The vehicle in question needs no introduction, as it has been one of the bestsellers in the mini SUV segment from India’s Number 2 car maker Hyundai. First launched in 2015, the Hyundai Creta has sold more than 4 lakh units and also won 26 awards, including the much-coveted 2016 ICOTY. Come 2018, Hyundai has given a well-deserved facelift to its bestseller and we are here to find out all the details on it. Read on to find our road test review of the 2018 Hyundai Creta.
Food for thought
The Hyundai Creta was initially showcased as a concept at Auto China in Beijing, in 2014, before it went into production later in India. The Hyundai Creta is also known as ix25 and Cantus in the Dominican Republic and China. The Creta is based on the Hyundai-Kia platform that is shared with the Hyundai Elantra and Hyundai i30, Kia Soul and Kia Ceed.
Exteriors
This is the midlife facelift that this car gets making it bolder and more handsome. The changes are more evident on the face, which includes the signature Hyundai cascading grill. This new face gives a more impactful look to it. The grill now gets thick chrome bands that run across the wide cascading face and 3 horizontal slats with the slanting H Hyundai logo in chrome neatly placed in the middle.
The projector headlights get minor tweaks, and the LED DRLs which were previously placed in the headlights have now been shifted lower around the fog-lamps. The bumper gets a more muscular look with all new designing, with the lower part getting a fox silver skid plate, adding a lot of brute SUV appeal to the car.
The sides more or less remain the same with the biggest change being the all new 17 inches diamond cut alloy wheels. The pillars retain the glossy blacked-out effect on them along with the chrome door handles and LED turn indicators on the wing mirrors. Keyless entry is possible from the driver’s side only. Roof rails come in matt silver finish, while the biggest addition on the exteriors is the fully electric sunroof. This now adds a lot of cosmetic appeal to the 2018 Hyundai Creta.
The wheel arches continue to flaunt the plastic unpainted inserts that run from the front across the running board to the rear wheel arch. The rear looks more or less same as the outgoing model. The rear bumper also gets redesigned and now sports a silver skid plate. The tail lamps get a slight redesigning in their glow, while the roof also houses a body-coloured shark fin antenna. Hyundai has introduced 2 new body colours, one being the Passion Orange that we drove. The other is a cool-looking Marina Blue.
Interiors
If you know the Creta, the interiors will look familiar to you. The dualtoned dashboard remains the same along with the identical instrument cluster with an updated MID display. The multi-function steering wheel is again carried forward from the earlier car and comes with manual adjust for height, but lacks the adjust for reach. The centre dash houses a 7 inches touchscreen AVN system. This is an all new generation unit powered by latest software that comes with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirror link, along with Radio, Telephony, USB, etc. connectivity. Hyundai has also provided an extra USB charging connector that can be powered using the cigarette lighter port.
Another the welcome addition on the facelift Hyundai Creta is the wireless mobile charging point. The 2018 Creta also gets a 6-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, cruise-control and a very unique, wearable Hyundai smartkey band, which also works as a fitness band in conjunction with the H-Band App that needs to be downloaded onto your mobile. Hyundai has also included features like steering-mounted audio control, automatic climate control, push button start, ARKAMYS sound system, rear parking sensors with camera and rear AC vents.
Engine – Transmission – Drive
The power train on the 2018 Creta remains the same with 3 engine options to choose from – 1.6 litres CRDi diesel (128 PS), 1.4 litres diesel (90 PS) and a 1.6 litres petrol (123 PS) mated with a 6 speed manual or a 6 speed automatic transmission option on both petrol and diesel engine options to choose from. Hyundai claims an improved fuel efficiency of 3 % on the petrol and 4% on the diesel, thanks to some minor retuning and tweaking of the engine on the 2018 Hyundai Creta.
As we drove the 1.6 litres diesel manual, here are our thoughts on it. There is a noticeable increase in the torque delivery due to the engine tweaking. The torque output (260 Nm) remains the same on the older and the new Creta, but what has changed is the way the torque is delivered. The outgoing Creta had its peak torque at 1900-2750 RPM while the facelifted Creta reaches the same torque figure at a lower RPM of 1500-3000 RPM, hence reducing the turbo lag drastically and improving the low-end and mid-range power delivery very strongly.
The gear shifter on all Hyundai cars is a sleek and classy affair, along with a smooth and easy clutch feedback. The suspension setup remains unchanged with the Creta offering excellent and comfortable ride quality at low speeds. At high speeds, the vehicle feels very potent and stable. The steering feedback is ample and the braking has some excellent bite to it. Overall,you get a very nice feel behind the steering of the 2018 Hyundai Creta.
Safety
The Creta facelift now comes loaded with dual airbags and ABS with EBD, as standard across the entire lineup. On the fully loaded top end trim that we drove you get 6 Airbags, Hill start assist, Vehicle stability management, ISOFIX, Stating bending lights, electrochromic rearview mirror, front seatbelts with pretensioners, etc.
Verdict
The Hyundai Creta has been the bestseller in its class and with this update adds more equipment to the list in terms of features and safety. The car looks much more premium and bold, especially from the front with the new design face. The engine is now much more driveable with tweaked fuel efficiency. The Creta has always been a winner in its class and this facelift takes it further. The inclusion of the electric sunroof gives you another reason to go for it.
