Introduction

The hierarchy of the mid-size SUV segment has two distinct lines. One line is filled with cars like the Hyundai Creta, Nissan Kicks, Renault Duster and the Kia Seltos while the second one has slightly bigger as well as more expensive cars like the Tata Harrier, MG Hector, Volkswagen T-Roc, Skoda Karoq, Jeep Compass and the Mahindra XUV500. This is currently the hottest segment in terms of people looking to graduate to a bigger vehicle from the A-segment and B-segment cars.

Well, currently two of the most major players in this fray are the Hyundai Creta and the Tata Harrier. The former is the car that took the segment to its current height while the Harrier represents Tata’s most comprehensive effort in terms of moving up the ladder with a premium car. These two cars represent the two lines of the segment and here is how they take the fight to each other.

Performance

The Hyundai Creta can be had with three engine options - 1.5-litre petrol, a 1.4-litre GDi turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel. Each of these engines gets automatic and manual transmission options.

The Tata Harrier on the other hand is offered only with a 2.0-litre diesel and can be had with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. To keep the comparison on the same page we will be looking at the diesel manual Hyundai Creta against the diesel manual of the Tata Harrier. The Creta’s diesel produces 113bhp and 250Nm while the Harrier’s larger engine produces 168bhp/350Nm.

In terms of just pure numbers, the Harrier might have a bigger engine with a larger output but the Creta (more so in this new generation) is a lighter car and this shows in the performance figures. It did the 0-100kmph sprint in 11.99 seconds while the Harrier completed it in 12.46 seconds.

It’s a similar story with the roll-on figures where the Creta did the 20-80kmph sprint in third gear in 10.04 seconds while the Harrier completed it in 10.27 seconds.

The 40-100kmph sprint in fourth gear for the Creta was achieved in 11.08 seconds while the Harrier completed it in 12.55 seconds. It must be noted that while the Creta we tested was a BS6 model, the Harrier that we had evaluated was a BS4 model.

Interior

The highlight of any car is what is on offer in the cabin and here we are looking at both cars in terms of the interior space that they are offering across the front, rear and boot.

Front

As you can see from our detailed measurements, the cars, despite the Tata being almost 200mm longer, are quite closely matched in four of the seven criterias. The Harrier wins this part of the fight hands down in terms of ideal legroom as well ingress/egress.

These higher numbers mean getting in and out of the Harrier for the front occupants will be a much easier task as compared to the Creta though it is a little higher off the ground and that means a bit of a step up to get into the cabin.

Rear

Now given that the Harrier is a much larger car, its rear seat package is significantly more in terms of dimensions as compared to the Creta. Ingress/egress as well rear legroom are the highest in terms of difference and like the front, it means that getting in and out of the Harrier will be a much easier task as compared to the Creta.

Oddly enough, despite the large difference in dimensions, the Harrier and the Creta are evenly matched in terms of seat base length, headroom and shoulder room indicating that with two occupants you would have an almost similar seating experience across both cars.

Boot

In terms of outright boot space, the Creta with 433-litres and the Harrier at 425-litres are very evenly matched. However, the Creta has a lower loading lip height as well as a lower loading lid height both of which make putting and taking out items from the boot a much easier task.

The Harrier has one advantage which in the form of a longer boot, allowing you to store more rows of items as compared to the Creta. Both cars get an internal boot release mechanism as well as folding rear seats for added practicality.

Features

In this comparison story, we have looked at the top versions of both cars and they are quite loaded with features, though this was expected considering their pricing and positioning in the car market. Both cars get climate control with rear AC vents, power driver’s seat, leather upholstery, projector headlamps, touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, power OVRMs and power windows.

Hyundai has always been known for its feature list in its cars and with this second generation Creta, it’s cemented that position. Over the Harrier, it gets connected car technology, auto-dimming IRVM, TPMS, and reverse camera with the guide and wireless charging. Unlike the Harrier, the Creta’s instrument cluster is a fully digital unit with a large colour MID showcasing various data concerning the driving experience. In terms of safety, both cars on this top-spec model get six airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control (AT only).

Pricing

The Hyundai Creta range is priced from Rs 11.28 lakh to Rs 19.96 lakh (on-road Delhi) while the Tata Harrier that has only diesel on offer has its range priced from Rs 17.22 lakh to Rs 24.91 lakh (on-road Delhi).

Verdict

There’s no doubt the Tata Harrier is a bigger car with a more powerful diesel engine as compared to the Creta. Its larger size also means it has a greater presence on the road and that’s an important criteria for buyers in this segment.

However, the Creta holds up on it equally strong because it has more features, a wider engine and gearbox option range as well as a larger feature list making it better value for money product variant to variant as compared to the Tata Harrier.

Photography: Kapil Angane & Kaustubh Gandhi