Hyundai Creta N Line long term review, 15,000 km report

Another 5,000km has flown by since my last report, but the Hyundai Creta N Line hasn’t been exclusively mine for all of it. With Autocar India’s faithful Renault Lodgy officially retired, the Hyundai has quietly become the support car of choice for shoots. It’s not hard to see why the team calls on it so often. The 160hp turbo-petrol engine is strong enough to keep pace with the fast cars (and bikes) we often film, and the vast boot swallows camera cases, tripods and rigs with ease. The roomy cabin helps too, doubling up as a quick footage backup bay on journeys back to base.

Blind spot cameras deliver a crisp view and are a huge help on our chaotic roads.

I can’t say I like ‘my’ car being away from me so often, but I have to admit it’s always nice to have the Creta back, irrespective of what else I’ve been driving in the interim. And that’s because the Creta is an SUV that’s just so easy to gel with. The size is just right, the basic ergonomics are sound (it’s a fine example of buttons done right), and it certainly helps that the Creta N Line comes packed with features, all of which work without fuss. The cameras are particularly good, and in fact, I’m so used to glancing at the Creta’s blind view pop-up display on the dials when changing lanes that my eyes instinctively hover over the instruments, even when I might be driving something else. What I’m itching to get my hands on is the official Hyundai adapter that slots into the USB port to enable wireless connectivity for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

It’s so nice to have buttons and knobs for the climate control and audio systems.

Other members of my family have also developed a soft spot for the Creta. The cabin’s relatively generous width means there’s enough room at the back for my seven-month-old’s sizeable child seat, my wife, and our excitable Cocker Spaniel, Soda. He is a car nut who’d happily rate every model a full 10 stars, but I sense he particularly appreciates the Creta. Rear windows that roll all the way down give him a comfortable view out, and the gap between the rear bench and front armrest is just right for him to poke his head through to ‘greet’ me at traffic halts.

N Line’s larger wheels and sportier suspension yield a noticeably firmer ride.

The Creta N Line isn’t flawless, though. The steering is on the heavier side, the firm ride on the 18-inch wheels is felt on broken roads, and the DCT gearbox doesn’t enjoy stop/go traffic. Fuel economy, too, remains a disappointing sub-8kpl figure on my slow city commute. I don’t know whether to blame the Creta, the ethanol in the fuel, or both, but the frequent fills are proving to be quite expensive.

Fuel economy in stop-go city driving is low. Sub-8kpl figure is the norm in town.

Maybe it’s time I do some sneaking and snag the keys to the Creta Electric that’s also with us. Everything we like about the Creta, minus the turbo-petrol’s high running costs? I think I could get on board!

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