Hyundai Motor India has launched the updated version of its best-selling mid-size SUV, the Creta, in New Delhi at introductory prices ranging from Rs 10.99 lakh to Rs 19.99 lakh, ex-showroom. The company aims to increase the contribution of SUVs to its total volumes in the calendar year 2024.
The refreshed Creta has already garnered 25,000 bookings, with 55% for petrol variants and 45% for diesel. Automatic transmissions make up 40% of the orders received for the updated Creta. Hyundai’s eight-model SUV portfolio, including models like the Exter, Venue, Alcazar, and others, accounted for 60% of the carmaker’s India volumes in the calendar year 2023. The company aims to raise this contribution to 65% in 2024.
The Creta, which is nearing the 1-million milestone since its introduction in the Indian market in July 2015, is expected to reach this landmark around mid-February 2024. The Creta contributed over 26% to Hyundai Motor India’s sales in the calendar year 2023 and formed 44% of the company’s combined SUV volumes during the same period.
Tarun Garg, Chief Operating Officer, Hyundai Motor India, emphasised the Creta’s growing contribution to the company’s volumes each year. He highlighted the Creta’s evolution into a brand phenomenon and its significant impact on Hyundai’s course in India.
The updated Creta boasts technological features like advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), dual-zone climate control, and connected displays for infotainment and the instrument cluster. It includes aesthetic updates such as new DRLs, LED headlamps, connected tail lamps, and alloy wheels. The interior features a new ivory theme, a redesigned dashboard with two 10.25-inch screens, and a digital cockpit with a highly-intuitive UI supporting 12 languages.
Hyundai is offering over 70 connected car features through its Bluelink suite, provided free for three years, along with 16 free over-the-air updates (OTAs). In terms of safety, the refreshed Creta comes with six airbags and electronic stability control (ESC) as standard, along with 19 Level-2 ADAS features using cameras and radar.
The Creta offers three drivetrain options: a 1.5-litre petrol with manual and CVT, a 1.5-litre diesel with manual and 6AT, and a 1.5-litre, 160hp turbo-petrol engine paired with a 7-speed DCT. Petrol contributed 60% to Creta’s sales in the calendar year 2023, with diesel accounting for the remaining 40%. Hyundai expects the reintroduction of the turbo-petrol engine to shift some volumes from diesel, which is projected to settle around 35% in 2024.
Tarun Garg discussed Hyundai’s product strategy for different markets, emphasizing that the focus on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) is strengthened by the favorable 5% GST on EVs compared to 43% on hybrids in India. He highlighted the importance of consumer demand and a clear policy roadmap in influencing future decisions regarding hybrid models.
Key advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features on the updated Creta include forward-collision-avoidance assist, lane-keep assist, lane-follow assist, high-beam assist, and rear cross-traffic alert. The vehicle incorporates Advanced High-Strength and High-Strength steel to enhance structural rigidity.
Garg highlighted changing customer preferences, with a greater emphasis on aspirational value and safety compared to fuel efficiency and absolute price. The average age of Creta customers has decreased by 5 years to 38 years, and Garg emphasized the increasing contribution of higher variants in overall car sales. The average selling price in Hyundai’s portfolio is around Rs 11 lakh.