2016 Hyundai Creta long-term review, final report

Even after a year, the Creta looks fresh on the outside and the inside as well. The Creta’s cabin is known to be abundantly spacious and the light-coloured interiors make for an airy atmosphere. It offers plenty of space for the front passengers and, even with my driving position which is a bit away from the steering wheel, there’s enough room for the passenger behind me. I like the cushioning on the seats. There’s a good balance, it’s not too soft or firm, making it perfect for long drives (whoever has been in the Creta over long drives will surely vouch for that). I was impressed with the automatic air con as well, which did a pretty decent job of cooling the cabin even on some really hot summer days. Another advantage of the Creta is its generous boot which came handy on various occasions, like when a lot of bags had to be shuttled around.

However, this long list of positives aside, there are certain things I have a grouse with. For example, the reverse camera, which, although a very useful tool, could do with a better resolution. The rear-view mirror that can be adjusted manually for day and night use could have been a lot better with an auto-dimming function. Surprisingly, this feature is available in Hyundai’s cheaper Elite i20. However, these issues seemed minor compared to what the Creta had to offer.

During its time with us, the Creta didn’t face any hiccups and it didn’t go on any service centre trips, except for a scheduled service, which at Rs 5,000 to  Rs 6,000 for a regular service was fairly reasonable. What’s also amazing is that the leather on the seats is hard-wearing and, even after prolonged use, is in pretty good shape. Also what’s impressive is that there isn’t any rattle or squeak which generally tends to creep into cars after a year or so. What is disappointing though is that the Creta has now finished its tenure with us and we have to bid farewell to it with a heavy heart. However, on the brighter side, we’ve got Hyundai’s Tucson as our next long-termer. Let the race for the keys begin!