Facelifted Hyundai Creta arrives with classy matte paint option

Hyundai has launched the facelifted Creta in South Africa.

The range offerings have increased from three to five models with the addition of the new Creta 1.5 Premium IVT and 1.5 Executive IVT Matte Editions. They are priced at R484,900 and R524,900 respectively and customers can choose between matte black, silver and white, or stick with the six regular metallic paint choices, namely Galaxy blue, Midnight black, Titan grey, Magnetic silver, Dragon red and Optic white.

The velvety hues are available as matte black, silver and white while slight changes to the designs of the front and rear bumper have also been applied. The cascading grille remains but there is black high gloss surfacing on the pillars.

If you are in the market for a crossover that is well stocked, the Hyundai Creta comes with range-wide basics such as a 3.5” colour touchscreen, smartphone integration, air-conditioning, voice recognition and cruise control, but Hyundai has added power windows with auto up/down in the Premium six-speed manual derivative, as well as LED daytime running lights, and leather upholstery on the seats, steering and gear knob.

The new Premium Matte Edition with a CVT transmission gets similar amenities but adds a starter button and the option of black alloy wheels. The range-topping Creta 1.5 Executive Matt Edition, with the optional matt paint, gets all the available convenience items but adds lane keeping assist, blind-spot collision avoidance assist and lane following assist.

Hyundai’s Creta is well packaged with good build quality and the living quarters will suit the needs of the nuclear family perfectly, but add one more passenger with their luggage and it becomes a squeeze. The drive experience is faultless. It’s a softly sprung thing with slight body roll but copes OK in the corners.

The range-wide 1.5l four-cylinder motor that drives the front wheels develops outputs of 84kW and 144Nm. It is smooth and perky, and perhaps only let down by the CVT transmission that drones at higher speeds. 

Hyundai said fuel consumption is 6.4l/100km on average, and the 1.5 Premium Matt Edition I drove at the media launch in Gauteng last week matched the claim, and returned an impressive 6.0l/100km driving on open roads.

PRICES

Creta 1.5 Premium MT — R449,900

Creta 1.5 Premium IVT — R479,900

Creta 1.5 Premium IVT — Matte Edition R484,900

Creta 1.5 Executive IVT — R519,900

Creta 1.5 Executive IVT — Matte Edition — R524,900

Prices include five-year/150,000km vehicle and seven-year/200,000km drivetrain warranty, and four-year/60,000km service plan.