Hyundai Creta Electric

The Hyundai Creta has been the hottest and most popular car in its segment since its inception, and this year, we got its electric avatar which plans to do the same. The Hyundai Creta electric looks similar to its ICE counterpart, offers a more premium cabin experience, and packs a powerful motor along with usable range for both city and intercity use.

But at the end of the day, is it an actual upgrade over the standard Creta, or is it just another built EV? We find out in this review.

• I like the fact that Hyundai has kept the design of the Creta Electric very close to its ICE counterpart.

• It does not scream that it's an EV, instead, it keeps a very subtle approach by sticking to a design that already appeals to most people.

• Hyundai has used straight lines on the face and on the back which makes it look wider and muscular.

• The charging port has also been neatly integrated into the grille, but I wish the cut out was smaller and did not extend past the closed-off grille.

• What attracts most attention is the connected lighting setup which includes the DRLs and the tail lamps.

• Another thing I liked were the pixelated elements on the closed-off grille and the rear bumper. These design elements were first seen in Hyundai’s international lineup.

• One addition that others will notice more than you are the active air flaps in the front bumper, which open to let air in to cool the battery pack.

• In profile, it looks exactly like its ICE counterpart, and the only noticeable difference is the aerodynamic design of the 17-inch alloy wheels.

• All variants of the Creta Electric get the same 17-inch alloys, and the spare is a 17-inch steel wheel.

• At the back, the most eye-catching part is the connected LED tail lamp setup, and the overall design is the same as the standard Creta.

• Hyundai offers the electric Creta in 8 monotone shades: Ocean Blue, Atlas White, Fiery Red, Starry Night, Abyss Black, Titan Grey Matte, Robust Emerald Matte, and Ocean Blue Matte.

• Oceal Blue and Atlas White are also available in a dual-tone shade with a black roof.

Design & Quality

• While the cabin and dashboard layout is fairly similar to the standard Creta, Hyundai has made noticeable changes to make a clear distinction.

• It gets a different steering wheel in a black shade with slim brushed aluminum inserts.

• The dashboard has blue inserts around the screens, while the centre console is a floating unit.

• In terms of cabin quality, it is on par with the standard Creta, and nothing feels loose or cheap.

• All the touch points have soft touch padding, and all the gloss black elements feel nice to touch.

• There is no compromise in cabin quality of the Creta EV.

Driving Position 

• With a height adjustable driver seat, and both tilt and telescopic steering wheel, finding your ideal driving position becomes very easy.

• Higher variants also get 8-way power adjustment for the driver seat, which makes the process even more convenient.

• However, just like the standard Creta, Creta Electric’s driver seat is too high even at its lowest position, which takes some getting used to.

• The front seats offer good side support and can easily seat passengers of larger frames.

• Due to the high seating position, you also get a good overall visibility, which will be appreciated by rookie drivers.

Passenger Comfort 

• In most EVs, the floor is raised due to the battery pack which comprises the rear seat space.

• While the floor is raised here as well, Hyundai has managed to prevent any compromise of the rear seat space.

• By tilting the seat back upwards, Hyundai has provided enough underthigh support to sit comfortably, and the space is nearly identical to the space offered in the standard Creta.

• Legroom and kneeroom are enough, you can easily stretch your legs, and the headroom is sufficient even after the presence of a panoramic sunroof.

• You also get an electric boss mode which you can use for a better chauffer-driven experience.

• You can seat 3 passengers here with ease, but the middle passenger will have to struggle for shoulder room occasionally.

• 2 passengers will be very comfortable here as the rear seat gets a 2-step recline, a central armrest and both rear windows have sunblinds to avoid the heat.

• For a better rear seat experience, both outward passengers get a tray mounted on a front seatback which has a cupholder and a slot to keep your phone or tablet.

Storage Options 

• The Creta Electric gets all the storage options you need from a family car.

• It has 1-litre bottle holders in all four doors, a decent sized glovebox, front armrest storage, a sunglass holder and 2 cupholders in the front.

• Rear passengers get seat back pockets and 2 cupholders in the central armrest.

• It also gets a huge tray below the floating centre console which you can use to keep larger items.

Features

• The Creta Electric gets all the features of the standard Creta and then some more.

• It comes with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, which has an EV-specific theme, clear and understandable icons, and an easy to use interface.

• This setup is paired with an 8-speaker BOSE sound system which gives you a clear audio quality with a surround sound effect.

• However, the touchscreen does not support wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and is limited to wired functionality only.

• It also comes with a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display with similar EV-specific graphics, neat and clear information layout, and drive mode-based multiple themes.

• You also get the feed of the blind view monitor on this screen while indicating.

• There are ventilated front seats which work well and silently.

• It gets a panoramic sunroof which lets in a lot of light and does not hamper the headroom.

• Since it is an EV, it gets a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) charging, which allows you to charge another EV with the Creta Electric.

• Another EV-specific feature is vehicle-to-load (V2L) which can be used to power appliances like a grille or an electric kettle.

• Other features include a wireless phone charger, dual-zone climate control, multi-level regenerative braking, and cruise control.

• Standard safety kit of the Creta Electric gets 6 airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), vehicle stability management (VSM), hill start and descent assist, all-wheel disc brakes, rear parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

• Top-spec variant get a 360-degree camera with a blind view monitor, which offers a clear feed with little to no frame drop.

• Higher variants get Level 2 ADAS features like adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, and high beam assist.

No change whatsoever. The 433-litre boot is the same as the standard Creta, which is remarkable, since EVs tend to have lower boot space than their ICE counterpart due to the battery pack. This boot is wide but not deep. Smaller suitcases can easily fit in here, but keeping a big suitcase will leave you little to no space. We recommend using cabin-sized suitcases to maximize use of this boot, and any small bag or the charger can go in the 22-litre frunk (front trunk) placed under the bonnet.

• Hyundai offers the Creta Electric with two battery pack options: 42 kWh and 51.4 kWh.

• Both are paired with a single electric motor which powers the front wheels, and you get a claimed range of up to 473 km.

• While in a lot of EVs you need a learning curve, that’s not the case with the Creta Electric.

• There is no sudden surge of power, and the acceleration is linear, and the car gains speed gradually.

• Still, it is quick, and has a claimed 0-100 kmph time of just 7.9 seconds.

• You can easily overtake anyone in the city, and the same goes for your highway commutes.

• If you want a more fun-to-drive experience, you can switch to sports mode, which offers a better throttle response.

• For efficiency, there is an eco mode, multi-level regenerative braking with paddle shifters, and a single pedal mode itself.

• The single-pedal mode takes some time getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, your drives will become even more convenient and more efficient.

• With the bigger battery pack, you get a 171 PS motor, which makes the Creta Electric the most powerful Creta in the market.

• In real world conditions, you get a range of around 360-380 km on a single charge with the bigger battery pack, while the smaller one offers a lower range of around 280-300 km.

• For charging, both battery packs can be juiced up from 10-80 percent in just 58 minutes. Slow charging speeds are given below.

• Just like the standard Creta, the Creta electric offers a comfortable drive experience.

• It manages to absorb small potholes and speed breakers with ease, and does not transfer much movement inside the cabin.

• In most cases, the ride quality is smooth and the passengers remain comfortable.

• While driving on the highways, you will feel the small cracks and road imperfections, but not so much that it hampers your comfort.

• That said, we only drove it on well built highways, so we’ll be able to give a more detailed report once we get the car for a longer period.

• As far as handling is concerned, it does remain stable on the highway and you can do quick lane changes, but don’t get too excited, as it is just a family SUV.

• The Creta Electric is being offered in 5 variants: Executive, Smart, Smart (O), Premium, and Excellence.

• The bigger battery pack is offered only in the Smart (O) and Excellence variants.

Executive

• Good looking base variant with 17-inch alloy wheels, front and rear skid plates, and all LED lighting elements.

• Gets a dual-tone cabin with fabric seats, all height adjustable headrests, 2-step reclining rear seats, and metal inside door handles.

• Good infotainment package with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a 6 speaker sound system.

• Features include dual-zone AC, cruise control, electrically adjustable ORVMs with auto fold, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, and a powered tailgate.

• Safety kit gets 6 airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), vehicle stability management (VSM), hill start and descent assist, all-wheel disc brakes, rear parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

Smart

• Over Executive, the Smart variant offers connected LED tail lamps and sequential turn indicators.

• Cabin gets a 6-way powered driver seat, ambient lighting around the floating centre console, and rear window sunshades.

• Feature additions are limited to a wireless phone charger and a frunk.

• No major additions to the safety kit save for rear parking sensors.

Smart (O)

• Base-spec variant for the bigger battery pack.

• Gets the top-spec design with the option of dual-tone exterior shades.

• No changes to the cabin’s design or the infotainment package.

• A panoramic sunroof gets added to the feature list.

Premium

• Available only with the smaller battery pack.

• No changes to the interior or exterior design.

• Gets an 8-speaker BOSE sound system and vehicle-to-load (V2L) technology.

• Packs Level 2 ADAS features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, autonomous emergency braking, and high beam assist.

Excellence

• Gets full leatherette seats and leather wrap on steering wheel, drive selector, and door pads. Rear seats get folding trays.

• Feature additions include a digital key, 8-way powered front seats with memory function for the driver, ventilated front seats, and a cooled glovebox.

• Only addition to the safety kit is a 360-degree camera with a blind view monitor.

CarDekho Recommends

• Pick the base-spec Executive variant as it gets a good design, good infotainment package, and everyday use features. Go for the Premium variant if you want the best features including ADAS. 

• Go for the Smart (O) only if you want a bigger battery pack on a budget, as for the smaller battery pack, the feature additions are not a lot.

• Pick the top-spec variant if you want both features and range.

By taking the design and features of the ICE, and improving upon some aspects, Hyundai has delivered an EV which proves that you don’t need to have flashy elements to stand out. The electric Creta has all the good qualities of the Creta, which makes it a good family SUV, and its own quirks sets it apart. 

It's priced at a premium of around Rs 3 lakh over its ICE variant. Given its more premium design, additional features, exciting performance, and EV drivetrain that price premium seems justified.

If charging is not an issue for you, then the Creta Electric will definitely be a good choice for you, and we’d even recommend it over the standard Creta. It offers a neat and clean design, a great feature list, more than enough power, and enough range for your regular drives. This is not just a good Creta, it is the best Creta in the market.