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Originally Posted by jkdas Many thanks Behemoth. Sad about Yeti pricing though.
I think Yeti would score better at ride quality & engine-wegine side.
I also think a big plus point of Hyundai would be their a.s.s. Nissan/Renault has just one per town( on an average) whereas Hyundai would be 2-3. |
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Originally Posted by shankar.balan I was waiting for something like this comparo note!
Thanks Behemoth.
Cheers! |
Thanks JKDas,
With the new Yeti's pricing, it is seriously too expensive (even in Gurgaon it is no longer value for money starting at 20 Lacs + !) - When I had bought my Yeti in Dec 2010, it was 15.4 Lacs onroad in Gurgaon for the Ambiente version 4x4 ! At that time it was probably much better value for money but as it was alone in its segment at that time people had not caught onto the Crossover Fancy by then. It was only when the Duster was launched is that the X-over segment really took on big volumes. Then came Eco-sport which also changed the scenario completely with very low pricing and a practical solution to the cratered and waterlogged roads in most cities. (Gurgaon being one of them - most roads are pitted with craters almost 8 Inches deep nowadays). The Crossover segment actually addresses this need better than a C Segment sedan as Ground clearance is better and crossovers are also good highway cruisers and can take broken roads with aplomb. Hence a lot of C-segment owners moved to the Crossover segment.
Cars like the Yeti had a unique advantage of starting early, but guess the management never saw the volume opportunity which lay in the 12-16 lac bracket and just could not capitalize it enough and bring down costs by localization. Other companies - Ford and Renault really seized this opportunity and probably are making good money too. Hyundai, though late to the party, has played very smartly and the Creta is much superior to both the Ecosport as well as the Duster in terms of Interior space, Design language, creature comforts and Fit-finish. It is the ideal replacement for the C-Segment sedan for any city with broken roads (my guess is 19 out of 20 cities in India have broken roads!) so it has become a NEED rather than a choice. With a 3 year unlimited Warranty, and also a 2 extended warranty, Hyundai is trying to give peace of mind to buyers who are anyway scared of other brands service and warranty issues. Hyundai also has a good service presence all across India and the biggest plus is their ATTITUDE towards positive customer experience which unfortunately many companies lack these days.
To answer some of Shankar's questions:
Now the questions and points I have are;
Would you replace your Yeti with the Creta? My answer is no as I am looking at upgrading to either a Ford Everest/ New Fortuner when it is launched! But if I were looking to replace our Laura, I would replace it with a Creta!
Will the Creta boot pass the lateral golf bag test? Yes, it may as the Depth of the Boot is bigger and the Golf Kit may fit in Diagonally lying down - but that's my perception and there's no better way to check than to actually try it out!
The rear brakes appear to be Drums - will this impact braking feel compared with the Yeti which has all 4 discs? Yes, this was one of the few things where Creta has done some cost cutting, but I doubt this will have more than 10% impact on brake performance.
The overall power and torque of the Creta may be a bit less than the Yeti - is this a serious difference in performance? I am yet to get a Test Drive (yesterday the vehicle had gone out and wasn't available), but in terms of NVH I checked the showroom vehicle in started condition, it was quieter than Yeti. Also, I am sure that as the aerodynamics of the Creta are Fluidic, there will also be much less wind noise at higher speed (90+) which is quite prominent in the Yeti due to the Boxy design.
Is the ground clearance more than the Yeti's 180mm? Yes, it is 190mm and more than the Yeti.
How do the front and rear overhangs compare with the Yeti's? The front and rear overhangs are short and appear coherent with the overall design. But since this vehicle is not meant to be an offroader (hence no 4x4 option) it cannot do offroading and one should not even try! It is good for City-roading which in itself is like offroading or no-roading these days!
How do the overall dimensions compare with the Yeti's? The outer dimensions - length, height and width match the Yeti visually, but the design looks more shapely. In terms of interior space, the Creta has less Head room than the Yeti, but more Leg Room. The seats are also quite comfortable and well bolstered; Rear seat incline is also just right.
Overall Hyundai has done a great job in the overall package of the Creta and also priced it well. The only funny thing in the variants is the lack of SX (O) variant with AT - they could well have sold that too, but price would have been 16.5 Lacs ex showroom, and I am sure there would have been takers for that too. The SX (O) version is quite well kitted and specced and anybody wanting an AT would want those features too. Maybe Hyundai will wake up later and offer it after some time!