First Drive

So beautiful! So elegant! Just like a wow! Hyundai Motors India invited us to the land of kings and queens, Rajasthan, to experience the new generation of Creta on some mind-boggling isolated high-speed roads. Speaking of queens, the Hyundai Creta has been India's undisputed queen of mid-size SUVs. Ever since its launch in 2015, this queen has been democratically chosen by the people of India. As a sales topper for Hyundai Motors India and one of the most successful cars on Indian roads, the Creta benchmarked its segment and rivalled some cars, a segment above. Adding more than 44% to total Hyundai SUV sales, the Creta has become Hyundai’s torchbearer. Competition has been challenging, trying to dethrone the queen. But what happens when a queen evolves? Meet the evolved 2024 Hyundai Creta. Exteriors - Prettier than ever The Hyundai Creta has seen three earlier iterations before the one available now. What we witnessed on the internet through Indonesian design differs from what Hyundai Motors India had in mind for their design. The 2024 Hyundai Creta for India improves massively on the design appeal. Although the design is subjective, I was not impressed by the 2020 iteration of this car. Hyundai has managed to visually appeal to the critic in me and impress thoroughly with the new design language. The silhouette stays similar, but the car has become slightly wider and longer by 30mm. Adding to the appeal is a new rear and front fascia. Horizon-connected LED with beautiful textures and design inspired by the IONIQ series creates symmetry. Sequential indicators and a parametric wide grille paired with quad-beam LED headlights make the new Creta prettier than ever. What is not visible is the new hardened chassis with material science and improved driving dynamics with evolutionary updates. Interior - New dashboard with better rear seats The D-styled leather-wrapped steering wheel is familiar with the button layout and adaptive ADAS settings, while the new dashboard and upholstery are surprisingly uplifting. The multi-toned driver’s cockpit includes two floating 10.25” with physical buttons for media and HVAC controls. HVAC features an automated dual-zone climate control while the dashboard is catered towards the driver and has significant design change, with newer AC vents, textures and design. The car has simply evolved into a modern design from its predecessor, inside out. Most components on the centre console remain the same, like the wireless charger and type A and type C USB ports, both front and rear. Hyundai Motors India improved on customer feedback, and rear passengers get all the similar bells and whistles as the earlier iterations with added under-thigh support. The UI on both the dashboard displays supports regional languages, 70+ Bluelink connected car features, ADAS level 2 with a front camera, front radar and rear camera controls with 19 features, including adaptive cruise control, blind-view monitor utilising the crisp 360-degree cameras, 148 voice commands including 62 hinglish commands, a magnetic pad like the IONIQ series, 16 free OTA updates and inclusion of Jio Saavn Pro 1-year subscription inside the Creta. The feature list is long, and the improvements are satisfying, with better NVH levels than the outgoing model. Boot space is a healthy 433L with 60:40 split rear seats, liberating more room when required. Top-of-the-line variants sport an 8-speaker Bose audio system with a sub-woofer, but 36 standard features ensure the utmost safety and braking prowess with all disc brakes. Ventilated eight-way electrically adjusted front seats and newer dual-toned upholstery are also welcomed and add to the appeal of an already neatly stacked cabin. Driving - New chassis makes it drive sassy Although it camouflages the improvements, the newer Hyundai Creta uses newer material science for its chassis. Newer strengthened chassis with a mix of high-strength metals and alloys drastically improve the drive performance. Couple that with an improved suspension setup and a relatively stiffer setup on the 1.5L turbo petrol, the Creta has evolved into an outstanding balance of performance and comfort. Hyundai still offers all the petrol and diesel engines and transmission options, adding a newer turbo petrol powertrain as seen on the Verna and Alcazar, with a 6-speed MT for the turbo-diesel variants. Although we missed our chance to drive the newer powertrain, we drove the newer transmission setup on our gorgeous emerald pearl turbo-diesel Creta. The 1.5L U2 CRDi diesel engine produces a healthy 250Nm with 114.4bhp and improved fuel efficiency figures for the best long-distance driving fidelity. This powertrain is tried and tested, paired with the newer 6-speed, which makes driving even more fun. The diesel torque is fun and ample, even in bumper-to-bumper traffic, to pull from the second gear onwards. The torque is healthy all the way to the fifth gear, while the sixth gear aids as a cruising gear with power in the latter numbers of the rev range and incredible efficiency in lower rpm carrying triple-digit speeds. Thanks to the strengthened chassis, the body control on this car has improved by several miles. Not only is it planted on high triple digits, but it also ensures controlled corner-curving with lesser body roll. Top-end variants also get new, restyled 17” diamond-cut alloys, and stopping power has been slightly enhanced compared to the predecessor, with all disc brakes as standard. Verdict The new Creta offers 36 standard features and will be available in six monotone colours and one dual-tone colour, including this gorgeous emerald pearl colour. With over 9.8L Creta sold since 2015 and 1.57L sold in just 2023, the Creta contributes to almost 19% of Hyundai’s global sales. Even after the last model was discontinued on 31st Dec 2023, Hyundai Motors India still had a booking fulfilment of 25000 units for the Creta. In its fourth avatar, the Creta has turned prettier than before and adds more value with quality enhancements to an already incredible midsize SUV package. We assume the newer generation Hyundai Creta to set and build strongly on the legacy of being a midsize SUV Queen of India. Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hyundai Creta 1.5L U2 CRDi Diesel Engine Power - 114.4bhp and 250Nm Transmission - 6-speed MT ARAI claimed FE - 21.8 km/l Introductory prices - Starts from INR 10.99L

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