Hyundai Creta Long Term Review II | 7000 Kilometers Covered

This time around, Muntaser Mirkar tells you how the Creta CVT behaves when it's allowed to stretch its legs on the highway

So the Hyundai Creta has covered 7000km in about 6 months and considering I’ve been responsible for almost 2200km of that tally, it’s time for me to give you guys my two cents. Most of those kilometres with me in the driver’s seat have been on the highway with maybe a couple hundred in the midst of what has become agonising Pune traffic - so if you’re someone who spends most of your driving time on the open road, this update is more relevant to you. Let’s start with a bit of background first.

My daily driver is my personal 2011 Hyundai i20 CRDi with that beautiful 1.4-litre diesel engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission. I’ve always been someone who loves a proper stick shift and over the years, the car has been a trusted, loyal companion with multiple 1000km trips under its (fan)belt. Off late though, I’ve been giving it some rest from the long hauls and so when I had to make the trip to my ancestral home in Ratnagiri in May 2024, I managed to steal the Creta from Alan for the weekend. I am also looking to upgrade from the i20 and considering my parents are way past 70 now, it was a great way to check how they’d do with an ‘SUV’ - especially getting in and out of it.

First thing’s first then - the Creta was an instant hit with the parents. Dad had no trouble getting into the passenger seat, although getting out was a bit of a procedure with him having to stretch his leg out quite a bit to get to the ground. Mom on the other hand absolutely loved the rear bench despite being under 5 feet tall. Her short height meant she could actually climb in with both feet and nearly stand upright without any trouble, swing around and softly settle into the seat. Getting down was just as easy too - a quick swivel in the seat and a soft slide down (Sorry i20, the next car is definitely an SUV). Once inside, there weren’t really any complaints from both of them - there’s a reason the Creta is a benchmark in its segment after all. It’s comfortable for everyone in it, and the humongous boot meant they could not only carry everything they needed and more, but also that the seats were devoid of any luggage except for what they needed for the 350km-odd journey from Pune.

From the driver’s seat, there wasn’t much to complain about either - and those ventilated front seats made sure of that even in the unforgiving summer heat. The Creta does everything well, although I completely agree with Alan’s observation of the lowest seat setting still being too high up but then again, that’s a very subjective observation. The automatic transmission does well in every driving condition too - never feeling like it’s in the wrong gear whether you’re on the highway or in bumper-to-bumper traffic. The air conditioning is super effective too and the car stays well insulated from the world outside - whether it’s the heat or the noise.

So now that the praise is out of the way, here are a few observations:

1. The automatic high beam function works like a charm on the highway - not so much in the twisties. The trouble is that it will dip to the low beam on an otherwise completely empty road if it detects even a tiny light from a distant house somewhere off in the distance and that can get a tad irritating when you’re going through the Western Ghats that are lined with sleepy villages.

2. Certain bits about ADAS can really get on my nerves and again, this may be a personal thing, but stuff like the emergency brake function is too intrusive for my liking. Then there’s the adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist which works like a dream (and helps avoid speeding tickets). So ADAS gets a mixed verdict as far as I’m concerned.

3. I don’t know why the sunroof is such a rage in a country with nothing but loads of dust, heat or rain all year round. I didn’t open it even once.

4. The front grille has a big opening between the slats and this kind of caught me by surprise really. The top two rows have a mesh cover between the slats but then there’s a gaping hole between the slats below and it’s big enough to be able to put your hand through, grab a hold of some of the wiring there and tamper with it. That’s a bit disturbing really, although you never really notice it unless you’ve seen it once. And then it just plays around in your mind.

5. The side view camera feature is good for lazy people - I still prefer checking the mirrors. And when it’s pouring outside the system just displays a ‘camera obstructed’ message and doesn’t show you anything. So, kind of pointless if you ask me.

6. Fuel efficiency: Through the course of my trip in May and then the two more trips I’ve done to Ratnagiri since then totalling the 2200km I spoke about earlier, the Creta was happier around 100-110km/h than at 80km/h - the tachometer reading at that triple digit speed sitting at a sweet spot. The Creta gave me about 15kmpl on my highway runs and that’s including gunning it through Anuskura Ghat near Kolhapur as well as through Waranda and Bhor ghats near Pune.

I’ve had the pleasure of driving an older generation Creta all the way to Udaipur and back in 2017 and even back then, it was clear why Hyundai sells so many of these. In 2024, with the new design and all the added features, it’s even better. Would I buy one? Personally, maybe not. It does everything right but still doesn’t invoke that pleasure of driving in me. Would you go wrong if you get one? Absolutely not - it’s still a great family car and the way the Creta has evolved through the years it seems like it’s a tough benchmark to beat.