Why the Hyundai Creta the “king of the hill” among SUVs in India?

The Hyundai Creta is the “king of the hill” among SUVs sold in India, quite literally. The kind of monthly volumes that Hyundai’s first compact SUV is doing in India is unprecedented. While the surge in initial bookings did point to big acceptance of the Creta even before its launch, the demand seems to be sticking big.  Never in the history of the Indian car market has an SUV crossed 7,000 monthly units. Some may say Bolero, but that Mahindra is an MUV at best. Notably, sales of the Ford Ecosport, the Renault Duster, the Nissan Terrano and the Mahindra Scorpio are down, in a big way. So, what’s making Indians take to the Creta in such a big way? Here are some answers.

Looks

The Creta really looks the part of an SUV, what with its scaled down Santa Fe design. Proportionate lines in a compact form factor make the Creta one of the most pleasing lookers that Hyundai has produced in India. SUVs are highly aspirational and looks form a major part in the purchase decision. By delivering a sharp looker, Hyundai’s designers have done enough to pull prospective buyers into showrooms.

Powerful engines

 

A SUV isn’t about looks alone. It’s also about big power and torque. The Creta has powerful engines, in the form of the 1.6 liter naturally aspirated petrol (121 Bhp-155 Nm) and the CRDI (126 Bhp-256 Nm) turbo diesel mills. With minimal turbo lag, the diesel motor propels the Creta to the top of the acceleration stakes, at least in terms of how it feels when going flat out. While Hyundai is yet to share acceleration numbers for the Creta, the 1.6 Diesel variant should be somewhere near the top of the heap. The petrol motor is quite tractable too and is one of the more powerful units around.

Wide price band and 10 variants

Hyundai’s introductory pricing for this compact SUV looked a touch optimistic, but buyers don’t seem to be complaining. The wide price band (8.6-13.6 lakh rupees) that Hyundai has priced the Creta seems to be working to the SUV’s advantage. These prices are tempting both Ecosport buyers at the lower end and the XUV500 and Scorpio buyers at the higher end. Likewise, the Creta is sold in 10 variants spread across 3 engines and two transmission options, giving the buyer plenty of choice.

Features galore

Like all new Hyundai cars, the Creta is feature loaded. From safety features such as 6 airbags, ABS, traction control, hill hold assist and ESP, to creature comforts such as automatic climate control, a diesel-automatic option, reverse parking camera and the touchscreen infotainment unit, this SUV is quite loaded. An equipment loaded vehicle always is more attractive to the average SUV buyer, who isn’t really concerned about off road ability or handling.

Dealer reach

This is another factor that often goes overlooked. After Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai has one of the best dealer network and after sales service reach in India. Putting a Creta in all these showrooms means that the SUV is more accessible to buyers than say a Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, a Ford Ecosport, a Renault Duster or a Nissan Terrano. An accessible vehicle directly translates into a better chance at the market.