Compact SUVs have come to become a hot favourite in the Indian passenger car market. Today there is a wide pool to choose from, and Hyundai Creta is one of them. But if sales figures were to be compared, the Creta has been consistently selling in very good numbers. The lowest sales figure that it has so far seen is 6,563 units in December 2016. And now, after more than a year of its launch in India it has posted the largest ever sales number of 9,002 units in the month of February 2017. This is quite surprising considering the way sales rise and peak early in a vehicle’s lifecycle. The Renault Duster is popular too, but it never sold more than 2,128 units in a month in the year 2016. Similarly, Nissan Terrano never posted sales figures in four digits.
So, what makes the Creta so popular amongst buyers? Is it the price? No, since it’s not the cheapest in its segment and in fact, it’s on the higher side. Starting price for the Duster is Rs 8.65 lakh, whereas the beginning price tag on the Creta is Rs 9.22 lakh. For the top variant too, the Creta is more expensive at Rs 14.62 lakh where the Duster is priced at Rs 13.9 for the top variant.
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Despite a higher price-tag, the car from the South Korean manufacturer has taken over SUV market in India, which clearly shows that Indian consumers now give more importance to value and features than just a low price-tag. This is a crucial step in the progress of our market towards maturity and Hyundai has been successful in catching this trend early in its rise and developing a product that fulfills the requirements of young and well-informed consumers.
In terms of looks, it does have the premium appeal of a Hyundai Tuscon, one of the brand’s finer products and doesn’t look butch and boxy. This is one of the reasons why the vehicle probably appeals to a wider range of customers and not just lovers of boxy SUVs. Even on the SUV-ish look, it gives an impression of a proper SUV that has all the necessary bits. It comes with sporty bumpers, piano black roof, rear defogger, door scuff plates.
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In terms of ride and handling, the Creta has shown significant improvement over past Hyundai vehicles. It also comes with features like electronic stability, hill-start assist and static bending lights, features that are mostly available in cars pricier than this. To cover safety, Hyundai has given it six airbags and ABS with EBD. Other features include rear parking assist, follow me headlamp, height adjustable seat belt anchor and power window anti-pinch.
Inside the Creta, it feels spacious, the dash has a simplistic design, the steering wheel has audio and phone controls. Built quality feels refined too. It comes with three engine options – 1.6L CRDi (126 bhp, 256 Nm of torque), 1.6L Mpi (121 bhp, 151 Nm of torque) and 1.4L CRDi (89 bhp, 220 Nm of torque). Plenty of choice overall for the consumer, which is something Indians love! No wonder, the Creta is such a hit!
