Ladies and gentlemen, brace for one of the big battles of 2020 – the all-new Hyundai Creta vs the Kia Seltos. The latter is the SUV to beat while the former has the job of taking the Creta nameplate back to the top of the midsize SUV sales charts where the original model spent much of its time in its near-5-year run. What makes the competition all the more interesting is that the second-gen Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos are built on the same platform and share their engines. But there will be differences, some objective and some subjective, that could lure buyers either way.
We’ve listed down the commonalities and the crucial points of difference between the two SUVs.
2020 Creta vs Seltos: Dimensions and design
| New Creta* | Seltos | |
| Length | 4300mm | 4315mm |
| Width | 1790mm | 1800mm |
| Height | 1622mm | 1620mm |
| Wheelbase | 2610mm | 2610mm |
| Wheel size | 17-inch | 17-inch |
*Hyundai ix25 used for representation
Hyundai India hasn’t revealed dimensions for the India-spec model as yet, so we’ll use the closely related China-spec ix25’s figures for now. And no surprises here, there’s very little between the two SUVs in size. The differences in length, width and height will be in mere millimetres.
But for all their similarities, the two SUVs look unlike one another. The Seltos sports neat and tidy lines, and while there are some flashy elements like the headlight LEDs that extend to the grille, styling on the whole is safe and understated. The new Creta, on the other hand, sports a more extroverted look. The three-part headlights and tail-lights, the squared arches and silver-finish C-pillar give the Creta a distinct visual identity, but the appearance is also polarising. It’s a big departure from the original Creta’s ‘please all’ looks and it’ll be interesting to see how buyers take to the second-gen Creta’s look.
2020 Creta vs Seltos: Interior
Radical as the 2020 Creta’s exterior is, its interior is fairly conventional in look. The low-set dashboard features a landscape-oriented 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system positioned at the centre console. The Creta’s driver environment is enhanced by the inclusion of an 7.0-inch digital display that’s a segment-first feature. Quilted leather upholstery has also been used to give the cabin a more upmarket look.
The Kia Seltos’ interior is smartly-styled, with the dashboard positioning the 10.25-inch touchscreen higher up, and hence at a more convenient position. The Seltos might lack the Creta’s digital dials but the MID is informative and includes a display for the blind spot cameras, a feature missing on the Creta.
The cabins of both SUVs can be had trimmed in beige or black upholstery (depending on variant) and we expect the Creta to at least match the Seltos on its impressive cabin quality. Given that the two SUVs will be built on the same wheelbase, cabin room will be near-identical. Both SUVs will come with two-step rear backrest recline.
2020 Creta vs Seltos: Features
| New Creta | Seltos | |
| Airbags | 6 | 6 |
| Rear discs | Yes | Yes |
| Parking sensors | Rear | Front & Rear |
| Parking camera | Rear | 360-degree |
| Electronic parking brake | Yes | No |
| Blind spot monitor | No | Yes |
| Tyre pressure monitor | Yes | Yes |
| Instrument cluster | 7.0-inch digital | 7.0-inch LCD MID |
| Drive modes | Yes | Yes |
| Traction modes | Yes | Yes |
| Head-up display | No | Yes |
| Remote engine start | Manual and automatic | Automatic only |
| Paddleshifters | Yes | No |
| Sunroof | Panoramic, voice-activated | Single |
| Air purifier | Yes | Yes |
| Touchscreen | 10.25-inch | 10.25-inch |
| In-car connectivity | BlueLink | UVO Connect |
An extensive features list has long been Hyundai India’s USP in this segment, and the all-new Creta will be quite well-equipped as well. However, the Kia Seltos is no slouch in this department either. In fact, there are some features that are available on some versions of the Seltos that will not be offered on the Creta at all – such as a head-up display, front parking sensors, a 360-degree camera and a blind spot monitor.
On the other hand, the Creta’s features list will include kit not seen on the Seltos. Aside from the 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster already mentioned, the Creta will see key inclusions like a panoramic sunroof – a hit feature in India – and is also set to become the most affordable car with an electronic parking brake. Paddleshifters for the automatics will also be a Creta feature of interest for keen drivers. Both SUVs get eSIM-based connected-car tech but the Creta’s BlueLink 1.5 system adds in a few more frills like voice-activated controls for the sunroof and remote starting for the manual gearbox versions too.
2020 Creta vs Seltos: Powertrains
| Petrol Engines | ||
| New Creta | Seltos | |
| Displacement | 1497cc/1353cc | 1497cc/1353cc |
| Engine type | 4-cyl, NA/4-cyl, turbo | 4-cyl, NA/4-cyl, turbo |
| Power | 115hp/140hp | 115hp/140hp |
| Torque | 144Nm/242Nm | 144Nm/242Nm |
| Manual gearbox | 6-speed/- | 6-speed/6-speed |
| Automatic gearbox | CVT/7-speed DCT | CVT/7-speed DCT |
| ARAI mileage (MT) | 16.8kpl/- | 16.5kpl/16.1kpl |
| ARAI mileage (AT) | 17.1kpl/16.8kpl | 16.8kpl/16.5kpl |
The Seltos and Creta share their engines and gearboxes, though Hyundai won’t offer a manual transmission with the sporty 1.4 turbo-petrol as offered on the Kia. The 1.5 petrol, however, will be offered with manual and CVT options while the 1.5 diesel will be available with manual and torque converter auto as on the Seltos.
| Diesel Engine | ||
| New Creta | Seltos | |
| Displacement | 1493cc | 1493cc |
| Engine type | 4-cyl, turbo | 4-cyl, turbo |
| Power | 115hp | 115hp |
| Torque | 250Nm | 250Nm |
| Manual gearbox | 6-speed | 6-speed |
| Automatic gearbox | 6-speed torque convertor | 6-speed torque convertor |
| ARAI mileage (MT) | 21.4kpl | 21kpl |
| ARAI mileage (AT) | 18.3kpl | 18kpl |
While there’ll be no difference in power or torque figures, the Hyundai Creta does have the edge in fuel economy, going by the official ARAI-certified numbers. The differences are small but would be something your friendly Hyundai salesperson will highlight at the dealership.
What we can’t wait to see is if the two SUVs also drive in the same manner. The identical power and torque figures point to similar performance, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so we’ll just leave this open-ended for now. However, Hyundai will set up the Creta’s suspension a bit softer than the Seltos’ and this could mean crucial differences in the way the SUVs drive. Could Hyundai have sacrificed some driving dynamism for better comfort? And would that make the Seltos the choice for enthusiast? We’ll know soon.
2020 Creta vs Seltos: Prices
| New Creta* | Seltos | |
| Petrol-MT | Rs 10-15 lakh | Rs 9.89-16.29 lakh |
| Petrol-AT | Rs 14-17 lakh | Rs 14.09-17.29 lakh |
| Diesel-MT | Rs 10.5-15.5 lakh | Rs 10.34-15.34 lakh |
| Diesel-AT | Rs 13.5-17 lakh | Rs 13.54-17.34 lakh |
*Estimated
Here’s where it gets interesting. The Kia Seltos was launched with a killer price tag last year but since prices have creeped up, if still not by a very large sum. Buzz is that Hyundai wants to beat Kia at its own game with even keener pricing. There’ll be little between the two in price, but Hyundai will likely make the Creta a more value-rich proposition by bundling in more features as standard.
Hyundai Creta prices will become public on March 17 and that’s exactly when the battle of the Korean SUVs will commence in earnest. May the best SUV win.
from Autocar India - Cars https://ift.tt/2IE8rOb
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