Aiming to reduce price of 1.6-litre diesel Creta, Hyundai has launched this engine with base variants, E+ and EX. Earlier, the 1.6-litre engine was available from SX variant onwards. 1.6 E+ and EX are priced Rs 10.88 lakh and Rs 11.92 lakh, respectively. These are ex-showroom, Delhi prices. This effectively brings down the starting price of 1.6-litre diesel Creta by almost Rs 2.8 lakh.
The price gap between 1.4-diesel and 1.6-litre diesel Creta variants has also come down to just Rs 90,000. Earlier, the price difference was Rs 3.65 lakh. This was a significant difference and may have made it difficult for potential customers to go for an upgrade. With cheaper 1.6-litre diesel Creta variants, customers looking for more power can easily exercise the upgrade option.
Launch of cheaper 1.6-litre diesel variants is linked to the company’s efforts to boost Creta sales. Creta was once the top selling Hyundai car in India, but sales have reduced in recent times with launch of rivals such as Hyundai Venue and Kia Seltos. Below is the detailed walkaround video of the new base Creta 1.6 diesel by Youtube channel AutoTrend TV.
Other reason to introduce the 1.6 diesel cheaper variant is to sell as many units of BS4 stock as possible before the deadline. Hyundai will be launching next-generation Creta with BS6 engines by March 2019, so cheaper variants of 1.6-litre Creta could help boost sales and reduce existing stock of BS-IV models.
However, customers opting for 1.6-litre E+ or EX will miss out on features such as projector headlamps, cruise control, sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, auto climate control, keyless entry and 7-inch touchscreen supporting Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. These are available upwards of SX trim. Features on-board 1.6-litre E+ variant include halogen headlamps, manual air conditioning, remote locking, power adjustable ORVMs, power windows, tilt-adjustable steering and front armrest.
EX variant gets additional features such as LED DRLs, rear parking camera, steering mounted controls, 5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, rear armrest and adjustable rear headrests. Security features common to both E+ and EX variants include dual airbags, rear parking sensors, ABS, speed alert system and seatbelt reminder.
Creta 1.6-litre diesel variant generates max power of 128 hp and max torque of 260 Nm. This is significantly higher, as compared to 90 hp and 220 Nm produced by the 1.4-litre diesel engine. Automatic transmission option is available in higher trims of 1.6-litre diesel, but customers choosing E+ or EX will be getting only 6-speed manual gearbox.
Apart from offering Creta 1.6 diesel at a new entry level price, there are also discount offers available on the Creta in India. This is the first time Hyundai is offering discounts on the Creta. 2019 October Hyundai Creta discount offers include Rs 50,000 cash discount, Rs 35,000 exchange offer and free 4 year warranty. The total benefits extend to almost Rs 1 lakh.
