The 2020 Hyundai Creta’s launch date is the 17th of March. It gets both petrol and diesel formats (with engines from the Kia Seltos).
Hyundai Motor India unveiled the 2020 Creta at Auto Expo 2020 with none other than its brand ambassador, Shah Rukh Khan. The new India-spec Creta is essentially a reworked version of the Hyundai ix25 that was showcased last year at Shanghai Motor Show. Compared to the previous model (which went through one facelift), the new Hyundai Creta sports a completely different design that is ‘more Korean’ and not as appealing as its predecessors.
Rushlane has learnt that the much-awaited second-generation Hyundai Creta will be launched in the Indian market on the 17th of March, 2020. Bookings for the new model would also start towards the launch timeline. In fact, certain dealerships have already started accepting unofficial bookings for the 2020 Hyundai Creta, with varied token amounts.
One cannot simply ignore the rather controversial aesthetic upgrade the 2020 Hyundai Creta has received. It follows the new trend of placing the headlamps below and DRLs above. Hyundai’s signature cascading grille is the most prominent element at the front and in person, the overall package is not as bad as it would seem in images.
The side profile gets a silver plating that originates from the C-pillars and the SUV rides on 17-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels that are in line with the exterior design philosophy. At the rear, there is a bit of blandness compared to the previous model. However, the tail lamps are rather interesting since they are the exact mirrored layout of the headlamps. To an extent, either bumper is also identical in design.
With BS6 emission norms kicking in April 2020, Hyundai India is saying goodbye to the existing BS4-compliant 1.4-litre petrol, 1.4-diesel and 1.6-litre diesel motors. Instead, it will employ the engines powering the Kia Seltos: 1.5-litre NA petrol (115bhp/145Nm), 1.5-litre diesel (115bhp/250Nm) and 1.4-litre turbo petrol (140bhp/242Nm). The engines would be available mated to both manual and automatic transmissions.
The Hyundai Creta mainly rivals the likes of the Nissan Kicks, Renault Duster and Mahindra XUV500. Even though the starting price of the Kia Seltos is quite similar to the general pricing of these products, it is marketed as a slightly premium alternative to the Creta with the top-end GTX+ variant crossing well over Rs 20 lakh (on-road).
The Hyundai Creta has always been a popular choice in the South Korean brand’s Indian portfolio. Ever since its introduction back in 2015, the five-seater SUV has become more of a status symbol for many middle-class families. The upcoming 2020 Hyundai Creta would be no exception.
