CITY OF CRETE: IN A CAR
SPORT Utility Vehicles are all the rage these days. There is a global growing demand for them and seems insatiable. Manufacturers have responded aptly by providing various choices in the stable.
From mainstream SUVs to crossovers and compact cross overs. More people are opting for crossovers than the conventional sedans.
Hyundai has two popular SUVs: the Santa Fe and the Tucson. A newer sub compact crossover added is the Creta. Named after the Greek City Island of Crete, as opposed to the ix25 name that was rumoured. Remember the Tucson was renamed from ix35 too.
This is the smallest SUV offering and sits below the Tucson. It will fight, locally, with the Ford EcoSport and Mitsubishi ASX that is currently doing well.
What is noticeable at first glance are the typical design Hyundai cues. It looks like the elder siblings but is subdued somewhat probably because of the small size. It looks like a blend of i20 and Tucson. Right in the middle of the two.
It has reasonable ground clearance of 190mm and can handle the dirt/gravel track but not hard off-roading as it only comes with two-wheel drive.
Worth mentioning also is the 2.590 m wheel base which is pretty large for such a segment and it gives it more room in the interior especially legroom for the rear passengers plus decent boot space at 400 litres.
The interior is well spaced. In higher trim models comfortable leather seats are available. The infotainment system is catchy at 8 inches. The screen doubles as a rear view monitor when reversing. It has USB and Bluetooth connectivity as standard.
Standard also is navigation which is often an option offering. One can stream content from their mobile device and also pick up calls without touching the handset. This is aided by Steering wheel controls (which has reach adjustment). The interior is complete with six airbags.
Powering the car is either a 1.6 petrol or 1.6 turbo diesel
The petrol would have obviously had higher outputs had it been force-fed but its power is still sufficient to handle all tasks given. The diesel would be the easy pick of the two. It employs what is called VGT (variable geometry turbo) which boosts power according to input and reduces turbo lag.
(CRDi as it is called). Oddly enough the petrol is naturally aspirated. The petrol has outputs of 90KW and 150NM while the diesel 94KW/260NM.
The petrol would have obviously had higher outputs had it been force-fed but its power is still sufficient to handle all tasks given. The diesel would be the easy pick of the two. It employs what is called VGT (variable geometry turbo) which boosts power according to input and reduces turbo lag. The result is a quicker acceleration, useful for quick pull-outs and overtaking. It retains good fuel consumption too; one tester in India drove nearly 700km on a single full tank. Transmission options available are 6 speed manual and an automatic box. The choice is yours. Noteworthy is that all derivatives of the car are the save the engine-transmission pairing.
I have never been to Crete and I’m hard pressed to see the link with this car but word is Hyundai intends to dominate the subcompact crossover market with this offering just like Crete dominated in ancient times; if that is the case it’s a great offering in such a tough and competitive market with key favourites.