Thank you my good friend! Always appreciate your views and analysis.
So by the way, my Dad and I toddled across to Hyundai today since we were breakfasting nearby this morning.
Went and saw the Creta and spent a little time sitting in it and fiddling about.
Very frankly, had I been upgrading now from my Scorpio, I would very seriously have considered the Creta Top Spec and probably the AT version. I like it a lot indeed. Thank heavens they put the 1.6 petrol, the 1.4 and 1.6 Diesels in this vehicle! Anything less would have been seriously gutless!
Saying that, I sat in all the seats and fiddled with the vehicle a bit. I did not take it for a TD because the showroom was crowded and in the city centre so it would not have been much fun anyway with all the traffic.
I found the seats comfortable in the front but not at the rear - mostly on account of under thigh support. My Dad who is 6 ft tall himself also felt the same. The rear waistline of the vehicle is quite high and the front door pad/ armrest is also quite high so even for a person of my height, I found it a bit un-ergonomic compared to my Yeti. Yes I agree that the glass house of the Yeti is better making for greater visibility. The plastics etc of the Creta feel ok but not as premium as the Yeti. The height of the vehicle, the size of the wheels/ tyres etc seem perfectly suitable and nice. The Ground clearance is also looking very purposeful for our horrid roads.
I felt sorry that they didn't offer even an option with 4WD and I do not like the fact of rear drum brakes - they could quite easily have knocked it up a notch by offering rear discs like they do in the 1.4 AT I20. Also I don't like the fact that the AT version does not have the possibility of getting all the Options of the SX+ (O). Thats sad. Why do they short change the AT buyer I wonder?
I also don't like the fact that none of these vehicles seem to have the option of Passenger seat height adjustment like my Yeti has! That is SUCH a GOOD FEATURE! Especially for elderly people who require a raised height!
The doors close with a reasonably reassuring thunk but sadly, this is nowhere near the Vault like THUNK of the European cars.
One more point is that if one thinks back to 10 years ago when Hyundai launched their Tucson in India as a serious competitor to the Honda CRV, that Tucson used to cost about 15 lacs ex showroom which worked up to about 18 lacs on Road. The Creta which is one segment lower than the Tucson, 10 years later, is priced at the same level. Is this the value for the rupee going down or the general cost of all vehicles going up? One would imagine that with increased manufacturing and increased competition the prices would show some downward trend but it looks like this is not going to happen!
The safety kit in the form of 6 Airbags and ABS, EBD, Vehicle Stability Control, Lane Change Assist, Hill Hold etc are great features in this vehicle. In my opinion they could quite easily have brought in a higher spec with perhaps 8 Airbags and rear discs and so on for a Lakh more. Because the new Yeti is priced at 27.5 on road Bangalore and it would not be a bad thing to pay say 18.5 for a really Super Spec Creta.
All other typical features of most Hyundai cars are there and the vehicle really is well loaded anyway. I like that a lot about Hyundai. They load their vehicles well. Maruti is seriously El Cheapo in comparison!
The Creta is clearly a very good value for money product and indeed, in my book it is clearly a way superior choice for people who are City SUV/ CUV/ Soft Roader users. It offers a lot compared with the Scorpio, EcoSport and the Duster and even the XUV500. I like its compact proportions and overall ergonomics. I like the seating height and commanding view and sense of space inside the vehicle. I checked the boot and I do like the fact that I can surely fit in my golf bag diagonally and my trolley on top of it.
It would be an excellent choice for me and my wife, had we not already bought the Yeti. Basically, having gotten used to the Yeti over 4 years of peaceful and enjoyable ownership, I would not be able to go back to a Korean or Japanese vehicle very easily any more.
The Hyundai Elite Active now seems a completely stupid car, when viewed next to the Creta - but then, it comes at a very easy price point. The Elite Active and Elite itself are badly underpowered with those idiotic 1.2 litre petrol engines. My Dad's I20 Asta also has that gutless engine which I dislike intensely. I wish truly that when I bought that, I had just chosen to go with the AT with the 1.4 petrol engine! Real regret there!
I guess the only vehicle which will score over this Creta and only specifically in terms of ride and handling and probably general toughness, would be the Duster whose suspension is superb beyond belief. The Duster even rides better than the Yeti for sure and thats the only real advantage, apart from it being cheaper and more spacious.
But at the end of the day, as a Yeti owner, the only few vehicles that I could probably consider upgrading to right now are;
1. The Audi Q3
2. The VW Tiguan whenever it comes
3. The Mercedes GLA (which I really loved in all respects except for lack of a 4WD version)
4. The Mini Cooper (not the Countryman but hopefully the "S" 3 door version) - because it is simply my favourite little car.
However, right now I haven't got the money and I haven't even got the inclination to think about an upgrade because I am just perfectly happy with my little Yeti. I hope to be able to allow it to get quite long in the tooth before putting it out to pasture.
Saying all of the above, I think Hyundai really has a winner on its hands with the Creta and anyone in the market now, who is looking for a vehicle of this class and price point/ segment, would do very well indeed to buy the Creta.
Clearly it is bye bye to the Scorpio, XUV, Duster and EcoSport. All these vehicles will surely and certainly and indisputably feel the heat from now onwards!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Behemoth Hi Shankar,
The Creta is designed for average Indian Heights and I would say it is ideal for people in the height range of 5'4" -5' 10". Beyond this either way people would be uncomfortable. The seats to floor distance is less than the Yeti (even with the seat Height raised all the way up). The headroom is also less than the Yeti (at least 4' less). So people with more than 6' feet will be less comfortable in the Creta than the Yeti. The Yeti is typically designed for European heights (6 feet +) and has good seat to floor distances (hence better under thigh support) and much more headroom - in my case I have almost 6 Inches of clear headroom above my head in the Yeti (I am 5' 8"). In the Creta it was 3" above my head in the position I was comfortable in. The driving position in the Creta is slightly reclined, as it is with Sedans and not like the Yeti's upright driving position.
For someone who is used to the Yeti, the Creta will feel like a little step down as the black interiors also make it feel claustrophobic. The Yeti also has a larger Glass area - Front Windshield, Front Windows and Rear Windows and rear Quarter glass and rear windshield - they all make the Yeti feel more open and adds Light. In the Creta, all of these are much smaller. Attachment 1397517 |