[DieselAnna]

Another great review! Good read on a mundane weekday at office.

The Creta is surely a looker right now and however polarising, it does turn heads.

The Seltos vs Creta debate will go on. For me, personally, the only thing that swings in Creta's direction are the black interiors and the little softer suspension. Also, we cannot downplay Hyundai's Service Network. Kia still has some time to reach there. And they are in the right direction. It's nice to see good quality cars and some features becoming a regular thing in the 10-20 lakh segment.

It was a busy last few months in the auto industry with the launch of the Creta, Thar and the City. And all of them have impressed most of us if not all.

[BZ25]

Finally the review is out. Some of my observations, when I compared the Creta with the 1.4l turbo petrol engine with my Seltos GTX+ :

• Seltos is definitely the better looking car, especially from the rear. That said, the Creta's looks from the front are starting to grow on me. It actually looks pretty cool in blue.
• Why would Hyundai put MRF tyres in a car that's touching nearly 20 lakhs on road? But the Kia's Goodyear tires aren't too great either. Both companies have to improve on their tyre selection. Though it seems like the review car sent to Team-BHP has Nexens, which are better.
• The Creta's interior design is much better than the Seltos, which feels cluttered in comparison. However, the Seltos has better quality plastics.
• The Creta's 10.25' Touchscreen looks great, and the software looks slightly more modern than the one in the Seltos, possibly due to blue being used as the background colour for the menu.
• The Bose soundsystem sounds similar to the unit in the Seltos, which means it's good, not excellent.
• Don't care much for the connected car tech in either car, I find them to be gimmicky, and why did Hyundai-Kia decide to use Vodafone as their network supplier, considering how incompetent Vodafone is?
• I prefer the steering wheel of the Seltos, rather than the four spoke design of the Creta, which feels unecessary. Paddle Shifters is a big plus over the Creta though, even though the Seltos is supposed to be the sportier one.
• In my opinion, the Kia has the better looking instrument cluster. The Creta's cluster looks weird, with those awkward looking dials. Interestingly, despite the different designs, both have the same supplier: Visteon.
• No 360° cameras like the Seltos, though not mandatory, it would've been a boon for novice drivers at crowded junctions.
• Like the Seltos, no illuminated window switches, except for the driver's window. I wonder why all manufacturers are doing this, even on cars costing 20 lakhs?
• People love sunroofs, and Hyundai has pulled out an ace by adding a panoramic sunroof. The sunroof of the Seltos is a conventional one. I don't really care much for a sunroof, as we've opened it only for cleaning.
• The Creta's rear seat is noticeably better than that of the Seltos, whose seats lack thigh support for taller passengers. Cushions in the headrests are a nice additon too.
• The Creta's boot appears to be a bit bigger than that of the Seltos.
• Interestingly, the Creta's dynamics are slightly different than the Seltos. I was expecting them to be the same. It's not as fun to drive as the Seltos, but will be more comfortable when driving through bad roads. I wish that Hyundai had offered a manual option for the Turbo petrol variant though, like Kia did, because that manual gearbox is excellent.

Overall, would I go for the Creta over the Seltos? Yes and no. The Creta does have the better interior design, and is the more spacious and comfortable car, but it doesn't excite me, like the Seltos does. The only major advantage that the Creta has over the Seltos is the widespread Hyundai Service Network. The Creta makes more sense for the family man, since it's more comfortable and has the assurance of the Hyundai ASS (hopefully there won't be any mechanical faliures like the last generation Creta), while Kia is definitely more youthful and for the driver within us. You won't go wrong with either of them.

[sunnsood]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

What you'll like:
• Hyundai's competent after-sales service, fuss-free ownership & upto 5-years standard warranty

I think we should come with a disclaimer on all Hyundai/Kia cars about this thread (Hyundai India - The occasional serious quality lapse and apathetic manufacturer response!) thats highlights the serious issues in both these sister concerns.

Had this been Tata/Mahindra launch, all hell would have broken loose by now.

[noopster]

Finally the long-awaited Creta 2.0 review is out. Despite almost-universal condemnation of its ugliness, I find the looks tolerable. Certainly the interiors look better put together than the Seltos, and that pano sunroof is to die for!

Hyundai continues to baffle with its variant differentiation, although they have gotten much better now. Why should only the turbo petrol DCT get all-black interiors and dual-tone exteriors, for example? Am also not sure if the diesel AT gets paddle shifters.

This car is just under 21L on-road in Pune (both top-end automatic variants). The extra power 25 horses makes the turbo-petrol an enticing option but the DCT worries make the diesel AT almost a no-brainer.

[guyfrmblr]

Fantastic review!

I may be against the tide here but I’m in love with the looks of the new Creta and I find my Seltos boring after seeing this car on the roads since last 3-4 months. It has a great road presence and definitely looks like something that belongs to 30-40L category. The other evening I came across a well maintained Black Creta and it was absolutely drool-worthy. This car just got announced while I was in the market for a Crossover and I hated the way it looks after seeing the pics all over the internet. I then immediately dropped this car from the list and went with Seltos. The design has grown over me eventually and if I was in the market now, I would have definitely chosen Creta over Seltos. The design is futuristic and it’ll definitely age well over the time.

[iamitp]

Thanks for great review! It was definitely much awaited. Some additional points which I would have liked to be covered in the official review:

1. Exactly what colours are available on the Creta's turbo variants? There is confusion all round with the brochure and Hyundai's own website listing only Black, White and Lava Orange (with dual tone options) while many dealers are presenting the entire gamut.
2. Operations of the sunroof with details on its safety/convenience features.
3. Operations of the EPB and Auto Hold function for first-time users.

I think the absence of many features on the Creta such as telescopic steering adjustment, 360 degree camera, HUD, front parking sensors is more a case of product differentiation rather than cost-cutting, as mentioned in the review.

IMO, styling and ride/handling aside, Creta is the better pick over Seltos because its USP features like EPB with auto hold, paddle shifters and panoramic sunroof are non-user-upgradable while I can foresee availability of front parking sensors and 360 degree cameras for the Creta within a year.

[sv97]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

Other Points

• The 1.5L naturally aspirated petrol and the 1.5L diesel cars come with 7 colour options - Typhoon Silver, Polar White, Red Mulberry, Galaxy Blue, Lava Orange, Phantom Black, and Titan Grey. The turbo-petrol variant gets two dual-tone and one single colour option - Polar White with Phantom Black roof, Lava Orange with Phantom Black roof (our Petrol DCT test car colour), and Deep Forest.

Originally Posted by iamitp

Thanks for great review! It was definitely much awaited. Some additional points which I would have liked to be covered in the official review:

1. Exactly what colours are available on the Creta's turbo variants? There is confusion all round with the brochure and Hyundai's own website listing only Black, White and Lava Orange (with dual tone options) while many dealers are presenting the entire gamut.

This has been covered in the review.

[iamitp]

Originally Posted by sv97

This has been covered in the review.

Thanks! I think I missed it in my read. Glad this settles it but also cross with Hyundai for offering only these three colours (with dual tone) on their flagship variant! And let's not forget those alloys. Doesn't make any sense to me at all.

[ajaiD]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

Surprisingly, there is no warning for the bonnet

Are you sure about this since Seltos has this even in the HTE. Kindly recheck in another Creta maybe the one provided had a bug.

Secondly the car gives out that error for closing doors & bonnet so there must be a sensor in the hood.

[model-t]

No offence to any owners, but for me the looks of the new Creta is repulsive. If I had to choose between a Seltos and Creta, out of a hundred times I will choose the Seltos each time. And to be honest, Seltos has its own set of creases and lines which may look overdone to some.

Version 1 was much more palatable. A good allrounder. I think after the initial euphoria wears off, it will be very hard for Creta to match the numbers of Seltos.

The interiors look great but before you sit in the car you have to walk to it and look at it every time. Just something I am not comfortable with.

There are so many options in the 10-20 lac SUV segment (Creta, Harrier, Seltos, Hector , Compass, XUV 500, Kicks , Duster).

For me this is my buying list as per budget if I was out shopping right now.

10-14 Lacs = Seltos Mid Model (Petrol)
14-16 Lacs = Seltos Mid Model Auto (Diesel)/Almost Top (Petrol)
16-18 Lacs = Jeep Compass Sports Plus
18-20 Lacs = Tata Harrier XZ Plus Diesel

[srikanthmadhava]

Hi All,

We received our Polar White SX(O) 1.5 Diesel Automatic towards August end. Covered around 1300Kms till date. Costed us a fortune, Rs 21.1 Lakhs. It was mid-August make, fresh out of oven kind. My initial impressions are noted below:

Pros:
1.Engine performance and driving dynamics are very much sorted. Driving modes work well and actually makes a lot of difference. Engine pulls nicely, with very minimal (mostly nil) gear shift ‘feel’.
2. Audio quality is very good (I do not have previously high-end audio experience though).
3. Diesel AT is so well tuned. I am wondering if I would ever be using paddle shifters, one of the main reasons for me to choose Creta over Seltos.
4. Have played around a bit with the drive modes, trying to find the best balance for performance and fuel efficiency. Sport mode gives best performance although eco mode has Not given me any significant boost in fuel efficiency till now. Will test fuel efficiency extensively with different modes. Drive mode usage as of now has been - Comfort mode (60%), Eco mode (30%) and Sport mode (10%). Average Fuel efficiency from MID is around 16Kmpl. 6 lane Bangalore - Hyderabad Highway took my MID to 18Kmpl (300Kms), a trip to Horsley hills (beautiful place) on single lane state highways including some terribly narrow roads brought it back to 15Kmpl (280Kms), Mysore road traffic and Ghat sections ensured that it stayed at 16Kmpl (570Kms) with around 100Kms in 'not so bad' weekend Bangalore city traffic.
5. Panoramic Sunroof is an awesome party trick. The view is amazing. Had a rain scare the night after PDI. We thought that we had kept the sunroof open, but the glass was properly closed. No leakages even during heavy rain. When engine is switched off with sunroof glass ‘open’, we will get audible warning. Not sure how long it will be used, also hoping that there are no long term side effects.
6. Auto hold is a great feature, but sometime I miss the 'creep with break' in traffic when Auto Hold is enabled. I think its more suited when you have lots of signals to cross, because I prefer 'creep' in stop and go traffic.
7. Fit and Finish is top notch(almost). All panels are properly aligned. Super heavy bonnet. Steering feels nice to hold. Spot on ergonomics.
8. Lots and lots of space including rear space. I have been a fan of rear seat space in my friend's Honda City (2012), this one matches or exceeds it (AM I being partial here )

Cons:
1. NVH is a slight bit higher that what I had expected. Especially, the engine sound inside the cabin at higher rpm (>3000). My expectations were from 1st Gen 1.4D Creta drive.
2. You HAVE to slow down in bad patches. I have my cold tyre pressure set at 33 as per MID (which to my surprise, increases to 37 after some running). I fell in to one bad patch at the end of a tunnel at speed and it triggered my wipers because the stalk fell in to 'ON' position. Luckily, did not result in any scratches on the windshield. This is not a 'plush' riding Creta. But then this is not a 'wobbly' Creta either. You win some, you lose some. Having a Duster in the family does not help either.
3. I can already see the interior being a pain to maintain. Dirt patches from hands are so easily seen in the light shade. No premium soft touch materials used on dashboard or any of the visible parts. Materials are very good though.
4. Costs more than 21L. Family is by default expecting 7 seats looking at the price. This IS A costly car. And Hyundai has no intention to provide even a slight value for money feeling in this top end model - Smaller 5th tyre, skipping some features etc.
I am someone who generally goes with a good product, but a value for money one. Never bought the cheapest, but never bought the most expensive either. Had chosen a One plus phone over a Samsung one. This is not that kind of a purchase. Base Creta models are absolute value for money, but not these top versions. I did not have a choice since I needed an automatic. But this 2nd Gen one is so much more value for money compared to the 1st Gen Creta - a better platform, much better feature distribution, more feature and tech etc at just around 50K more.
5. I miss auto wipers already. And front parking sensors.
6. The normally fluid and awesome touchscreen acts up a bit when Android auto is suddenly disconnected and connected back. Once the song did not play immediately post re-connection, front speakers did not fire up another time. Re connecting phone or restarting car solved it.
7. Finish near Pull-up sunshades opening in the rear door is not good (could be an off case with my car).

Hoping for a long, really long ownership

[Asish_VK]

One heck of a review, as always.

Even after seeing many cretas on road, still the design doesn't grow on me yet.
From rear, the sloping roof and squatted stance makes it looks like, the car is overloaded with people in rear seat.

I will pick the Seltos anyday over the Creta just for the looks.

Interiors though, is a different story. Looks so good and loaded with features.

With the long list of engine+gearbox combos, spot on feature selections and brand image, Hyundai and Kia are going to rule the segment for sure.

[simplysaj]

A 5 star review! I have no dislike to the design but feels design aesthetics took more importance than some practicality. For example the large one piece light units flushed to the body, awkwardly low placement of turn indicators.
Looks like a 1.4 turbo SX(O) can cost around 21L+ in Bangalore! Does it really command the premium?

[Brishti]

Is that Lightening Arch C-Pillar fiber/plastic or metal?

Have not test drove it yet but the sides gave me hard nexon vibes.

[kalpeshc]

Any plans of adding review for the 1.5 petrol IVT engine?

Overall a fantastic review and the pics are super helpful.