TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL RUNS
2021 HYUNDAI CRETA 1.4 TGDI EXECUTIVE DCT
Generation-2 Hyundai Cretas, with 1.5-litre diesel and naturally aspirated petrol engines, are solid, practical and spacious family SUVs. But if your bank manager lets you upgrade to the 1.4 turbo, with dual clutch transmission, grab the opportunity immediately!
Two hundred and forty-two Newton metres, delivered seamlessly from just above idle to 3200rpm, moves this compact (4300 x 1790 x 1620mm) Mummy Bus from zero to 100km/h in 9.7 seconds and on to its top speed of 185 soon after (if you’re friends with the traffic cops, that is!)
And all you need, at 120km/h in seventh, is 2250rpm, making roll-on acceleration a breeze.
The in-house dual clutch transmission is smooth, quick, intuitive and kicks down decisively when called upon. And, in case you lose track of which gear you’re in, a message on the TFT display keeps you informed. But the real fun begins when you drive it in manual mode; stick, no pretentious paddles. It’s frisky and certainly too cool to spend its life shopping and doing school runs. Practicalities: The cargo area is lit, with bag hook, four lashing rings, load net and 12-volt socket. It’s about 82cm long, almost a metre wide between wheel arches and 42cm deep, providing 433 litres of luggage space. The full sized alloy spare lives under the baseboard. The seatback splits 60:40,
Rear passengers have plenty of headroom, limousine-like knee clearance and great foot space. Extension vents at the rear of the central console allow them to share front occupants’ aircon should they choose to. A powered USB socket allows recharging of a phone without surrendering it to those in front,
Tall drivers enjoy up to one and a half fists-width of headspace when their chair is completely lowered, minor controls are readily accessible and easy to use, dials are analogue, and there’s even a lighter in addition to the second 12-volt socket and an ashtray tub in one of the front cupholders,
Other straightforward items include an ordinary ignition key and a proper hand brake conveniently placed for right-hand drive,
An Android Auto or Apple CarPlay-enabled phone can be connected to the touchscreen audio centre, to provide screen duplication, while recharging on a dedicated pad below the dash.
Comfortable, sporty, well behaved on gravel roads, loads of ground clearance for humps and hollows, spacious for one so small and decent luggage space.