I was invited as a Special Guest for the unveiling & launch of the all-new 2020 Hyundai Creta at the local Shivnath Hyundai dealership yesterday evening.
The car under the covers and behind the ribbon was an SX diesel in Phantom Black (to be delivered later today to a customer).
My impressions as a previous Creta owner, and some observations in comparison to the other SUVs I have owned (XUV500, Nexon & EcoSport):
1) The car sits a wee bit lower than the earlier-gen Creta. The sloping roof towards the rear doesn't help things much, in terms of upright looks. A slight coupe-like styling inserted by Hyundai designers here, which doesn't suit a compact SUV.
2) The new Creta has street presence from all sides - it will definitely stand out in a sea of cars. That is, until the roads are filled with 20,000 Cretas!
3) The front grille looks awfully outlandish. A more straighter or sleeker grille could have added some flair to the front. The newly designed Palisade-inspired headlamps with the ultra-bright DRLs look over-stylish. If only Hyundai did something about that grille!
4) The DRLs are super-bright. No chance of missing them from a mile away, even on a very bright summer day.
5) Contrary to the general opinion, I think the indicator sections on the lower part of the front bumper has pretty good visibility when seen from a distance. But yes, Hyundai should have used the DRL sections as a double for the side indicators.
6) From the side, the silver garnish extending from the A-pillar above the doors and tapering as the C-Pillar doesn't suit the car one bit. They should have been body-coloured, as a minimum.
7) Doors open wide enough and have sufficient space for healthy people to get into the car (both front and back). I felt that I had to bend down a slight bit to get into the driver's seat - unlike the older-gen Creta where I just walked in!
8) ORVMs are India-friendly and turn the other side all the way. Don't worry about the bikers side-swiping them at any speeds - no breaking here!
9) The door fabric in the SX didn't feel like one you would expect in a 17-lakh-rupee car.
10) Front visibility is great from the driver's seat. All-round visibility is also good. A-pillars don't cause much obstruction and there's no evidence of a blind spot.
11) The steering wheel is good to hold and is about the right size for an SUV of this size. That said, I absolutely hated the silver extensions in the middle. They should have stuck to a simple T-shape for this flat-bottom design. Even a wing-design could have been better.
12) Steering-mounted buttons felt quite tactile and good. Will definitely last the distance.
13) The MID display in the center looked crisp. The speedo & RPM dials were normal, analog ones. Temperature gauge present.
14) The gear lever looked and felt premium. Slotted in nice and short too.
15) The central console is completely dominated by the 10-inch split touchscreen, which divides the display into 3 sections - Navigation, Audio Sources & Other functions. Touch response is excellent and the display is crisp. It juts out of the console quite significantly though - one might think it's an after-market HU!
16) Beneath the HU, the ACC section is a real eyesore. This doesn't suit a premium "feel" SUV like the Creta. Also, the console section here is considerably "behind" the HU section above it - which adds to the aftermarket "feel" of the HU above.
17) The glovebox space felt smaller than the previous-gen Creta. It does have cooled function.
18) Dashboard plastics feel sturdy and should be good to go. Ergonomics are spot-on.
19) The driver seat felt pretty good for a 6 footer like me. Adequate back support and side bolstering helped. Lumbar support is average.
20) The sunroof above me felt directly above my head - not a good sign. Same feeling I had when I had checked out the Venue at it's launch last year too. The difference in distance from head to roof fabric between both cars was maybe millimeters in comparison.
21) The panoramic sunroof definitely adds to the "WOW!" factor of the 2020 Creta. I hope the glass is thick enough to withstand any sort of external factors, specially hailstorms which are aplenty in my area. The cover for the sunroof didn't have a sturdy fabric - not impressed here.
22) Front fixed armrest felt functional. Ample storage spaces in the central console and all the door sections.
23) Rear seat has two-way recline adjustment, neither of which made me comfortable. Maybe shorter people will find more comfort. Plenty of leg & shoulder space for two occupants. A third, healthy passenger will be a squeeze. The rear seats were equipped with soft cushion-equipped headrests which supports the head and neck.
24) Pleasant surprise - separate lights are given inside the grab handle sections for the rear passengers, ala the XUV500! They are activated by a button beside them. Lights are bright enough for a rear passenger to avoid fumbling at night - also they serve as light guides in a panoramic-sunroof equipped car.
25) Vents are cool to look at, and also feel well built. The overall ambience of the car from the rear seat is excellent, except for the ACC section which is the only eyesore in the cabin.
26) The boot space seemed to be the same as the previous-gen Creta. Even the parcel tray seemed to be of the exact same size.
27) The spare was a full-sized steel wheel.
28) The car was shod with Apollos. Cost cutting?
29) The simple silver alloys seemed over-designed and not as cool as the diamond-cut ones.
30) The HMSL section should have been located as according to it's name - high-mounted! It looks completely outlandish between the tail-lamp sections. One of the main reasons why the boot lid design is such a turn off. Doesn't suit the "CRETA" badge inscribed across it.
31) I thought the tail-lamp sections looked really cool.
32) The rear bumper is awfully short. Beware of hits from the rear - could hit your wallet really hard!
33) Good of Hyundai to offer the spoiler which adds a bit of presence to the very busy rear.
34) Not sure why, but the car got awfully hot in the front. Maybe it was a combination of the black shade + continuous engine running + afternoon heat (it's 38 degrees here already!) + being covered under the drapes.
35) The unmistakable faint diesel clatter could be heard from outside when the engine was idling. Nothing inside the cabin. NVH levels are once again, outstanding. Typical Hyundai.
36) Overall, the Creta in Black is a looker from the outside. If only they had done something about the front grille and the rear HMS...wait...should we call it MMSL (Mid/Middle Mounted Stop Lamp) now?
37) And, the pricing. Keeping aside the EX petrol & E diesel at 9.99L, I feel that every other Creta variant is steeply priced. Considering that the SX(O) MT diesel is pegged at 18.40L OTR(!), I looked back at the Creta one final time before leaving, and I thought - "Nah!".
But that's me.