Hyundai Creta 2020: Detailed Review

Hyundai Creta, a most selling and well-known brand name which has crossed over a 5 lakh sales milestone. For a car that ranges between Rs 10 lakh to 20 lakhs, 5 lakh breakthrough is a massive number. It has dominated the compact SUV segment since it was first introduced in 2015.

In March 2020, the Korean maker has launched its second-generation version which seems more premium and feature-rich than ever. And right after that, it again started gaining the massive sales numbers which were slammed to some extent by its sibling Kia Seltos. Here, a question arises that what is so special about the Creta that makes it a hot selling product? Well, multiple things. But let's not dive into details right away because there is a lot to talk about it

What's New in 2020 Hyundai Creta? 

Pretty much everything is new. In fact, it is bigger, more loaded, and more expensive as well. Usually, we don't see any change in platform in 5 years but the new Creta gets a new platform as well. 

Exterior

The car has grown a bit in size. The front design seems to have taken inspiration from Hyundai Palisade global flagship SUV which gives it a massive and chunky look. The styling of the new Creta is something that has received mixed feedback. Although the styling factor is very subjective, but personally, I really liked its front design, especially the split LED DRLs setup with ice cube three-element headlamps. It gets LED units but the fog lamps are still halogens.. such a weird combination, isn't it? The new Creta gets a huge hexagonal grille which is surrounded by chrome elements. 

At the side, its older boxy silhouette is now eliminated by the new chamfering contour, specifically around the corners. However, its old gene is still apparent in the C-pillar and sloping roofline. But the rounded character lines, flared wheel arches, and the quirky design of alloys wheels are new. 

The rear appearances of the car are again polarising. It feels decent to me. There is nothing to appreciate about, except the split LED taillamps setup, which really feels upmarket. However, after using a car for 10 days, I don’t remember one single instance in my mind that registered something charming about the rear, and that might be because of the central LED bar and  C R E T A  emblem on the tailgate in the very American fashion, that looks overdone.   

The 2020 Creta looks stunning in Black or White exterior paint. But the car which we got from Hyundai for review was wearing a dark green color. Most of the time it looked like Black color, in-camera.

A very odd thing I noticed about the Creta's paint quality is that it was or felt very thin. But it wasn’t in the case when I saw another new Creta in a parking lot. The car we had was having Green color and the other car that we saw in the parking lot, was wearing white. So is there any difference in the paint quality for different colors? Well, we don't know yet. 

Here, have a look at its new dimensions:- 

Interior & Features

Open the driver side door and you will be amazed by the newly designed and more premium cabin. The dashboard layout of the new Creta is very crafty and evolving. Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos share the underpinnings but Hyundai has managed well to derive a unique and different design from Seltos. You will hardly notice any part sharing except the new 10.25-inch infotainment system that catches your eyeballs as soon as you enter the cabin.

It gets a large color display in the instrumentation panel that gives tons of information related to the car and its function including speed, trip, compass, navigation assist, mileage, distance-to-empty, tire pressures readouts, etc. It also displays the various readouts/icons related to wiper speed, headlamp intensity, etc whenever you turn the stalks to control the lights or wiper, which is a very unique feature. This display is flanked by the two analog dials on each side, including a tachometer, fuel gauge, and temperature gauge. These analog meters are small in size, which sometimes causes difficultly to read it out. 

The design of the steering wheel is new, unique in design, and polarising too. It is flat-bottom steering that comes with leather wrapping on higher trims. On the DCT variants, one will also get paddle shifters. 

The center console is shaped in V, seizes a massive horizontal touchscreen infotainment system.

The touch response is very fast and it really feels very smooth. It is visible in the day time as well. The interface is very easy to understand and the colors of the display are very nice. 

It comes with Hyundai's bluelink connected car technology that allows you to remotely control the various system of the cars like engine start/stop, AC on/off, geo-fencing, live vehicle tracking, car diagnosis, and many more. It also gets the apple carplay and android auto support to connect your smartphone to the infotainment.

Along with this, it also comes equipped with AI support that performs an action on the note of your voice. Just say "Hello Bluelink" and the feature will get activated. Using this function, one can get assistance for calls, live score updates, weather reports, opening and closing the panoramic sunroof, controlling AC temperature, etc.

Below the infotainment system, there is an auto climate control panel and hazard lamp. Apart from these, it also houses the wireless charging pad, 12V power socket, traction control switches, electronic parking brake, ventilated seat controls, cup holders on center console tunnel, and a center armrest. Its armrest is a fixed unit, not a sliding one and that's because it houses an air-purifier on its backside. 

Other notable features include, cruise control, electrically adjustable driver seat, keyless entry with push engine start/stop button, adjustable headrest, electronically adjustable ORVMs with paddle lamps, auto-dimming IRVM, auto headlamps, rear armrest with cupholders and last but not the least a segment-first panoramic sunroof. Surprisingly, it doesn't get the automatic wipers. 

Overall, the new Creta is more features loaded and upmarket. One thing that we would like to mention here that the Seltos's interior is a little bit funky and might attract young buyers more, but Creta’s interior will cater to a larger audience due to its conventional but premium design.

Safety Features

As clear from the above para, the Hyundai Creta continues to lure its customers by its feature-rich cabin. And that doesn't stop here. It also scores well on the safety front too with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, rearview camera, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Vehicle Stability Management control (VSM), Hill Start Assist Control (HAC), ISOfix child seat mounts, and disc brakes on all wheels.

Note: it is important to note that all the features mentioned here are limited to the top variants only.

Color Theme/Options

Exterior:- Hyundai Creta comes in 10 different color options which include Galaxy-Blue-Metallic, Typhoon Silver, Red Mulberry, Phantom Black, Lava Orange Dual Tone, Polar White Dual Tone, Deep Forest, Polar White, Titan Gray Metallic and Lava Orange. 

Interior:- There are a few things that only 1.4 DCT variant gets in Creta, and those are all aesthetic only. it includes an all-black cabin with red color highlights across the cabin. While the diesel and naturally aspirated petrol model gets a two-tone beige-and-black theme.

Interior Quality

The interior quality of Creta is good and the selection of material is top-notch that one can do in terms of hard plastic. Yup, its hard plastic everywhere on the dash. It would be better if Hyundai had given some sort of soft material finishing at least on the top part of the dashboard. However, the door trims get the soft material touch along with leather wrapping on the steering & gearknob lever.

Comfort & Space

The front seats are very comfortable and beautifully shaped. They provide a good amount of support to the thighs and back as well. It also gets the ventilation function in top-spec trim, which is very useful, especially in summers and humid days. Driving seat can be adjusted through electric means which helps to find a perfect driving position. However, the steering wheel adjustment is only limited to the tilt (upside and downside). It misses out the telescopic/reach adjustment function. The headrests are adjustable which is very helpful in long-way journies. 

As far as the rear seats are concerned, they too are very comfortable. It offers a decent amount of shoulder room, knee room, and under-thigh support. It also gets adjustable headrest for window-side passenger seat along with a two-step adjustable backrest, which really enhances the comfort level. 

The cabin is wide enough to accommodate three passengers at the rear. But due to the absence of the middle headrest, a taller passenger will not get satisfactory comfort on the longer journies. 

The rear portion of the cabin also houses rear window sunblinds, rear AC vents, USB charging port with mobile holder, rear center armrest with cupholder, reading lamps below the grab handles, etc.

Storage & Boot Space

There is plenty of small and big storage spaces in the new Hyundai Creta. It includes big door pockets on all the four doors that can hold big water bottles, deep glove box on the dashboard, sunglass holder on the roof, two cupholders on the center console analog with cubby storage to keep your mobile or other tiny stuff and storage under the front-center armrest.

As mentioned earlier, it also gets cupholder on the rear armrest and a mobile holder at the of the center consol tunnel for the rear occupants plus magazine holders on the backside of the front seats. 

With the new generation update, the boot space of Creta has been up by 30 liters, which eventually is a good thing. Now the figure stands at the 433 liters which is large enough to fit three large suitcases and some other small bags or stuff. And if you want more space, just fold the rear 60:40 split seats as per your convenience. One thing, we really like about its boot that it is shaped so well that loading and unloading larger stuff won't be a task. 

Ergonomics

The ergonomic of this compact SUV is pretty good. Everything is easily accessible from the driver seats. The cabin feels airy due to large windows and a panoramic sunroof. The ORVM (side mirrors) provides a good view and the rearview can also be seen on the infotainment system with the back/rear camera while cruising. The one and only thing that annoyed me here was the center console tunnel that rubs-off on the left knee at certain seating positions. 

Variants & Engine Options

2020 Hyundai Creta comes in five variants: E, EX, S, SX, and SX(O). Here, are the variant-wise engine and gearbox options:- 

The engine specifications are as follows:- 

Performance

On this test, we got our hands on 1.4-litre turbo-petrol automatic (DCT) variant. This is the same turbo engine that is available with the Kia Seltos. It is the most powerful and second most torquiest engine in Creta's lineup. The engine responds very quickly. It feels very active and responsive all the time across the rpm range. There is no turbo surge and the power delivery is quite linear. It can pick 0 to 100kmph in just 9.3 seconds and can keep maintaining the speed at as low as the 2000rpm. However, a little vibration does feel while it shifts. 

The torque output is also amazing and it can pull the car easily in full-load condition. It also gets three drive modes: Comfort, Sport, and Eco that vary the throttle response and gear logic.

On Eco mode, the throttle response is gentle, while the comfort mode does go well for all kinds of driving situations. However, if you are a speed chaser than sport mode is for you. It holds the gears on the high revs and responds very quickly as soon as you push the throttle.

Note: Soon we will share our views about the performance of 1.5 petrol and diesel engines.

Mileage

With a 1.4 turbo petrol engine, Hyundai claims an ARAI mileage of 16.8 kmpl. In real conditions, it can deliver you around 14kmpl on highways.

Ride Quality, Handling & NVH

The ride quality and cushioning feel more polished and comfortable. It absorbs the bumps quietly and you won't feel any discomfort inside the cabin. Also, the braking efficiency is much better than before.

The handling of new Creta is also pretty admirable. It feels light on the city speed and gains an ample amount of weight as the speed increases which somehow increases your driving confidence. Its stability is really good. Even on the three digits speeds it feel composed and planted. Cornering is also not much of a problem in this.

Hyundai has also worked on the NVH level. You won't get the wind noise inside the cabin. However, the road noise depends upon the surface material too. But it won't disturb you much and most on the surfaces the cabin insulates it quite well. 

Variant-wise Pricing

The Hyundai Creta ranges between Rs 9.99 lakh to Rs 17.20 lakh (ex-showroom). Here, are the variant-wise prices:-

Hyundai Creta 2020: Pros & Cons

Pros

• Wide range of engine and transmission combinations on offer.
• Features loaded cabin 
• Comfortable ride quality
• Improved handling and cushioning 

Cons

• Pricing is on the higher side.
• Features like the 360-degree camera, front parking sensor, telescopic steering adjustment, and auto wiper would have completed the package.

Verdict

The new Hyundai Creta has impressed us on almost every aspect. It feels more premium and attractive than the previous model. Hyundai has commendably improved the Creta on every corner, whether it's about the ride quality, features on offers, and powertrain front. However, its price has now increased significantly. In this range, customers also have the option to go for a segment-above mid-size SUVs.