Long-termers
Hyundai and Creta ... words that don’t have the same gravitas as others in the crossover sphere. But ones that could be the surprise package you’ve been waiting for
If Goldilocks was in the market for a new vehicle, after a few unsuccessful test drives, she would probably end up feeling most comfortable in something like the Hyundai Creta. The big question is, would she be able to stomach the styling?
Unlike its predecessor, you really cannot accuse the second-generation Creta of being conservative or bland. With its huge cascading grille and split-level head- and taillight arrangements, the Creta makes a statement out on the road, albeit perhaps a bit less so in our long-term test car’s Red Mulberry hue. I think it’s fair to say it is a challenging design and in the three months since I took over custodianship of this car, many people have come out of the woodwork saying they’re starting to warm to the exterior styling.
But why did I say that this compact SUV could be the perfect vehicle for Goldilocks? It comes down to the Creta’s dimensions. Measuring 4 300 mm in length and 1 790 mm in width, it’s almost exactly halfway between smaller SUVS such as the Hyundai Venue and the larger Hyundai Tucson. If a B-segment crossover feels too small and the aforementioned C-segment offerings are getting too big for your liking, the Creta will probably feel just right.
That’s exactly how it feels
from the driver’s seat. Seating is comfortable, the controls are all slick and easy to use and, overall, it just feels like a comfortable pair of slippers … to continue with the fairy-tale analogy. Contrary to the daring exterior design, the cabin looks and feels completely conventional but it’s a neat and pleasing design that’s easy on the eye until you lean in a little closer, that is. While the upper dash looks the part with its grained textures, mock stitching and blue mood lighting, the lower-dash plastics come across as cheap by comparison, as do the black plastic inner door handles that could well have been nicked from an entry-level Atos. These things would be easily forgivable in a more affordable vehicle but with the Creta’s pricing that comes in north of R400 000 for all but the base model, we certainly expected a bit more glitz.
For the most part, the cabin is decently appointed but for a range-topping model, it is a little odd that items like dualzone climate control have been omitted. Not that I minded the conventional air-conditioning system. The other basic luxuries are in place, including cruise control, multi-function steering wheel and a touchscreen infotainment system with reverse camera. This proved easy to use and I appreciated the menu buttons on either side of the screen that minimise the distraction caused by digging through the menus. The Bluetooth never missed a beat, although when two devices were paired to the system, it kept defaulting to the one that was paired rst.
The Creta’s seats are upholstered in arti cial leather, which look and feel the part thanks to an interesting bead stitching pattern in the centre of the seats. However, the upholstery gave off a plastic smell that we found off-putting.
Given this vehicle’s dimensions, interior space is generous. There’s enough rear legroom to make a long-distance journey tolerable and the back seats recline slightly to make dozing off a bit com er. The boot is relatively spacious despite the tment of a full-size spare wheel and it will easily handle a family vacation if you pack carefully.
Speaking of the open road, the Hyundai Creta is a highly re ned road companion, with impressive noise insulation and pliant ride quality. However, the engine and CVT gearbox combo can get a little noisy under hard acceleration while overtaking.
Our test unit is the 1,5-litre naturally aspirated petrol, which produces 84 kw at 6 300 r/min and 143 N.m at 4 500 r/min. It generally has enough power to overtake comfortably as I found out during my 1 400 km trip between Cape Town and Johannesburg, but at times it does need to be worked hard and it’s here that the gearbox drone can become annoying. Thankfully, the transmission doesn’t feel or sound like a conventional CVT in normal driving situations at low to medium revs, and this is largely thanks to its built-in “steps” that aim to emulate the sensation of a conventional automatic torque converter. That said, if truly effortless performance is what you’re after, you might want to spend the extra money on the 1,4-litre turbopetrol or the 1,5-litre turbodiesel model.
Ultimately, what I said earlier about the Hyundai Creta being like a comfy pair of slippers rings true of the entire driving experience. It’s got that just-right feeling that would make this a satisfying ownership experience for more than just Goldilocks and any of her friends. However, at R432 900 for the 1,5 Executive, it’s going up against some heavyhitters such as the new Mazda CX-30 and Peugeot 2008, both of which have more premium cabins. The Creta is a solid and satisfying product, but a bit of tidying up might be required to make it truly competitive in its segment.
The original Audi A1 may have been a radical departure for the premium manufacturer but it served as a stepping stone into Audi ownership for nearly a decade, allowing a younger generation of buyers to join the family. It was phased out in 2019 and until now, only the 110 kw 1,5-litre and 147 kw 2,0-litre variants of the new model were available locally. This new entrylevel 30 TFSI is powered by the same 85 kw/200 N.m 1,0-litre turbopetrol engine found in the Volkswagen T-cross and Polo and it may well be where the clever money lives.
Our test unit is the Advanced line variant that costs R448 000 as standard and comes in at R509 620 with all its optional extras. The most significant options include the contrasting black roof and A- and B-pillars (R11 130), the Light package with LED headlamps, dynamic indicators and LED interior lights, as well as the Sport package (R15 440) that boasts a flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddle shifters, sporty black roof lining, aluminium-look trim inserts and cloth sports seats.
As is typically the case with any German product, when clicking the options boxes, caution is required so the price doesn’t skyrocket. To this end, Audi has put together several packages with appealing features to simplify the process. However, its implementation on this A1 is a little strange. For example, the R10 800 Comfort package (not fitted) includes cruise control, which we’d hope would come standard, and if you’d like a rear-view camera, you must select the Park aid plus pack for R10 820 (also not fitted).
A seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission sends power to the front wheels, but it is already proving a mixed bag. This transmission has an odd reluctance to hook up from pull-away and this exacerbates the vibrations from the threecylinder engine at low revs. Once the coarseness of the motor levels out above 2 000 r/min, it’s a joy to drive; upshifts and downshifts are crisp and smooth and ratio selection under varying throttle input is accurate. So far, the
A1 has displayed the excellent stability and fluid body control mirrored by the Polo, thanks to its Volkswagen Group MQB underpinnings. The suspension is more tightly wound than the Polo’s and the ride can be a little stiff, but it’s still a well-resolved setup. The A1 is ideal for zipping through traffic with its 1,0-litre three-pot thrumming away.
It has been a pleasant surprise with its high-definition touchscreen and Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital instrumentation. Fuel economy has also impressed, returning 6,30 L/100 km. The following three months will be interesting to see what the German hatch has in store.
With the arrival of a 12th-generation Toyota Corolla sedan CVT (in top-spec, Xr guise) at the CAR offices for a three-month long-term test, it seemed my time with one of the Japanese motor manufacturer’s bestselling cars had come full circle. For context, I was first handed the key fob to the all-new Corolla Xr sedan CVT on 25 March 2020, one day before the initial coronavirus hard lockdown. It was strange trying to test a brand-new vehicle during alert level five. This meant sampling the press unit during brief trips to the grocery store and the occasional drive to the office via the N2, without any sign of a long-distance journey.
The Corolla did, however, perform well in the urban environment. When tested in the July issue of that year, the CAR team awarded it with a four-star rating, maintaining the new generation of Toyota’s much-loved family car “raised the bar even higher”, with its striking exterior styling, solidly constructed cabin, a generous amount of standard-fitment convenience and safety items, and sublime ride quality all contributing to a polished package.
Still, the Corolla was long overdue for a proper road trip. Mercifully, more than a year later and with travel again permitted, the Corolla was finally able to stretch its legs and prove itself on the long road.
Following the CAR team’s Masterdrive advanced driving course at Killarney Raceway earlier in the afternoon (which you’ll read about later in the magazine), I picked up my girlfriend, loaded our luggage into the Corolla’s (tested) 376-litre boot and, with our favourite road-trip playlist selected via the handy Apple Carplay, we set off on a coastal road trip to the magical village of Hogsback in the Amathole Mountains in the Eastern Cape. First stop on our adventure, Hartenbos.
Once on the open road, I activated our Xr derivative’s standard adaptive cruise control system and enjoyed the drive as the auto-on LED headlamps lit the way. The Corolla fared brilliantly; its 2,0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine and CVT worked well and, together with the pliant ride, provided a comfortable journey. NVH levels were low. Some wind flutter did permeate the cabin when travelling at speed. Thanks to consumption of just 6,80 L/100 km from the 50-litre fuel tank, we arrived safely at our destination.
Next stop, a visit to my father in East London …
This month, we bid farewell to our Suzuki Vitara Brezza 1,5 GLX auto. In its place is the same car but with a five-speed manual transmission. Keen-eyed CAR readers will realise this is the same unit that featured in the April 2021 issue, which means it should be an effortless and natural transition. As I noted with the flagship’s torque converter in the previous issue, although impressively convenient, some characteristics detracted from the overall experience, such as an occasional unwillingness to shift down at full throttle. The only way to mitigate this was to select the lower gear via the manual override and pop it back into drive once at the desired speed. Although it’s not much of an inconvenience, it is probably not what those who opted for the automatic might want.
Even considering my concerns with the four-speed torque converter, we should note it remains a better offering than the automated manual Suzuki Celerio AMT we drove back in August 2016. In its country of production, the Vitara Brezza is available with a similar transmission but given our previous experience on a number of budget cars, the torque converter is still the better option.
In GLX guise, my daily needs are catered for in the Vitara Brezza with a rear-facing camera, cruise control, electric windows, 60:40 rear split seat, auto-on lamps and wipers, and a centre armrest all standard. The main focus of the cabin is the touchscreen infotainment system that incorporates Android Auto and Apple Carplay.
Exchanging the automatic for the manual will give me the chance to get even better acquainted with the naturally aspirated 1,5-litre four-cylinder engine. The five-speed manual is a drivetrain I’m familiar with since my 4 000 km round trip from Cape Town to Musina in a Suzuki Baleno 1,5 GLX. I’m eager to see how well this setup performs in the brand’s latest crossover.
With the torque converter, the Vitara Brezza cruises at highway speeds at lower r/min than the taller-geared five-speed manual. However, in extra-urban conditions, the self-shifter needs fewer revs to get up to speed.
As per the CAR fuel index, however, these two share the same combined consumption figure of 7,40 L/100 km, so I am not expecting a large disparity. The Brezza’s omission of traction and electronic stability control is notable in terms of safety. By way of comparison, the Kia Sonet 1,5 EX in our long-term fleet boasts these two features as standard.
Criticism aside, the past three months with the automatic Vitara Brezza have been enjoyable. A highlight was the plush suspension provided by the brand’s Global C platform which incorporates a front Macpherson strut and rear torsion beam. Coupled with our measured mass of 1 129 kg, it’s light, nimble, entertaining to pilot and with a slick five-speed manual shifter fitted, this characteristic should only be accentuated.