Hyundai Creta’s 7-seater avatar was recently spied testing on public roads in South Korea
Kia Motors could be working on a 7-seater Seltos model since its virtual sibling, Hyundai Creta will be getting an extended capacity variant soon. It was only recently that Hyundai’s new-gen Creta was spotted in a 7-seater avatar in the streets of South Korea. Hyundai India does not have any seven-seater model as of now and the Creta 7-seater could be a potential addition to its current line-up.
The 2020 Hyundai Creta was launched earlier this month at a starting price of Rs 9.99 lakh ex-showroom (introductory). Being based on the same platform, it shares a lot with Kia Motors India’s Seltos — be it powertrain, equipment or, to an extent, pricing.
One could argue that the 2020 Hyundai Creta is the better pick, at least on paper. The official 2020 Hyundai Creta media drive was supposed to take place earlier this month, but the ongoing corona virus pandemic has led to its cancellation.
Like the regular Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta versions, their 7-seater configurations would also be identical under the skin. If we keep aside the current market slump, the demand for SUVs or crossovers in India has improved a lot lately.
Owing to this, many are investing a lot on such products in the compact and subcompact category. Kia Motors India witnessed a runaway success with just a single product while Hyundai India used the same formula for the Creta, which is also doing well in terms of booking and customer interest.
Either SUV share the same powertrain choices: 1.5-litre NA petrol (113bhp/144Nm), 1.5-litre diesel (113bhp/250Nm) and 1.4-litre turbo petrol (138bhp/242Nm). The engines are available mated to a CVT, 6-speed AT and 7-speed DCT, respectively. On the other hand, a 6-speed manual transmission comes as standard.
The upcoming 7-seater versions of both SUVs could feature the same power plants at a different state of tune. To justify a higher price tag by not just size and seating capacity, the 7-seater models (which could sport a different name) might get some additional items on the list of features. Considering the success of the original 5-seater models, one can expect a decent degree of success with their bigger variants.
If introduced in India, both 7-seaters will lock horn with the upcoming Tata Gravitas (Harrier’s 7-seater sibling). Furthermore, they could be significantly affordable alternatives to the Ford Endeavour, Toyota Fortuner and Mahindra Alturas G4.
