Here’s What We Liked About The Hyundai Creta Electric After Driving It

The Hyundai Creta Electric may not stand out, but it’s loaded with features and is also the quickest Creta in the market

The Hyundai Creta Electric has finally gone on sale as the most affordable EV in Hyundai India’s lineup. The prices for the Creta Electric ranges between Rs 17.99 lakh and Rs 24.38 lakh, and is being offered in four four variants- Executive, Smart, Premium and Excellence. While the delivery dates for the Creta Electric are yet to be announced, we recently got our hands on the Creta Electric, and here are 7 things we learnt after driving it.

Looks Good But Doesn’t Stand Out

The Hyundai Creta Electric doesn’t take away the core design language of the Creta and it looks almost the same as the regular SUV. Yes, there are some EV-specific design elements like closed-off grille, pixelated pattern on the grille and bumper, and aerodynamically designed 17-inch alloy wheels, but you have to take a closer look to notice these differences. 

Due to these subtle design changes, most people won’t even realise that it's the electric version. Even during our drive, which happened before the launch, people did not even notice that this is a brand new car. There is no doubt that the Creta Electric is a good looking SUV, but it doesn’t stand out or grab eyeballs as the design is too much like the standard Creta.

One thing we did not like is the battery bulge. When glanced at from the side, the battery pack is clearly visible protruding down, and it just takes the attention away from the core design.

Premium Cabin Experience

At the first glance, the overall cabin layout of the Creta Electric looks the same as the regular Creta, but it gets EV-specific changes like a new all-black 3-spoke steering wheel, along with floating centre console and the AC panel is now touch sensitive. It also gets a stalk-type drive mode selector behind the steering wheel, similar to the one seen inside the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The centre console gets control drive modes, electronic parking brake, camera button and auto-hold function. In our opinion, the Creta Electric’s dashboard looks subtle but premium.

The materials used inside the cabin are the same as the regular Creta, but the subtle changes to the design, and the colours used gives you a sense of premiumness. The floating centre console alone makes this cabin look much more upmarket than the cabin of the standard Creta.

Uncompromised Rear Seat Comfort

In most EVs, underthigh support in the rear seats is compromised due to the placement of the battery pack, but that’s not the case here. The floor has been raised, but the seat base is also slightly tilted upwards, which allows the passengers to have a good amount of underthigh support.

The rear of the space like the headroom, knee room, and foot room is the same as the standard Creta, which is impressive. To make the rear seat experience even better, the Creta Electric gets trays mounted on the front seats backs, which have additional cupholders, and a slot to keep your phone or tablet to watch a movie.

Extra Features Over The Regular Creta

Hyundai has equipped the Creta Electric with amenities like dual 10.25-inch screens, dual-zone AC, a panoramic sunroof, 8-speaker Bose sound system, a wireless phone charger, and ventilated front seats, all of which are also offered with the regular Creta. However, there are additional features like electric boss mode, memory function for the driver's seat, and vehicle-to-load (V2L) feature.

The safety kit on board the Creta Electric is the same as its ICE (internal combustion engine) counterpart, and includes 6 airbags (as standard), a 360-degree camera with a blind sport monitor, tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and all-wheel disc brakes. The higher-spec variants also offer Level 2 advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) safety suite.

Quickest Creta Till Date

Let’s first have a look at the battery pack and electric motor specifications of the Creta Electric:

The variant which we drove was the long range version equipped with a 51.4 KWh battery pack mated to a 171 PS electric motor. While the Creta Electric has been tuned in a way that it’s easier to adapt to by someone shifting from petrol or diesel, it still feels quick. 

There's no sudden surge of power when you start moving, but you do have a lot of power in your hands, and can easily get an enthusiastic drive, as it can do 0-100 kmph in just 7.9 seconds. For reference, it is a second quicker than Creta’s 1.5-litre turbo-petrol variant mated to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission (DCT) which has an output of 160 PS and 253 Nm.

Ride Quality: As Smooth As The Creta

The Hyundai Creta Electric offers a comfortable ride quality, just like its ICE (internal combustion engine) version. There are little movements over the broken roads, but it doesn’t make you feel much of those inside as the cabin is also well insulated. The high speed stability of the all-electric Creta is also confidence inspiring.

A Trusted Nameplate

What gives the Hyundai Creta Electric an edge over its competitors is its nameplate. Before being an EV, it’s a Creta.  Creta is one of the most popular SUVs in the country, and all its aspects have been carried forward neatly in the electric version, which makes it a safe choice for those who are new to EVs. 

So these were the 7 things we learnt after driving the all new Hyundai Creta Electric. What are your thoughts on this SUV? Share in the comments below…

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