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Hyundai Creta Electric Review: The Compact SUV Final Boss Goes Electric
It was around this time last year that Hyundai finally brought the facelifted Creta to India. Since then, the updated SUV has been doing what it does best, attracting customers galore to Hyundai dealerships across the nation.
When the facelifted Hyundai Creta finally drove on Indian roads last year, there had already been multiple sightings and rumblings of the arrival of a new variant of the Creta, which would ditch dino burning for the sound of electric silence.
Fast forward 12 months, and Hyundai has revealed the all-new Creta Electric, its first mass-market EV for the Indian market. We recently got the chance to drive the all-new Hyundai Creta Electric ahead of its launch at Auto Expo 2025. Here are our thoughts after spending a few hours behind the wheel of the electric SUV from South Korea.
Hyundai Creta Electric Review - Design & Features - Electric Botox With Quite A Few Added Goodies
At first glance, the new Hyundai Creta Electric looks unchanged compared to its dino-burning siblings. However, once you take a closer look, the new details start popping out at you. This can be seen at the front of the Creta Electric, where the Hyundai logo has dropped from its position under the DRLs to the closed-off pixelated front grille that connects the headlights.
The Hyundai badge now plays gatekeeper to the flap that allows access to Creta Electric's charging port. The charging cables for the same can be easily stored in the small frunk area under the bonnet.
The pixelated design can also be seen on the angular front bumper, which looks like it has been pinched from the Creta N Line. This pixelated section of the front bumper is also where you find the active aero flaps that open up when the electrical gubbins running the SUV need some extra cooling.
At the sides, the significant change to the design comes in the form of the new 17-inch aerodynamic alloy wheels that are fitted with low rolling-resistance tyres to help with the range. At the rear, the Creta Electric looks primarily unchanged except for the ëlectric"badging on the tailgate and the pixelated section on the rear bumper that also plays host to the reversing lights.
The exterior of the Hyundai Creta Electric is offered in 10 colour options. There are five gloss paint schemes - Abyss Black, Atlas White, Fiery Red, Starry Night and Ocean Blue -with both Atlas White and Ocean Blue also offered as two-tone options with a black roof. The Creta Electric sports three matte colourways - Ocean Blue Matte, Titan Grey Matte and Robust Emerald Matte. Our favourites are the Ocean Blue dual-tone and Abyss Black.
Step inside the Hyundai Creta Electric, and the sense of deja vu continues to come through. The dash is dominated by twin 10.25 screens - the one on the right for the instrumentation and the other unit, a touchscreen for the infotainment setup. Both screens are big and bright and easy to use.
The infotainment screen supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, allows access to Hyundai's Bluelink-connected car suite and can be used to make in-car payments for charging. The Creta Electric's infotainment display is connected to an 8-speaker premium sound system from Bose.
The controls for the dual-zone climate control and the sound system can be found floating below the central air vents and feature quite a few capacitive buttons. Underneath this control panel are USB A and C ports, along with a 12V charging port and the wireless phone charger.
The dual-tone seats and upholstery are quite familiar as well, though the Creta Electric features blue piping that runs across the centre of the seats to let those inside know that they're in the electric version of the Hyundai SUV.
The seats of the Creta Electric are as comfortable as ever, with the ventilation feature making them a breeze to live with. The front seats are electrically adjustable, with the driver's seat offering two seat memory options, making it easy to get to and save your ideal driving position.
The rear seats, like the ones on the Creta ICE, offer decent head, leg and knee room, and while three people can sit across them, the ones in the centre though will have to make do without an adjustable headrest, which we feel is something Hyundai could have avoided.
The massive sunroof makes the Creta Electric cabin feel quite roomy and airy. The EV guise of the Hyundai Creta also features other highlights like a digital key, cooled glovebox, cooled storage under the front armrest, Vehicle 2 Load (V2L0 which allows you to use the Creta Electric as a giant power bank, and a new 3-spoke steering wheel with mounted controls for the infotainment system.
In terms of safety, all Creta Electric variants feature six airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, ABS with EBD, Electronic parking brakes (EPB) with auto hold, Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC) and Hill Descent Control (HDC), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), Child Seat Anchor (ISOFIX), and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).
In addition to this, the Creta Electric features a LEVEL 2 ADAS setup with 19 features, including Lane Keeping Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Collision Warning, and Smart Cruise control with stop and go.
Hyundai Creta Electric Review - Specs & Dimensions - More of The Same But A Sparkier
The Hyundai Creta Electric is offered with two battery pack options - 42KWh and 51.4kWh. The smaller battery pack offers a range of 390 km, while the larger power source has a range of 473km on the MIDC testing cycle.
Both battery packs are paired with a single electric motor linked to the front axle, which puts out 133bhp (42kWh battery pack) or 169bhp with the larger 51.2kWh battery pack. This more powerful long-range version of the Creta has a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.9 seconds.
Hyundai claims that the Creta's battery pack can fast charge from 10-80 per cent in just 58 minutes while a full charge with the 11kW AC charger takes 4 hours for the smaller battery pack and 4 hours and 50 minutes for the larger battery pack.
The Creta Electric is based on the regular ICE version's platform. The Creta EV measures 4,340mm long, 1,790mm wide, 1,655mm tall and features 2,610mm long wheelbase.
Hyundai Creta Electric Review - Driving Impressions - The Creta Gets Zippier
The Hyundai Creta Electric offers a compelling driving experience, especially in the long-range 51.4 kWh battery pack variant that delivers 171 bhp from its single electric motor. On the road, this power translates to impressive performance, and that claimed 0 to 100 km/h time of just 7.9 seconds feels very believable thanks to the instant torque delivery, especially in the most potent Sport driving mode.
The throttle response goes down slightly when you switch down to Normal mode, but for everyday driving through the city, there is enough pep in the Creta Electric's step to keep you happy. However, if you're a mile muncher who cares for nothing but range, switch to Eco and keep your econo-miling driving style to yourself.
The Creta Electric's steering is well-weighted and responsive and allows you to really enjoy the drive from behind the wheel. It is light at slow speeds and stiffens up as speed numbers start rising.
The suspension setup feels slightly stiffer than the regular Creta. Still, it takes the impacts from the bumps and ruts on our roads without any trouble at all while also allowing you to push the Creta Electric into turns and not roll around.
The best feature of Creta Electric's driving experience is the iPedal mode, which allows you to drive Hyundai's latest electric vehicle with just the accelerator pedal. The regen levels are strong enough that if you take your foot off the pedal, the Creta Electric will eventually come to a complete halt.
Hyundai Creta Electric Review - Verdict & Final Thoughts - Bringing the Creta Experience To The EV World
The Hyundai Creta Electric sees the South Korean carmaker bring the Creta experience to the world of electric cars. Like its ICE siblings, the Creta Electric comes packed with a host of features and offers a comfortable driving experience that allows you to just get on with the drive.
And while we didn't get enough time with the Creta Electric to test out its range, if it even manages to get 70% of the claimed MIDC range - around 270 to 330km in the real world - the Hyundai Creta Electric may just be the SUV for your family to start their electric journey.
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