Test Drive: Hyundai Creta Petrol Automatic, should you go for it?

Enough has been said and written about the Creta in recent times and its climbing sales chart is evident of its evergrowing success in the Indian SUV market For me the Creta has always been a lsquosafersquo compact SUV Well why safe Itrsquos because of its overall personality which is like a bloke working at an MNC at a respectable mediocre position He is paid well he dresses well and is always one of the good guys in the company But he doesnrsquot really like to take unnecessary risk or tries to adorn an outlandish costume just to get the bossesrsquo attention for that evening office party The Creta somewhat justifies that lsquosafersquo tag Itrsquos very well dressed embracing Hyundairsquos lsquoFluidic designrsquo philosophy and is packed with a lot of bells and whistles on the inside It looks nigglefree from all angles and thatrsquos why itrsquos enjoying that warm reception from Indian SUV buyersNot only does the Creta stand out from the competition with its modest charm it has also become the torchbearer of the segment by introducing the first fully automatic petrol variant Although it was always on the cards after launching its 16litre diesel motor with an auto box itrsquos a smart move nevertheless This new found automatic or I should say clutchless love keeping in mind the AMTs in the market is gradually picking up in our part of the world and Hyundai wants to stay in the gameSo we took this lsquonewrsquo Creta out for a spin for a day to help you decide whether it makes sense to be spending those extra bucks or notExterior StylingHyundai has not done any alterations to the existing Creta and why should they I mean look at it it is a stunner from all angles Despite spending a considerable amount of time in the market after its launch the Creta nowhere feels obsolete Like I said in the beginning itrsquos a well dresserThe slightlytilted three slats of chrome at the hexagonal front grille amalgamating with the sweptback projector headlamps justifies its lsquoFluidicrsquo design The best bit of the Cretarsquos design is the mix of curves and sharp character lines that are just about perfect giving it a SUV stance yet keeping it intact by taking away that extra bulk to make it look fit The vertically stacked front fog lamps keeps this softroader compact SUV in proportionStep onto the rear the taillights do look appealing but I feel they donrsquot do justice to the SUV tag Well do bear with me for being a little subjective here and one might have a different view on this The overall setup somehow tones down its SUV look in exchange of a more sedanlike rear That for me is a letdownBut brushing that aside the automatic variant falling in the SX category gets daytime running lights on the headlamp cluster sporty looking 17rsquorsquo diamond cut alloy wheels integrated rear spoiler chrome doorhandles and a sharkfin antenna as well to complete its jazzed up attireInteriors Staying true to the philosophymdash ldquowhy fix it if it isnrsquot brokenrdquo Hyundai has not played around with the interiors except for housing a chunky automatic gear unit sitting right beneath the central console The layout of the dashboard is quite sophisticated and well put together The beige finished soft touch plastic on the dashboard continuing onto the grab handles on the front doors sprinkles elegance to the rest allblack cabin I really like the smart design of the black plastic casing above the dashboard which splits the cabin with its arrow like designThe touchscreen infotainment system at the centre is quite easy to use and it offers great feedback The only little issue that I faced and I am nitpicking here is the low visibility of the screen in sunlight despite selecting its daymode For entertainment needs you get USB AUX and Bluetooth connectivity To check that out I paired my smartphone to belt out some EDM tracks The audio quality is OK and not the best when pitted against stock audio units that car manufacturers are fitting in these days Like Tata for that matter its Harman unit in the Tiago is just a bliss But then again for hard core music lovers there is nothing that an aftermarket amp and bass kit canrsquot handleSeating remains quite comfortable for both the rows with good amount of side bolstering for the front row On the whole this automatic petrol avatar gets a host of useful features and there is very little that you can complain about But that is where it also hits a roadblockDo remember that this petrol automatic variant comes in SX trim which is not the top of the line variant So it does get robbed of some features inside well not some actually itrsquos quite a bit First and foremost there are no leather seats all you get is a fabric layout You donrsquot get cruise control auto dimming IRVM auto headlamps and rain sensing wipers Hyundai has also cut down on the safety front with just two airbags Driver and Passenger instead of six offered only on the top variant Also there is no speed sensing auto door lock Electronic Stability Control ESC and Hill Start Assist Control HAC as well Despite being priced a little on the higher side at Rs 1286 lakh exshowroom Delhi and not getting these features above doesnrsquot really justifies its price tag as far as the equipment list goesBut on the flipside this petrol automatic trim does bag lsquosomersquo extra features It gets a leather package for the steering wheel and gear knob as well The 6040 rear split seat option is again a welcoming feature for making more room at the back Given its already impressive 402 litre of bootspace you will be using this feature quite seldomThe Drive This 16litre petrol motor churns out 123PS of power along with 151Nm of peak torque which are not outrageous numbers but given the fact it weighs well over 1200kg its power to weight ratio of around 98PS per ton is good enough to catapult this compact SUV at any point of timeTaking on the congested NH8 Gurgaon to Delhi route during peak office hours I made full use of the auto box on the Creta The engine is mated to a 6speed automatic gearbox which makes use of a torque convertor Now one would expect some sluggishness from the convertor but surprisingly it changes gears with ease but all of that depends on the accelerator input When driving with a light foot gear shifts are smooth taking place at 2000rpm and in return it also maximises efficiency While testing we encountered overall mileage figures of 127kmpl which is good enough for an automatic vehicle this size But as itrsquos an automatic setup and not an AMT which means better shifts I really wanted to put this compact SUV to a testThe power delivery is quite linear and the cabin is well insulated from engine noise when you are taking it easy But once you floor the accelerator the outcry of the engine is quite audible inside as the transmission takes its own time to find the right gear Yes there is a lag for sure but itrsquos not something that takes ages to get back into the groove like in an AMT setup The good thing about the torque converter is that it adjusts to your input and thus it can even hold a gear towards higher rpms But all of this does come at a cost if you unleash the Schumacher inside you The other way to tackle this issue is to switch to manual mode and take matter into your own hands quite literally Manual shifts are butter smooth and you are free from that engine outcryI have to say and this is coming from an exHyundai owner the steering on this is by far the best that I have come across Usually criticised for offering a very light steering this one is well weighted and is quite nimble to handle even in chaotic Delhi roads Body roll is bare minimum as it takes on corners with confidence but there is a certain degree of muttering that one can sense as itrsquos not really happy diving in and out of corners Ride on the whole is similar to its other variants making use of a similar suspension setup It takes on undulated roads with much ease while the suspension is a bit on the stiffer side you do get to feel some jerks but on the whole it makes your drive quite plantedIs it worth buyingTo answer that letrsquos quickly sum it up Itrsquos a welldressed SUV gets a potent motor under the hood the autobox is quite refined interiors are well laid out and the list of features are quite lucrative If all of that doesnrsquot excite you I donrsquot know what else will But yes there is a lsquobutrsquo here the price point of this variant of Rs 1286 lakh exshowroom Delhi is a bit on the higher side Also because itrsquos not the top of the line model you do miss out on a list of features Then again they are not really deal breakers here I mean just imagine what benefits the autobox gives you not just in peak traffic but even when you are out on open roads As a complete package itrsquos definitely worth your attention However we do recommend to also look at the Honda BRV CVT petrol starting at 1199 lakh and even the Ford EcoSport Petrol Titanium AT at Rs 961 lakh both exshowroom DelhiRead full story on cardekhocom