When opposed to regular Creta, the newly launched Hyundai Creta N Line is a visual spectacle and lends a sporty character
There’s no two ways about the fact that Creta is Hyundai India’s primary volume generator. Compact SUV segment is tightly in Creta’s grasp and sales horizon has now expanded with a sporty N Line version. Launched at a grand event in Delhi recently, Hyundai Creta N Line is poised to raise the heartbeats of sporty SUV enthusiasts in the country. How does the new sporty perception translate into real life? Let’s take a look.
Hyundai Creta N Line First-Drive Review
Other than sporty exteriors and interiors, there is very little that has changed with Creta N Line. For many, updated design is a reason enough to consider the N Line over regular Creta. Before jumping into design, let’s get trim hierarchy and pricing out of the way, shall we? Hyundai Creta N Line is launched in India for a starting price of Rs. 16,82,300 for the base N8 6MT variant. N8 7DCT variant commands Rs. 18,32,300 (both prices ex-sh).
After N8, the only other trim level is N10. Price for N10 6MT variant is Rs. 19,34,300 and N10 7DCT variant costs Rs. 20,29,900 (both prices ex-sh). Hyundai is offering three monotone colours and three dual tone colours with Creta N Line. Monotone colours are Abyss Black, Titan Grey Matte and Atlas White. Whereas dual-tone colours are Atlas White, Thunder Blue and Shadow Grey, all coupled with Abyss Black roof option.
We had the Shadow Grey colour that looked better in person than it does in pictures. I personally consider Abyss Black monotone shade to be the stealthiest and most soothing colour for Creta N Line. Also, Abyss Black complements tastefully executed red accents all around this vehicle.
Design changes with N Line model
Speaking of Red accents, they can be seen in front fascia at lower bumper, across the side skirts and neatly flow into lower section of rear bumper. Fascia is new and is exclusive to Creta N Line. This fascia reminds me of Hyundai’s own Exter. Especially with its expansive grill with N Line badging. Better looking than standard Creta? We would say so. Apart from cosmetic changes, functional bits remain as is. So, still no fog lights which is directly proportional to missing cornering lights function.
In profile, these new 18-inch alloy wheels grab all the attention and look fuller in these wheel arches when compared to 17-inchers on standard Creta. Red brake calipers lift the sporty ambience. These wheels get N Line badging instead of Hyundai logo. Main changes imparted on Creta N Line’s rear are a larger and sportier roof spoiler, a re-profiled bumper and dual-tip exhaust.
On the inside, all-black theme complemented with sporty red accents does give a sense of occasion. Headliner, upholstery and plastic trims on the inside are either Black or a dark shade. Bronze accents on regular Creta are now red and so is ambient lighting. There are a few exclusive elements on Creta N Line that regular Creta misses out on. For starters, there’s a new steering wheel, sporty aluminium pedals and a new gear lever for both manual and automatic variants.
No added functionality we were expecting
These steering wheels and gear knobs are shared with other N Line models like i20 N Line and Venue N Line. Sporty pedals are not only shared with other N Line models, higher-spec Kia cars get these too. Some exclusivity could have been nice considering Creta N Line costs as much as it does. With auto variants, gear lever looks tiny when compared to substantial-feeling unit on a regular Creta. Also, this steering wheel is only offered with N Line versions and yet it has a Hyundai logo and not the N badge we can see on gear lever and wheel centre caps.
Functionality-wise, Creta N Line interior is identical to a regular Hyundai Creta. So all the strengths and weaknesses continue. Seats are nice and supportive, driver’s ergos are nothing to fault with and it gets all the feel-good features from Creta like ventilated seats, dual-zone climate control, modern twin 10.2-inch displays and others. Hyundai is touting these twin displays as “revolutionary technology”, but they don’t support wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. If you wanna connect with a wire, Hyundai wants you to use Type-A USB port and not a Type-C which comes with most phones these days.
When we first drove Creta facelift at the media drive event in Rajasthan, we thought N Line would get these missing features. But that isn’t the case and is slightly disappointing. While at it, the climate control panel looks dated, especially when compared to what rivals are doing. Other strengths from Creta like 70 advanced safety features, 19 ADAS features, 70+ Bluelink connected car features and others are carried over to N Line model.
Performance, Ride and Handling
Hyundai has aced sporty versions of regular cars for mainstream buyers in India. Not that other OEMs never tried. We had JTP versions of Tiago and Tigor from Tata, S version of Figo from Ford, RS version of Baleno from Maruti and the most notable was Abarth version of Punto from Fiat. However, N Line versions from Hyundai are all about the sporty and exciting design showcase with a few mechanical updates to keep enthusiasts singing.
We would have included performance section before anything else, but there’s no added oomph when compared to regular Creta. Is that a bad thing, though? Considering N in N Line stands for Nurburgring track, one would expect added performance over a Turbo Petrol Creta. Maybe there is no headroom for Hyundai to extract more performance out of this 1.5L 4-cylinder Turbo Petrol motor without triggering the stricter emission sirens.
That said, 160 PS of peak power and 253 Nm of peak torque is nothing to scoff at. Hyundai claims a 0-100 km/h sprint under 8.9 seconds with Creta N Line. Owing to a more aerodynamic shape, Verna with the same engine sprints to 100 km/h in 8.1 seconds. You would need the 7-speed DCT gearbox to achieve these acceleration numbers despite the 6-speed manual being easily more fun to drive.
In the real world, performance is brisk. We couldn’t test the car’s acceleration with timing gear, but it is nothing short of exciting. There are three driving modes (Eco, Normal and Sport) and three Traction Control modes (Snow, Sand and Mud). If you’re wondering how much sportier Creta N Line is than a regular Creta, not a lot. Suspension is soft in typical Hyundai fashion and lends a plush ride quality. Sportier suspension setup that N Line promises left me high and dry. But considering Indian road conditions, there’s nothing to complain about.
There are a few trade-offs of soft suspension and high-speed dynamics is not Creta N Line’s forte. Body roll is still in the equation and makes its presence known starting at around 90 km/h. Would I push this vehicle into a corner at around 150 km/h? Despite claiming roots from the mighty Nurburgring, I’d pass. New steering is soft at low speeds and weighs up as the speed increases.
I would have liked it if the increase in steering weight was proportional to sharper steering geometry. Speed and sharpness of this steering geometry remain the same and only the steering gets heavier with increasing speed. Company claims fuel efficiency figures of 18 km/l with manual and 18.2 km/l with DCT. These are great numbers for such a performant engine. Only real-world testing in a long-term review would justify these claims.
Conclusion
So far, Creta was carrying an elegant jewel sort of appeal while the Seltos carried a sophisticated and techy persona. With the N Line model, Creta is looking more in line with the Gen Alpha theme of Kia Seltos. Hyundai has crafted Creta N Line for practicality of the masses. Don’t expect a thoroughbred racing version with stiff suspension and sharp handling.
Creta N Line is meant to give you the aesthetic feeling of driving around a race edition of a Creta, while still being able to comfortably drive around the real-world roads and traffic conditions of India, with friends and family. For me, Turbo Petrol Manual powertrain combo is a reason alone to pick Creta N Line over regular Creta. For many, exciting exterior colours and black and red theme interiors with Creta N Line could be the nudge over regular Creta.
