Hyundai Creta Review, First Drive

Rumour mills have been buzzing ever since spy photos of the facelifted Hyundai Creta surfaced online. Well, it is time to put all this frenzy gossip to rest as we get behind the wheel of the 2018 Hyundai Creta. Sticking to the cardinal rule, ‘never change a winning formula’, Hyundai has managed to enhance the Creta without changing its philosophy of being an urban SUV.

A touch of opulence

The Creta was already a pretty good looking SUV, but after getting a nip-and-tuck job, Hyundai has managed to refresh its looks. The first thing that grabs your attention is the new wider and more prominent front grill. The new cascade design of the grill comes with a metal finish frame, which does remind us of a certain German luxury car manufacturer. This does manage to add a bit more oomph to the SUV’s exterior design. Even though the headlamps design looks the same in the 2018 Creta, the Korean manufacturer has smartly rejigged the layout of the Bi- functional Projector headlamps. The LED daytime running lights (DRLs), on the other hand, have been pushed down to the front bumper where the fog lamps are housed. Hyundai has decided to up the Creta’s rugged features with beefed up faux skid plates at the front and rear.

Coming to the side profile, you can’t help but notice the newly designed 17-inch diamond cut alloys. If you’re a ninja fan, then these new set of alloys will remind you of throwing stars or Shurikens. With the front receiving a decent nose job, the rear remains more or less the same with only the new split lamps and bumpers getting a touch-up job. It would have been great if the new Creta came with LED rear lights.

The previous generation Creta came with too many different shades of greys and silver colour options, but now, thankfully, the 2018 version boasts an eye-catching orange and a very regal looking blue. Hyundai has added another dual-tone colour option – orange and black – apart from the already available the white and black combination. Unfortunately, the dual-tone options are only available in the SX variant.

Feature laden

The USP of any Hyundai vehicle is that it comes fully loaded with features and the Creta is no different. As a matter of fact, the 2018 version comes with more features like the wireless mobile phone charger, electric sunroof, a six-way electric powered driver’s seat, cruise control, sliding front armrest and auto-dimming or electrochromic mirror. The Creta also comes with a smart key band, which lets you lock/unlock the vehicle and with the help of an app, it doubles up as a fitness band.

At this day and age, connectivity is everything. Therefore, Hyundai has launched Autolink app that helps you keep a check on the vehicle health, monitor driving patterns, manage parking, get roadside assistance and make a service request.

The Creta continues to sport a 7-inch touch screen infotainment system, which now comes with an upgraded software. The instrument cluster gets a fuel efficiency gauge, which reads out both instant and average economy. What was slightly disappointing was that the Creta doesn’t get ventilated front seats like the Verna. When it comes to safety, the top-of-the-line SX (O) version, which we tested, is equipped with six airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Vehicle Stability Management control (VSM) and Hill Start Assist Control (HAC). What did surprise us was that only the SX automatic trim comes with ISOFIX child restraints.

Drive and ride experience

The Creta continues to be powered by the tried and tested 126bhp 1.6-litre diesel motor and is mated with either a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed torque converter automatic gearbox. Both the transmissions are a hoot to drive in both the city and on the highway thanks to the meaty mid-range power the engine provides. This versatile diesel powerplant also provides a responsive linear pick up at low speeds. Hyundai hasn’t changed the suspension set up, therefore, the Creta continues to carpet ditches and potholes effortlessly. It also manages to corner without any hesitation, but its advisable to let go of the accelerator pedal as its ride set up is on the softer side.

Verdict

So, is the Hyundai Creta still the sought after SUV on this side Rs 20 lakhs? Yes, it certainly is and will continue to be the segment leader as a total package the 2018 avatar builds on the already successful credentials and now brings an array of smart features.

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