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2024 Hyundai Creta Facelift Review - Bolder & Better Than Ever
In 2015, South Korean carmaker Hyundai introduced the Creta SUV to India and changed the game in the segment. The South Korean led the charge as SUVs as sedans made way for SUVs in the hearts and minds of the Indian car-buying audience.
Five years later, Hyundai introduced the second generation Creta and its looks divided opinions everywhere. Many, including the guy putting the words down here, scratched their heads thinking about what the designer was inhaling when he first drew it up but praised everything else under that metallic skin.
Hyundai, it would seem was listening. And while there were a few changes made to the Creta, also sold as iX35 in many international markets, India was made to wait for the updated SUV.
However, that wait is now over and when Hyundai invited us over to a chilly Jodhpur to see the changes for ourselves, we found ourselves quite happily surprised. Let's talk about the reasons why shall we...
2024 Hyundai Creta Facelift Review: Design & Feature Changes - Squaring Up For A Fight
Forget those unhinged curves and slashes and whatever other things that made up the mess of a design that was the Creta introduced to us in 2020, the 2024 version of the SUV is a better-looking vehicle no matter which angle you view it from, despite being a mid-life 'facelift' model.
Take a look at the facelifted 2024 Hyundai Creta from the front and the changes are evident and extremely palatable. Inspired by the massive Palisade SUV sold in the USA, the new 2024 Creta features an upright and squared-off front end.
The chunky rectangular grille is topped off by the LED lighting setup that culminates in the Daytime Running Lights which feature an inverted L-shaped signature on each side. The actual headlights sit lower on the front bumper and are stacked in their own vertical housings on either edge of the bumper.
The lower section of the front bumper features quite a bit of cladding along with a faux grey bash plate that stretches upward to surround the lower air intake. While the sides have remained mostly unchanged, there are new designs for the alloy wheels, which in our opinion look better than ever.
Move to the back of the car and the changes are even more pleasing to look at. The annoyingly rotund rear end of the pre-facelift SUV, an effect enhanced by the wacky taillights, has made way for a flatter and more square look.
The connected taillights mimic the LED DRL setup at the front with the bumper featuring more of the cladding seen at the front. The Creta and variant badges flank either side of the registration plate while the Hyundai badge sits above it. The reversing light is mounted to the centre of the grey-clad rear bumper.
Step inside the new Creta and there are more changes to see. The dashboard has been reimagined and integrates a twin 10.25-display setup for the infotainment and instrumentation. The touchscreen setup for the infotainment integrates all regular connectivity options and comes connected to a premium audio setup from Bose for your tunes. However, commands for the connected car system in Indian languages did not work out quite well.
There are still a few quirky bits here and there as can be seen on the dash. This can be seen with the vents for the dual zone A/C with the ones on the left set a rung above the ones on the centre and the right. That dual-zone setup is thankfully still operated using physical dials and buttons.
The dual-tone theme adds a bit of airiness to the cabin, a feeling that is enhanced greatly by the large sunroof. the new 2024 Hyundai Creta makes use of soft-touch material in quite a few places which gives the new SUV a more premium feeling.
This premium feeling is further enhanced by the boatload of features that have been retained on the new 2024 Creta including ambient lighting, ventilated front seats and wireless phone charging among others.
The safety kit is as packed as ever with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control, a tyre pressure monitoring system, ISOFIX child mounts, rear parking sensors, and hill-start assist now standard across the variants.
The SX Tech and SX(O) variants of the new Creta bring in the big guns with the addition of Level 2 ADAS which brings in 19 driver aids to the Hyundai SUV. These include driver aids like Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (cars, pedestrians, cycles and junction turns), Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Blind-spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Blind-spot Collision Warning (BCW) and more.
2024 Hyundai Creta Facelift Review - Powertrain Changes - Turbo & DCT For The Win
The new Hyundai Creta has added a new 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine (last seen on the new Verna) which is exclusively offered with a 7-speed DCT gearbox in the SUV. This new engine replaces the discontinued 1.4-litre turbo unit and pushes out 158bhp at 5,500 rpm and 252Nm of peak torque between 1,500 and 3,500rpm. This new powertrain returns a claimed mileage of 18.4km/l.
The new Creta has retained the 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine that pushed out 113bhp and 144Nm and came paired with either a 6-speed manual or a CVT gearbox. Also retained for the updated Creta is the 1.5-litre turbodiesel engine which cranks out 114bhp and 250Nm and comes paired to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 6-speed torque converter automatic transmission.
2024 Hyundai Creta Facelift Review - Driving Impressions - All Around Brilliance
While the shiny new powertrain on the 2024 Ceta is the new turbo petrol, we only go to drive the turbodiesel with the 6-speed automatic during our time with the facelifted SUV in Jodhpur.
The 1.5-litre turbocharged diesel is as predictable as ever under the reskinned Creta with good mid-range grunt that eventually tapers off once you get higher into the rev range. The engine is quite smooth on the move and with an open highway in front of you, you'll find yourself hitting triple digits with ease and can cruise there without any problems whatsoever. The refinement levels are also quite nice with noise and vibrations kept under control.
Hyundai has tweaked the suspension setup slightly on the new Creta. The slightly stiffer setup doesn't mean the new Creta is a slouch about dealing with the ruts and the bumps. The change though has ensured that the Creta doesn't roll around quite as much when taking a corner without losing out on its ability to take bumps and ruts with ease.
The steering too weighs up nicely, giving you confidence at higher speeds. The brakes, discs on all four wheels worked quite well providing excellent bite though the engine braking was somewhat lacking in the way it helped slow the new 2024 Creta down.
The Level 2 ADAS setup on the 2024 Hyundai Creta works rather well, maybe a bit too well. It threw up alerts galore as we negotiated our way around Jodhpur. However, the aggressiveness of the automatic braking system combined with the lunatics that blast about on our roads made us switch off the system to ensure that we were able to drive the Creta properly.
2024 Hyundai Creta Facelift Review - Verdict & Final Thoughts: Bolder & Better
The new 2024 Hyundai Creta brings quite a few changes including a new engine under the bonnet, new front and rear-end designs and a heavily updated cabin along with a lot more tech.
All these changes mean that the new Hyundai Creta for 2024 and beyond is a lot more appealing to Indian SUV customers. The fact it no longer has looks that only a mother could love is sure to get them into the showrooms where all the other changes are sure to open up their chequebooks, considering that prices start at Rs 10.99 lakh (ex-showroom).
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