Confused between 2024 Creta facelift and 2023 Seltos facelift

I feel more inclined towards Hyundai due to features like ADAS which isn't available in Kia yet.

BHPian abhi3284 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am contemplating between Creta and Seltos (Petrol Auto) to replace my 12-year-old Ritz D Manual and it sure is not an easy task choosing among the two. Confused between IVT and DCT but am preferring IVT due to it being more reliable and with better fuel economy compared to DCT. I have test driven both Seltos (Petrol DCT) and the new Creta (Diesel AT). Unfortunately, IVT Auto variants were not available to Test Drive for both cars and am waiting to Test Drive them soon.

My observations after driving both Cars are as below:

• Personally, for me, New Creta looks more Classy and better with clean lines, Exterior looks wise. Seltos looks good as well, but looks slightly overdone to me and I did not like the Chrome strip at the front.
• Creta Interiors Color scheme did not look that great with light grey and cream when I checked it the 1st time. On my 2nd visit, when I spent some time inside and during the Test Drive, it was looking the more inviting, classy and roomier cabin. For some reason, the Seltos DCT Cabin looked a bit smaller and claustrophobic, maybe due to the dark color interior scheme. To add, both my Wife and Daughter felt the same and voted for the Creta. Not sure if it is going to be a task to maintain the interior though.
• To me, the Door of the Creta felt more heavy and assuring than the Seltos. Now, it can also be because the Creta was a new one and Seltos might have been abused a bit. Still, Creta felt better to me.
• Lot has been talked about the Interior Design Layout and the Glossy Black Infotainment and the majority opinion is that Seltos' Layout is the better one. The front infotainment panel layout being inverted to the Seltos one, is not a concern to me and I maybe prefer the Creta layout more as the whole dashboard is in a straight uniform line. Honestly, I don't mind either of them, coming from a Ritz D Interior Layout. Both look good to me. So, not a major deciding factor for me.
• Ride was plush, stable with good NVH levels in both of them but will not elaborate more, as I am more interested in IVT. Front visibility was also good in both, but I felt it slightly better in Creta with bonnet ends clearly visible. Seating comfort at the front and back was good in both of them.
• In base or mid variants, it is true that Seltos offers more features than Creta, but I feel it is pretty close in the top-end variants for both. Yes, Creta does miss out on One touch-up down for all Windows, Fog Lamps, Rain sensing wipers and Middle Passenger Headrest.
• What might tilt the balance towards Creta is that I am thinking of going for the variant with ADAS and 360 Deg Camera, as I don't change Cars that often. And it is only Creta that offers it in the IVT top-end variant. Seltos does not, so far.
• One thing that bothers me is the large gap in the front grill where anyone can slide their hand in and cause damage if any malicious intent and also the sensor or fuse that sticks out behind the Front Grill. Any idea what that sensor is for and are both of these concerns valid?

I plan to make a booking before this month's end and hope for delivery in the next 2 months. Hopefully, the IVT variant will be available for Test Drive before that.

Had a few queries regarding the same and if someone can clarify my doubts, that would be great.

• Is the rubber band effect felt prominently in the Hyundai IVT Engine or is it not noticeable? How is it compared to CVT in Elevate, where I have read that the Rubber Band effect is prominent?
• Is there any performance difference between the IVT Engines in Hyundai and Kia, tuning-wise or how it responds to accelerator input?
• Does the performance of IVT engines degrade over time, in regard to Acceleration response time or Engine Noise / NVH Levels? Or does it stay consistent?
• Has anyone managed to Test Drive the new Creta in IVT form and any feedback on the same would be appreciated.

Looking forward to inputs from our esteemed members.

Here's what BHPian 07CR had to say about the matter:

It is indeed a point of concern for me IMO. Not because of the malicious intent of others, but more because on the highways at high speeds, a lot of stones, pebbles and whatnot keep bouncing off. I am concerned about how much such things might impact the engine bay because anything can enter there easily. You will also need to keep a watch for sparrows, cats, rats, snakes etc easily hiding there (Yes, it's that big!).

Here's what BHPian Aviator_guy had to say about the matter:

Though I have not driven FL Creta/Seltos, we have both the current gen IVTs in the family so I can answer some of your questions since the engine is the same in the FL model.

IVT is very smooth and silent in city driving conditions. You may find some rubber band effect on highways, especially during quick overtakes. However, if you are not looking for pedal-to-metal driving and are a calm, relaxed driver then IVT does the job very well.

Both Creta and Seltos have the same engine and same tuning so performance-wise, both are identical.

Creta is 2.5 years old and Seltos is 2 years old and there is no degradation in performance. IVT has been doing the job very well and the NVH level is excellent. Usually, the CVT engines (IVT in Hyundai language) are low maintenance and long-lasting so I don't expect it to degrade over time.

Here's what BHPian ShabbyG had to say about the matter:

I am in the same boat as you - upgrading from a 2011 Ritz Diesel. Took a test drive of Creta IVT yesterday. I would say the drive comfort in Creta is slightly better than the Elevate and definitely better than Seltos (For reference, I drove in Bangalore where the roads are generally scattered with potholes).

The IVT response is the same as Seltos. You can feel the rubber band effect in Eco mode. But, Sports mode masks it quite well (much better than the Elevate).

Coming from Ritz diesel, I can confidently say that you will not feel much of the rubberband effect even in Normal mode either unless you have been driving newer cars. But, there is no way we can compare to DCTs or ATs.

The engine is super silent - IVT or manual doesn't make a difference here.

The biggest factor tilting the scale in favour of Creta is the AutoHold feature availability in the lower automatic trims while Seltos only has it in the top trim.

The center console on Seltos is better than that on the Creta. But home ministry is valuing the AutoHold feature over other features that Seltos provides.

I would have asked you to try the GV as well due to it having a torque convertor. But, when I entered the car, everything other than the center console reminded me of the 13-year-old Ritz. And you are also a Ritz owner.

IMHO, if you stay in a city like Bangalore with pothole-filled roads and min 70% of the drive is in the city, prefer Creta otherwise, go with Seltos. You can't go wrong with either.

FYI, I had booked an XUV700 earlier but had to drop it due to family continuously raising concerns about its size (We are a family of 4 with the youngest one being less than a year old). Once you drive the XUV700, it is difficult to be satisfied by a compact SUV in terms of either performance or drive comfort.

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