First Report

　　It’s always a good feeling to go back to a brand you have experienced and appreciated before. Over the last decade, I have had the opportunity to run quite a few long-term test cars from Hyundai, and now, as I write about the new Creta that has just joined our fleet, I am pleased to say that it feels very much like a sensible evolution of the old Creta.

　　We have gone for a diesel manual Creta in the most expensive SX (O) trim. That may seem a bit out of place in the current automotive landscape wherein automatics are all the rage and hybrid/EVs are trending, but I am amongst the minority that still sees plenty of appeal in a diesel manual vehicle. As I said, our car here is the SX (O) variant which comes to Rs 22.70 lakh including registration and insurance. It’s certainly not down on features and having covered over a thousand kilometers in its first month, most of it in Mumbai traffic in the middle of summer, our Creta is winning me over with its comfort and efficiency.

　　The Creta also seems to be a bit of a head-turner. I suspect it's mostly the shiny black paint and the light bar arrangement at the front and back. It could also be the fact that it looks a whole lot less polarizing compared to the old Creta. Either way, the new Creta tends to get looked at quite a bit.

　　I have quickly gotten fond of the 1.5-litre engine. For a diesel, it is remarkably quiet. There is a tiny bit of clatter that you will hear at low speeds but otherwise, this diesel is as smooth as they come at this price point. And over 16kmpl so far, with the majority of my usage circling in and around Mumbai is pretty solid.

　　There are three of us in my family currently and my folks have no complaints about seating comfort, so it’s a convincing thumbs-up from me for the Creta so far. For the next report, I will be talking about the Creta’s city mileage on a tankful of diesel. There will also be a deep dive into the usability of the highlight features like the twin digital display, cooled seats, ADAS, surround-view cameras, and the Bose audio system so do check back for the second report.

　　Product Details

　　Make Model: Hyundai Creta

　　Version: SX (O) Diesel Manual

　　Kilometres this month: 1,200

　　Fuel Efficiency: 16.7kmpl

　　Price: Rs 22.70 lakh (when tested, OTR, Mumbai)