Hyundai Creta EV Launch Date Revealed

Hyundai will launch the Creta EV on the 17th of January, 2025, at the Bharat Mobility Expo. The Creta EV will be Hyundai’s first mass market electric car in India. A price tag close to Rs. 20 lakh is very likely for the Creta EV, which is expected to share its battery pack with the Kona – a SUV that Hyundai launched here a few years ago.

The Creta EV is expected to borrow the 48 kWh battery pack from the Kona, which should give the new electric Hyundai a range of about 300 kilometers per charge.

So, the Creta EV will be positioned as a SUV meant mainly for urban mobility, and short intercity trips rather than a car to go cross country touring in. For that, you still have the petrol and diesel Creta SUVs to fall back on.

The Creta EV is also expected to borrow its electric motor from the Kona, which means that it could put out about 134 Bhp of peak power and 255 Nm of peak torque. With this powertrain, the Creta EV is also expected to be the fastest-ever Creta launched in India, with a 0-100 Kph timing of around 8-8.5 seconds.

Thee 2nd generation Hyundai Kona EV sold abroad also gets a larger 65 kWh battery, and a choice of three higher power outputs: 156 Bhp-255 Nm, 201 Bhp-255 Nm and 215 Bhp-255 Nm (on the long range, bigger battery models). For India, Hyundai is likely to introduce the lowest spec of the powertrain: 134 Bhp-255 Nm, as the Creta EV will be expected to deliver more range than power or torque.

The Creta EV is also expected to use the 400V electric charging architecture instead of the more modern 800V architecture, possibly to keep costs low and differentiate it from the much more expensive Ioniq5. We’ll get more details as we get closer to launch, and the drive, which is scheduled to happen in mid-January.

As for styling, the Creta EV will get a new grille design that blocks off bits as there’s no radiator in an electric car. The front and rear bumpers will also get a new design to reflect the car’s status as an EV. Wheels are also expected to be different, with the design favouring aerodynamics over aesthetics.

On the inside, the dashboard is expected to be carried over from the Creta Petrol/Diesel, but with EV specific changes such as drive selector mode switch. To keep costs low, Hyundai is expected to make the Creta EV share most interior bits with the petrol and diesel models.

Clearly, the Creta EV is not a born-electric car like say its more expensive sibling – the Ioniq5. The new electric SUV is meant for Hyundai to test waters rather than transition fully to the new propulsion mode. In fact, Hyundai is expecting to sell just 2,000 units of the Creta EV each month, which means that the electric version of the SUV is tipped to do less than 20 % of overall volumes.

The Hyundai Creta EV is expected to compete with the likes of the Tata Nexon.EV at the lower end and with the MG ZS EV, Tata Curvv.EV and Maruti eVitara/Toyota Urban Electric SUVs at the upper end. A starting price of Rs. 20 lakh is likely although Hyundai could pull off a surprise now that Mahindra has changed the game with the BE 6. Over to the launch now.