[Omkar]

The Hyundai Creta Petrol Automatic is on sale in India at a price of Rs. 12.93 lakhs (ex-Delhi).

What you’ll like:

• Very smooth, incredibly refined & effortless to drive
• 2 lakhs cheaper on-the-road than the Diesel AT! That's quite a difference
• Well packaged interiors have sufficient legroom & headroom
• Balanced suspension offers a comfortable ride & neutral handling
• Hyundai's reliability, competent after-sales & 3 year unlimited km warranty
• AT-only features such as 60:40 splitting rear seats, child seat anchors etc.

What you won’t:

• Unavailable in the top SX(O) variant! Merely one trim level for the Petrol AT
• Single-digit urban fuel economy. Diesel AT is a lot more efficient
• Creta AT needs stronger brakes. Braking ability isn't confidence inspiring
• Several missing features, big & small. Disappointing at this price point
• Rear seat is suitable for 2 adults, not 3 (due to its width)
• Some competitors offer you 3 seat rows for the same money

[Omkar]

Since the Hyundai Creta has already been reviewed by Team-BHP, this report will only focus on changes made to the Petrol Automatic variant. Click here to read the full road-test.

[Omkar]

You'll rarely ever see a petrol automatic option on a body-on-frame SUV due to its weight, dismal fuel economy & need for low end torque. In fact, you can count body-on-frame petrol UVs on your fingertips (the Innova Crysta being a rare new entrant). Monocoque SUVs like the Creta however are 500+ kilos lighter than their body-on-frame counterparts. Their weight & road manners are more comparable to sedans rather than traditional SUVs. The market has also begun moving back to petrols. Which is why, we've always wondered why the Creta wasn't launched with a petrol automatic to start with. After all, Hyundai had the engine and transmission ready in its portfolio. But then, Hyundai's AT strategy is hard to understand. Can you explain the absence of the Elite i20 AT (related discussion)?

Well, that's all water under the bridge now as the Creta Petrol AT is here, and the i20 AT is soon to follow. That's good news if you need a slushbox with a petrol engine, SUV styling & high ground clearance. The options are still limited - EcoSport DCT, BR-V CVT and Creta AT - but the more, the better. Interestingly, all 3 SUVs use different gearbox technologies (related discussion).

To say that the Hyundai Creta has been successful would be an understatement. It's become a permanent fixture on the list of top-selling cars in India, and that's particularly impressive when you consider its premium price. Other than the equally successful Innova Crysta, there's no million+ rupee car in the history of the Indian auto scene that has generated such volumes. The market has clearly rewarded Hyundai's all-rounded SUV!

BHPian Yeldo was the first to spot the Creta Petrol AT on Hyundai's website (link). With this combination, the company now offers the most number of engines & transmissions in the SUV segment. Take your pick from this buffet:

1. 1.6L Petrol (MT and AT) - 121 BHP & 151 Nm
2. 1.4L Diesel (MT) - 90 BHP & 220 Nm
3. 1.6L Diesel (MT and AT) - 126 BHP & 260 Nm

Hyundai also launched the Diesel AT variant in the S+ trim at the same time. The Diesel AT combination accounts for a fifth of the Creta's sales. With this petrol AT, Hyundai says that automatics will now generate a third of sales. One thing for sure - just like its diesel sibling, the Creta Petrol AT will take customers away from C2 segment AT sedans like the City, Ciaz & Verna. Things just got tougher for them.



Unfortunately, Hyundai's mistakes in planning the variants continues. The Creta Petrol AT is available only in the SX+ variant and not the top SX(O) (Petrol MT also not available in the SX(O))! Why not give the customer the choice of what equipment he wants? This leads to the Petrol AT missing out on some important safety features like the side + curtain airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC), height adjustable seatbelts and a simple yet important feature - speed sensing auto door locks! Leather upholstery on the seats, console armrest and door armrest will be missed as well.

That said, some features are available exclusively on the AT variants (petrol and diesel) - 60:40 splitting seats, 3 adjustable rear headrests (MT gets only 2), ISOFIX child seat anchors and hooks on the rear grab handles. The Petrol AT also borrows the 17" diamond cut alloy wheels (5, including the spare), leather steering and leather gear lever from the SX(O) variant.

The Petrol AT commands a premium of Rs. 1.03 lakhs over its MT sibling (the same difference in the Creta Diesel is Rs. 1.13 lakhs). The price difference between the Diesel AT & Petrol AT is a lot more significant @ almost 2 lakhs on the road (1.63 lakhs, ex-showroom Delhi). That's too high a premium for a diesel engine. Not only will those with low monthly running pick the petrol, even customers with a little higher running might, thanks to the diesel's unreasonable premium. There's a considerable size of the market that likes their petrols too.

So, what's changed on the outside?

Nothing. Hyundai hasn't made any changes to the exterior. Interestingly, the Creta doesn’t get a petrol badge anywhere on the car (not even on the MT). Hyundai could have used the VTVT nomenclature from the Verna, just for the sake of consistency:


Main differentiating factors are going to be the diamond cut rims (which look great) and...


...this "Auto" badge (same one as the Diesel AT):


215/60 Bridgestone tyres mounted on the 17" alloys. Much classier than the old 16" rims of the Diesel AT (link to image). The Diesel AT now gets these 17" alloys as well :


We expected to find 'Petrol' printed on the fuel flap, but there's no such sticker anywhere (diesel gets THREE!). Ensure that the pump attendant doesn't fill the wrong fuel in your Creta:

[Omkar]

So, what's new on the inside?

The dashboard is exactly the same as the Diesel AT. These black & beige themed interiors look nice. Overall, it's a neutral & user-friendly design:


The steering gets a leather wrap (something we complained about in the old Diesel AT). Makes the steering wheel better to hold. Good to know that the Diesel AT also gets this leather wrap now:


Compared to the diesel, the petrol's tachometer gets 2,000 extra revs:


The MID isn't the same as the SX(O)'s (link to image). We so wish it was! The MID on the SX(O) variant is superior on so many levels; this one is too basic for a 15 lakh car:


Current gear position is displayed on the bottom left. Switch to manual mode, and the engaged gear gets displayed:


Footwell is properly spaced. The dead pedal is well-sized and comfortable to use:


Sweet leather-clad gearlever. It's short and gets a piano black finish. With my elbow resting on the armrest, the shifter was easy to reach. Gear markings at the bottom illuminate (as per the chosen mode). Unlike most other ATs, manual mode is accessed by moving the gearlever to the right (not left):


The shift lock release button. Pressing this button bypasses the gear lock system whereby you cannot move out of position "P" unless the key is inserted and the brake pedal is pressed. Use the shift lock button when you park on an incline and can’t move the lever out of "P". The feature could also be used to tow the vehicle:


Dummy buttons on the SX+ variant. 'Traction control off' and 'dash illumination adjustment' are missing from the SX(O) trim. Sadly, even if a customer has the budget, he can't buy the AT with all the bells & whistles. Why don't you let us decide, Hyundai?


Height-adjustable seatbelts and curtain airbags not provided in the SX+ variant:


The SX+ Automatic gets 3 adjustable headrests at the back, where the Creta SX(O) only has two:


ISOFIX for child seats :


The ISOFIX top-tether is there on both sides of the rear seat. That's a good thing if you have to carry two kids. Further, child seats take up a lot of room, so if you have a tall driver and there isn't enough space left behind him, you can place the seat on the other side:


Another AT-only feature - fixed grab handles get useful coat hooks:


60:40 splitting seats are only offered in the AT variants:


Fold both sections of the seat down and they create a nearly flat bed:

[Omkar]

Driving the 1.6L Petrol Automatic

The 1.6L Dual VTVT (Variable Timing Valvetrain) petrol engine churns out 121 BHP @ 6,400 rpm and 151 Nm @ 4,850 rpm:


The 6-speed AT is a conventional torque convertor unit (EcoSport uses a dual-clutch AT, BR-V deploys a CVT). @ Hyundai: good move in picking the 6-speed transmission, rather than the Verna's 4-speed AT. 6 ratios result in a better spread of gearing and the transmission does feel decidedly superior to the Verna's AT. This gearbox + petrol engine work in tandem to make the Creta a perfect city cruiser. It's a calm, composed and well behaved machine. The power figures are healthy and Hyundai has continually improved the 1.6L to match the silkiness of Japanese motors. However, the Creta Petrol AT will never be as efficient as the Diesel AT. Further, if you are looking for a fast-shifting gearbox that suits an aggressive driving style, turn elsewhere. As if to drive the same message home, Hyundai hasn't provided paddle shifters or even a 'sport' mode.

With the gear lever in P / N and your foot on the brake pedal, hit the engine start button to fire her up. The start-up is instant and the petrol is extremely silent at idle; at times, you won't even notice the engine running!! Things are that refined. Switch the car off in D or R modes and you'll hear a bong going off all of 17 times, reminding you to shift to P for safety.

The Creta Petrol AT moves off seamlessly from a standstill and is a breeze to drive in the city. Under a light foot, the experience is just butter smooth, with shifts coming in early at <2,000 rpm. Driven like this, you won't even hear the engine inside the cabin. Bumper to bumper traffic conditions don't pose a problem either - take your foot off the brake pedal and the Creta crawls at approximately 6 km/h (without any accelerator input). Must mention that the petrol's AT appears to shift more than the diesel - that's probably because the diesel's higher torque allows it to pull away in the same gear. The light steering, tall seating position, clean visibility and jobless left limbs make matters easy for the driver. The suspension is cushy too, and the Creta nicely absorbs irregularities on the road. If you desire a comfortable urban SUV, things don't get better than this.

The Creta AT is a competent highway cruiser (although the Diesel AT is more potent). The revv-happy 1.6L engine has sufficient power on tap and you can make fast progress on the open road. Power delivery is very linear too (as is usually the case with n/a petrols). In terms of cruisability, 100 km/h comes in at 2,300 rpm (200 rpm lower than the MT petrol), while 120 km/h is seen at 2,750 rpm. The highway experience is calm & comfortable. Fans of cruise control will definitely miss the feature though (especially after paying such big bucks for the car).

What the gearbox detests - and you'll notice this in the city too - is your suddenly flooring the accelerator. Do this and the Creta AT ends up all confused. The rpm needle climbs beyond 5,000 rpm, there's a whole lot of noise (petrol gets boomy at high rpms), and there's a noticeable gap before the AT drops a gear and you gain momentum. This behaviour is very similar to a CVT and can get terribly annoying!! Kickdown response time isn't a forte of this gearbox. Get aggressive with the A-pedal and you'll also notice the Creta hunting for gears. Thus, it's best to use gradual accelerator inputs with the Petrol AT.

The above-mentioned behaviour can become an issue when you need to quickly overtake the vehicle in front. Sometimes, the gearbox will take ~2 seconds to respond. Enter 'manual mode'. If you want to quickly overtake on single lane highways, we recommend using M mode. Downshift & prepare the car for overtaking before moving out of your lane. You should also use M mode when going downhill. This engine + gearbox combination does provide acceptable levels of engine braking.

In manual mode, push the gear lever up to upshift and vice versa. We love this arrangement, vis a vis many other cars where you push up to downshift & pull down to upshift...just seems counter-intuitive. Response times are reasonable, yet not lighting quick. For instance, while upshifting under hard acceleration, the gearbox can take a second to engage the next gear. When you upshift, the MID displays the next gear, but it takes some time before the actual gearshift takes place! To summarise, the gearbox is suited to calm driving, maybe even a little bit of pushing, but not a racy driving style.

Don't expect fuel efficiency to be high in a city like Mumbai or Bangalore (Hyundai hasn't even revealed the ARAI number ). You'll see merely single digits due to the torque converter AT and relatively big 1.6L petrol. BHPian ChandraS1 has reported figures here. With open roads & light traffic, you might manage 10 kmpl - check out BHPian Amit_2025's post here. Without doubt, the Creta Diesel AT's FE will be higher, whatever the driving condition.

Ride & handling are identical to the regular Creta, so please refer to our main official review for a detailed report on the suspension. Unfortunately, our comments on braking remain the same as that of the Diesel AT. While the brakes are adequate for a normal driving style, they aren't up to the job in an emergency braking situation or with an aggressive driver behind the wheel. Hyundai should have beefed up the braking hardware on the automatic. The brake pedal simply isn't sharp! At times, it actually feels numb. While not weak, the AT's braking is overall rather uninspiring. We suggest maintaining very safe distances on the highway.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Official Review Section. Thanks for sharing!

Congrats on your first review, Omkar. Rating a full 5 stars.

[Karthik Chandra]

Congrats Omkar on your first review Though first time it doesn't change the quality of TBHP review which has remained top class.

When customers are willing to pay, what is stopping companies from giving the AT in the top trim as an option? . What exactly would be the implications other than cost?

The Creta AT in the top trim with cruise control, sunroof, auto IRVM, 6 Airbags and paddle shifters would make it the 'Perfect' (pseudo) SUV as claimed by Hyundai.

Credit where its due, Kudos to Hyundai for launching the petrol AT, the Creta now has 5 engine/transmission options. Probably Hyundai thought they had given enough options to the customer.

[invidious]

Thanks for an excellent review. Shame about the AT not being made available in the Top Trim. Perhaps they will launch it sooner rather than later; as it is they are increasing their production capacity for the Creta significantly - perhaps they must have factored in some research. How is the drivability compared to the EcoSport AT? I am also awaiting the launch of the S-cross Petrol AT.

[neerajkumar10]

Post deleted by the Team-BHP Support : Please do NOT post messages that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the quality of this forum.

Please read our rules before proceeding any further. We request you to post ONLY when you have something substantial to add to a discussion.

[wilful]

Very well reviewed! Thank you.
As you rightly put it, when will car companies go the whole hog in India and give the customer the "option" to choose the "O" high end variants? Why limit the buffet?
Whe you have buyers flocking in droves to what was considered hitherto as expensive territory, why this lack of confidence?

[Harmansingh09]

A very very interesting review, combining all the important aspects and covering the major differences,

Too late as I took the delivery of the 1st creta petrol automatic registered in Delhi four days after its launch, But I must say the car is extremely useful in city traffic and the best part is 6 speed auto in the petrol manages to do 0-100km/hr in 12.5 seconds which is the same as a diesel automatic hence power isn't an issue.

The plus point in having the creta petrol auto is the refinement as the sheer comfortness. I covered about 8500 in 2 months and never have I felt it being underpowered. Despite that I gave it a ECU remap,Spark plugs change and a K&N typhoon airfilter for just that little more and it has been worth it. Fuel economy without any modifications is around 7-8 city and 12.5 highway. After the mods it competes with a W222 S500 in terms of FE

[mijnoirhammer67]

Great review Omkar. I too own the Creta in the top automatic avatar, although its in diesel. When I bought mine, the petrol wasnt launched in automatic format yet. Such a shame, I'm a sucker for petrol models due to their refinement. Also, i hate how the older automatics got the ugly alloys and the newer ones get the 17' diamond cut alloys. Moreover, why couldn't they give ESP in the automatics? would it really cost their R&D so much trouble to place it in an auto gearbox?

Is anything else added to the Creta in this update which was missing from the SX variant in comparison to the SX(O)? If i remember correctly it was only the MID, 17' alloys and the ESP.

[aparth]

I bought my Creta Diesel A/T in Feb 2016 and i had such a hard time deciding on the variant between diesel at and SX+(O) just because of the sweet alloys offered on the SX+(O) model. I went for the diesel AT as my running is a lot but now i feel really bad that Hyundais offering those alloys on the diesel A/T as well. I guess its just my bad luck and ill have to live with it.

[jeevadeepan]

Great detailed review. Keep up the good work. Spot on in bringing up the point about Hyundai to let us decide the features we want.

If I'm looking for an automatic upgrade in the 15L price bracket, I'd skip Creta mainly because of these two deal breakers.

1) ESP/ESC - This is one of the most underrated (active) safety systems in our Country. In spite of it's proven life saving abilities in developed countries, our automakers continue to ignore this. (Even at this price point!)

2) Cruise control - This, to me is one key feature to nail super long journeys with less fatigue. Though it makes less sense in our crowded highways, I'd still want them to be there when I encounter an arrow straight stretch of road with almost nil traffic. I loved this feature in my 2014 Honda city.

[harsh79]

Originally Posted by Omkar

Footwell is properly spaced. The dead pedal is well-sized and comfortable to use:

Why hasn't Hyundai provided the chunky rubberised dead pedal alike the i20, in a premium automatic?? The OE carpeting will be a mess in no time!