overall good feeling of being in a Creta. One may not like the interior theme at the first look but believe me you will start liking it once you start spending time in it.

Things I did not like in Creta

• The HVAC panel looks misfit to the overall interior and dashboard theme. Also, Hyundai should have provided a soft-touch foam layer on the dashboard, and door panels at this price point. Few car manufacturers are already providing it in this category.
• We want it to be delivered on Gudi-padwa (9th April), the Maharashtrian New Year but SA could not assure us to deliver it by that time. So the next day, I went to another dealer who assured me to deliver it by that time. Had a long discussion with the new dealer SA and his boss. They agreed to give insurance at around 50k from 77k which they had originally quoted. Took it from them only as I did not want any hassle if I had to claim it in the future. They also agreed to give quite a good deal on essential accessories.
• Opted for an additional two-year extended warranty. Did not opt for SoT (shield of trust). Did not opt for any exterior/under-body coating. Opted for leatherette seat covers as I liked the material they are using. Leatherette steering cover as the S(O) does not come with any, 7D mats, mudflaps, or side cladding. Got a good deal from the dealer for these items.
• For seat covers, the front seat covers will have their door-facing side open so as not to obstruct airbags. There will be elastic bands at the top and bottom of the open ends so that they do not look shabby. The elastic bands will also not obstruct the opening of airbags in case it happens. Will share the pics of the seat covers once I get the delivery.
• This is my first story on the forum and a new experience to share the booking of a new car on team-bhp and was really excited about the journey so far... Apologies if it is very long..

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