Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) is pulling out all the stops to win back the strong lead once held by the Creta in the mid-size SUV segment from its younger sibling Kia. Scheduled for launch on March 17, the all-new Creta can now be booked at select dealerships.
The booking price for the car, which will be priced between Rs 10 and Rs 17 lakh, has been set at Rs 25,000. Bold design, extra features and a stronger dealer network are what Hyundai feels will give the all-new Creta an advantage over the Kia Seltos.
The second-gen Creta, which was unveiled at the Auto Expo in February, will come with three BS VI-compliant engine choices and a completely refurbished exterior with features like the 3D cascading grille, trio beam LED headlamps, electronic parking brake, panoramic sunroof, auto air purifier and connected tech.
It also does not miss out on the option of a head-up display (HUD), which is available on the higher-spec Seltos GTX and GTX+ variants.
Hyundai’s decision to revamp the Creta in India comes not only amid stiff competition from Seltos and MG Hector but also because the same segment is currently the most sought-after segment, that has encouraged several carmakers to dip their toes into it.
"With the Creta, we created a segment and now that segment has many other players and might be the fastest growing in terms of demand. With the new Creta, we believe we can do even better than we had done in the past,' said SS Kim, managing director and CEO, HMIL.
Interestingly, Creta’s tagline ‘The Perfect SUV’, which was for used its older edition, has also been replaced with ‘The Ultimate SUV’ for the newer edition. According to Tarun Garg, director – sales, marketing & service, HMIL, the company has sold over 4.6 lakh units of Creta in India. "It is time for the CRETA to set new standards once again."
The competition in the SUV segment is about to further heat up with Volkswagen, Skoda and Tata Motors also expected to launch vehicles in this range.
Suave new tech
The Creta now comes with 3D cascading grille, trio beam LED headlamps, electronic parking brake, panoramic sunroof, auto air purifier, connected tech and head-up display (HUD)