Hyundai Creta Preview

India is today one of the fastest markets for compact SUVs prompting manufacturers to enter the fray with vehicles of all sizes and shapes. One of the chief entrants, among all the players, is Hyundai with its new Creta compact crossover. The vehicle has already been launched in the Chinese market as the ix25 and has been spotted testing in India on multiple occasions.

Exterior

The Hyundai Creta looks like a smaller version of the Santa Fe SUV. While it gets a pretty similar external design, what is different is the front bumper which appears to be a vertically stacked unit as compared to the more round ones on the Santa Fe. A majority of the vertical shape comes from the design of the fog lamps. It also appears that the headlights stand out a tad bit more as compared to the Santa Fe. The side profile of the Creta is the same as the Santa Fe which means the stance is forward leaning with flared wheel arches. The rear roofline sharply tapers as it connects with the tail lamps.At the rear, the South Korean automaker has given the Creta a vertically stacked design with each part appearing like a separate section. The first part goes from the spoiler to the base of glass while the second section is from a ridge line at the centre of the hatch door to just above the number plate slot. The loading lip and the black bumper form section three of the stack. Wrap around tail lamps and a silver-coloured bash plate complete the appearance of the rear section.

Interior

The interior of the Creta will be exactly the same as that of the India-spec Verna sedan right down to the overall layout of various items in the cabin. We believe that the India-spec car will get beige interiors with a feature list for the top-spec model that is expected to include a touchscreen infotainment system, climate control, power windows, electrically adjustable OVRMs, rear AC vents and at least one optional variant with extra safety features.The boot is expected to be quite large and roomy with at least 400 litres of storage space. It seems possible that Hyundai may just offer jump seats for the third row in a bid to increase the number of seats offered in the vehicle. We also believe that the top-spec diesel and petrol will get the option of leather seats.

Engine and gearbox

The Creta will be offered with the 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines while the only diesel option will be the 1.6-litre four cylinder unit from the Verna. Gearbox options are expected include a five-speed manual, six-speed manual as well as a four-speed AT all sending power to the front wheels. ABS, EBD and traction are expected to be offered in the top-spec variants only.

The boot is expected to quite large and roomy with at least 400 litres of storage space. It seems possible that Hyundai may just offer jump seats for the third row in a bid to increase the number of seats offered in the vehicle. We also believe that the top spec diesel and petrol will get the option of leather seats also.

Price and competition

We expect that Creta will be priced in the range of Rs 7 lakh to Rs 13 lakh where it will compete with the Renault Duster and Ford EcoSport as well as the Mahindra Scorpio.

Specifications Summary

Engines

1582 cc, Diesel, 128 bhp @ 4000 RPM power

Gearboxes

6-speed, Automatic, FWD

Seating Capacity

5 seater

Steering

Power steering