All-new, 2020 Hyundai Creta compact SUV: Which variant to buy?

Hyundai unveiled the new generation of Creta at the Auto Expo 2020 and before its launch, the SUV received over 10,000 bookings in just a week. The new Creta is based on a new platform, gets an all-new design language and more features. Now, the manufacturer has launched the Creta in the Indian market with a starting price of Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and going all the way up to Rs. 17.20 lakhs(ex-showroom).

What are the engine and transmission options available?

Creta shares its powertrains with its sibling, Kia Seltos which is already a big hit in the market. There are three engine options to choose from: a 1.5-litre diesel engine, 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and 1.4-litre turbo petrol. The diesel engine is mated to a 6-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission whereas you can opt the 1.5-litre petrol with a 6-speed manual or a CVT transmission. But the 1.4-litre turbo petrol does not come with a manual gearbox, it only comes with a 7-speed Dual Clutch Transmission.

What are the variants offered?

Hyundai has introduced 5 variants of the Creta namely E, EX, S, SX and SX(O).  The 1.5-litre petrol engine’s range starts from the EX variant. Only the SX and SX(O) variants are available with an automatic transmission, but you cannot get the SX(O) variant with a manual gearbox. For the diesel, all the variants can be opted with a manual gearbox and only the top two variants can be had with an automatic. The turbo petrol only comes in SX and SX(O). Below is the variant wise price(ex-showroom):

Variant	Price 1.5 Petrol	Price 1.5 Diesel	Price 1.4 Turbo Petrol
E		Rs.9.99 lakhs
EX	Rs.9.99 lakhs	Rs.11.49 lakhs
S	Rs.11.72 lakhs	Rs.12.77 lakhs
SX(MT)	Rs.13.46 lakhs	Rs. 14.51 lakhs
SX(CVT)	Rs.14.94 lakhs
SX(DCT)			Rs. 16.16 lakhs
SX(AT)		Rs. 15.99 lakhs
SX(O)(MT)		Rs. 15.79 lakhs
SX(O)(AT)		Rs. 17.20 lakhs
SX(O)(CVT)	Rs. 16.15 lakhs
SX(O)(DCT)			Rs. 17.20 lakhs

 

All variants get ABS with EBD, Dual airbags, rear parking sensors as standard. For the exterior, you get LED Positioning Lamps, follow-me-home headlamps, rear spoiler and LED Turn Indicators on electrically adjustable ORVMs. And for the interior, you get tilt-adjustable steering wheel, air conditioning, cooled glove box and a height-adjustable driver seat.

Best Budget Buy

There are some very useful features that we think a car in this category should have: a rear camera that makes it easier to park in tight spaces, Cruise Control for a hassle-free highway driving and a driver rearview monitor [basically the infotainment system display that can be used to look back even you are not reversing the car]. There is an 8-inch infotainment system that comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. For these, you will have to go for S variant that will cost you around Rs. 11.72 lakhs.

And once you do that you also get automatic climate control, rear sunshade and push-button start/stop. 

Value For Money Buy

However, our value for money pick is the SX variant as it is priced perfectly in the middle of the price range. And it gets you a near full-on Creta experience packing in highly desirable features such as a massive panoramic sunroof that opens up to create a sense of airiness and an upgraded 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system for the gadget lovers. This will cost you Rs. 13.46 lakhs for petrol version which is Rs. 1.74 lakhs more than the S variant but packs in a lot more equipment.

All that money also boosts the safety quotient of Creta with vehicle stability management, rear disc brakes and electronic stability control. It will also bring in LED headlamps, alloy wheels, rear armrest, cushions for the rear headrests and a leather steering wheel.

With all that equipment, we think that the SX variant packs in all the functionalities that are necessary at this price point. As SX(O) variant just adds more ‘experience’ features such a Bose audio system and leather upholstery to the list but does not really add functionality that is important for daily use.