Hyundai Creta Electric

Hyundai’s popular Creta has gone all-electric. It promises all the goodness of the Creta in terms of cabin space, features and premium appeal, alongside the benefits of an all-electric powertrain.  

It sits in the compact electric SUV segment, where it rivals the likes of the Tata Curvv EV, Maruti e-Vitara, and Mahindra BE 6. After driving it and seeing what Hyundai has managed to do, we can say with confidence that this is the best Creta out there. And here’s why.

Design and Build Quality 

The Creta’s design is tried and tested, and it just works for most people looking for a premium SUV. The Creta Electric has taken this design and made changes in a way that it looks better and yet doesn’t stray away from the core design of the SUV.

From the front, it is very obvious that this Creta is electric. The closed-off grille (with interesting pixel-like detailing) merges seamlessly into the bumper, making it look like a single piece. I like how Hyundai has integrated the charging flap behind the logo. It opens in a smooth pop-out fashion too. 

The LED headlights and connected daytime running lights (DRLs) are shared with the regular Creta. However, Hyundai has redesigned the bumper to accommodate the different grille. The bumper also houses active air flaps, which open when the battery needs more cooling. When not in use, the air flaps shut completely, giving the front a seamless slab-like look. 

On the Electric version, the skid plate isn’t as prominent. That said, it still looks like a confident SUV with its upright stance, wide bonnet and flat nose. 

From the side, there’s not much differentiating the Creta Electric from the petrol/diesel version. You’d be quick to notice the battery pack peeking from underneath the car. However, major details such as the silver accent above the windows, the roof rails and the muscular fenders remain unchanged. 

The design of the alloy wheels are different, but the size remains the same at 17-inches. Interestingly, these alloy wheels are offered as standard on all variants of the Creta Electric. 

From the rear, it’s only the new rear bumper with pixel detailing that stands out as different. Reverse lamps are placed low on the bumper which might be hard to spot in crowded mall parkings. 

Overall, the Creta Electric doesn't look too different from its ICE (internal combustion engine) version, and that is a good thing, as people would find this design easier to accept. Build quality on the Creta Electric is acceptable too — with consistent shut lines and good paint quality. 

Hyundai is offering unique colour options with the Creta Electric which includes Ocean Blue, Atlas white, Fiery Red, Abyss Black, Shadow Grey and Starry Night. There are matte finishes on offer too: Matte black, Ocean blue matte, Robust emerald matte and Titan grey matte. For those wanting a dual tone finish, the blue and white shades are available with a contrast coloured black roof. My favourite colour on the Creta Electric has to be the Ocean Blue, followed closely by the Fiery Red.

Design and Quality

Hyundai has kept the overall design of the cabin same as the Creta, including the dashboard layout and the seats. However, by redesigning certain key elements and changing the colour theme, Hyundai has been able to give the cabin that typical EV car vibe. 

The cabin adopts a sophisticated dark navy-grey-silver triple tone combination. This not only looks classy, but also makes the cabin feel larger than it actually is. Hyundai has swapped out the copper accents on the regular Creta for ice blue, which suits the car’s electric nature. 

Design changes include a brand new steering wheel, borrowed from the global Kona EV. The steering looks rich and there are some classy brushed aluminum inserts too. You’d also notice there’s no Hyundai logo on the steering wheel. There are four dots instead that spell the letter ‘H’ in morse code. 

Another small but significant design change is the repositioning of the gear selector. It has moved to a stalk behind the steering wheel like in the Ioniq 5. 

Move to the centre console and the redesigned climate control/media panel grabs attention. Instead of blocky buttons that the regular Creta gets, this one features a capacitive touch panel. It looks neat, but is a little tricky to use, especially on the move. 

Hyundai has also completely reimagined the floor console. The armrest is bigger, the position of the seat ventilation controls is different, and you get a floating console design with ambient lighting and a minimalistic look. 

The good thing about this cabin is that it doesn't scream – EV. It just makes a simple distinction between EV and ICE, and you can choose which one looks better.

The quality of the materials is the same as the Creta, which means there are no compromises. All the touchpoints have soft touch padding, the chrome and gloss black elements feel nice to touch, and the fit and finish is what you’d expect from a Hyundai.

There are just two things that you need to be careful about. There is a significant use of gloss black inserts, which attract a lot of dust, fingerprints, and scratches. Also, the white seat upholstery will get dirty really quick, if not cleaned regularly.

Front Seat

There’s ample range in the 8-way powered driver’s seat, and the steering can be adjusted for tilt. However, the driver’s seat feels high, even at its lowest position, which might make it difficult to find an ideal driving position. This is something that plagues the regular Creta as well. 

The seats themselves are quite comfortable. They’re supportive even for larger occupants with enough lateral and lower back support. The central armrest is also placed at a neutral height making it relaxing on longer journeys. 

Rear Seat

A problem with EVs is the raised floor due to the placement of the battery pack, which results in less underthigh support at the back and compromised space. That is not the case with the Creta EV.

The floor is raised for sure, and it's almost flat compared to the standard Creta. But the rear seat’s base has been tilted upwards, which prevents the underthigh support from being compromised. 

The headroom is more than enough for average-sized adults, and there is ample knee room and foot room too. The rear seats also have a 2-step recline, that lets you choose between an upright seating position (and in effect slightly more boot space) or a relaxed seatback angle. 

Amenities for the rear occupants include rear sunblinds, and seat-back trays. You can use this tray to eat, there is a slot which can be used to keep your phone or tablet if you want to watch something, and there are integrated cupholders in these trays. 

There are a couple of switches on the shoulder of the co-driver’s seat, which lets you move it while being seated at the rear. Those wanting to be chauffeur driven will enjoy the rear seat experience of the Hyundai Creta EV. 

Storage and Practicality

The storage options of the Creta Electric are better than its ICE counterpart. You get the same bottle holders in all four doors, two cupholders in the front, two in the back, a glovebox, a sunglass holder, seat back pockets, and a slot under the rear AC vents to keep your phone.

But the front centre armrest has more storage, and there is a tray between the cupholders and the wireless phone charger, which offers a lot of space to keep your stuff.

Charging Options

The charging options, however, are the same. You get a wireless phone charger, a type-C port, a USB port, and a 12V socket in the front, and two Type-C ports in the back. 

Features

The Creta electric builds on the already impressive package of the regular Creta. Basics include keyless entry, push-button start, dual-zone climate control, rear AC vents, auto-dimming IRVM, automatic headlamps and rain-sensing wipers. 

Other highlights include a voice activated panoramic sunroof, front seat ventilation,  8-way powered driver’s seat (with memory) and a 6-way powered co-driver’s seat. To make the cabin experience even more premium, the Creta Electric comes with a memory function for the driver seat, and an electric Boss mode function to control the front passenger seat.

The 10.25-inch touchscreen remains the same, however the software has a different look and feel to suit the Creta electric. The user interface is easy to understand, and just like the standard Creta, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are wireless through an adapter that the carmaker is offering as a complimentary accessory. This screen is paired with an 8-speaker Bose branded audio system that has above average sound quality. 

There’s another 10.25-inch display for the instrument cluster. This screen too has a sharp resolution, quick response times and easy to navigate menus. I like that the feed from the side cameras is shown here while indicating, making lane changes more convenient. 

Being an EV, it also offers Vehicle-2-load (V2L) to charge your laptop or run an electric kettle and wireless phone chargers for both front and rear seat occupants.

Standard safety features on the Creta Electric include 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), hill hold assist, and ISOFIX child seat anchors. 

There’s a 360° camera on offer too that offers a clear feed. There are 3D views and dynamic guidelines as well, that help in parking or navigating through tight spots. 

Level 2 ADAS is also present here with features like lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, and driver attention warning. This ADAS is well calibrated for Indian roads, and follows lane marking with ease. The adaptive cruise control also works well, and keeps proper distance with the car in front. Not too close, and not too far that another car comes in between. However, the automatic braking inputs can feel sharp in heavy traffic when adaptive cruise control is engaged.

The 433-litre boot is the same as the standard Creta. This boot is wide but not deep. Smaller suitcases can easily fit in here, but keeping a big suitcase will leave you little to no space. We recommend using cabin-sized suitcases to maximize use of this boot. You will be able to keep 4 of these trolley bags comfortably. Additionally any small bag or the charger can go in the 22-litre frunk (front trunk) placed under the bonnet.

The Creta EV is offered with two battery pack options: 42 kWh and 51.4 kWh.  

City Performance

Driving an EV sometimes requires some getting used to, and there is a learning curve involved. Not with the electric Creta. The tuning of the acceleration is done in such a way that if you’re shifting from a petrol or diesel vehicle, you’ll have no problem adjusting to the EV.

The throttle is responsive, quick, and the acceleration is smooth. You do not feel any sudden surge of power, but at the same time, you have enough to get a fun-to-drive experience. 

In city traffic, the performance is adequate. There’s always instant power available to drive through gaps, and it’s smooth enough for when you want to drive calmly. 

The only learning involved is in understanding the brake energy regeneration system. There are four levels: L0 (Off), L1, L2 and L3 — ranked in order of intensity. For city drives, it’s best to switch between L2 and L3 depending on how traffic around you is moving. Alternatively, you can also use the ‘Auto’ setting for the regenerative braking that takes inputs from the ADAS to fine tune the level of regen automatically. This might take a few hours of driving to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, chances are you will not rely entirely on the brakes to slow down. You can go one step further with the single ‘i-PEDAL’ mode as well that can bring the Creta Electric to a dead stop without you touching the brake. Simply lift off the accelerator in time. 

Highway Performance

Getting to high speeds won’t take any time. The Creta Electric can do 0-100kmph in just 7.9 seconds. For reference, the ICE Creta powered by a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine with a 7-speed DCT has a claimed 0-100 kmph time of 8.9 seconds. It can cruise at triple digit speeds quite comfortably and acceleration at these speeds is practically instantaneous also. 

On the highway, you can enjoy the Sport mode of the Creta Electric. With a sharper throttle response, this mode makes the eSUV feel lively to drive. 

Note: Creta Real World Range

With the larger battery pack, the Creta Electric is likely to return 360-380km of real world range with the 51.4kWh battery pack. You can expect around 300-320km from the smaller 42kWh battery.

The ride comfort of the Creta Electric is almost identical to the Creta. It’s smooth, there’s little movement for passengers, and good insulation too. When driving the Creta EV, you will feel the cracks and gaps of the roads, but not so much that you experience any significant body movement inside the cabin. It can tackle your daily drives easily and won’t give you any discomfort. The car remains stable and planted on highways, and you also feel confident while driving it. 

Over really bad roads, expect some side-to-side movement. Also, since the battery sticks out from the underbody of the car, it’s best to be a little cautious when going off-road. 

The steering is one-finger-light for city use. You can drive through tight spaces and park without much effort. There’s enough weight as the speeds climb up too, giving you confidence on the highway. Naturally, it’s not a setup that you would enjoy cornering with. The steering remains predictable and quick, which we feel is more than sufficient for its intended purpose.

• The Creta Electric is being offered in 5 variants: Executive, Smart, Smart (O), Premium, and Excellence.

• The bigger battery pack is offered only in the Smart (O) and Excellence variants.

Executive

• Good looking base variant with 17-inch alloy wheels, front and rear skid plates, and all LED lighting elements.

• Gets a dual-tone cabin with fabric seats, all height adjustable headrests, 2-step reclining rear seats, and metal inside door handles.

• Good infotainment package with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and a 6 speaker sound system.

• Features include dual-zone AC, cruise control, electrically adjustable ORVMs with auto fold, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, and a powered tailgate.

• Safety kit gets 6 airbags, electronic stability control (ESC), vehicle stability management (VSM), hill start and descent assist, all-wheel disc brakes, rear parking sensors, a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and ISOFIX child seat anchors.

Executive Tech

• Feature addition includes a voice-assisted panoramic sunroof and ventilated front seats.

• Also gets leatherette seat upholstery and rear window sunshades.

Note: An Executive (O) variant is also on offer, which serves as the most affordable trim with the 51.4 kWh battery pack. It gets key amenities like a wireless phone charger for rear seat passengers and dashcam.

Smart

• Over Executive Tech, the Smart variant offers connected LED tail lamps and sequential turn indicators.

• Cabin gets a 6-way powered driver seat and ambient lighting around the floating centre console.

• Feature additions are limited to a wireless phone charger and a frunk.

• No major additions to the safety kit save for rear parking sensors.

Smart (O)

• Base-spec variant for the bigger battery pack.

• Gets the top-spec design with the option of dual-tone exterior shades.

• No changes to the cabin’s design or the infotainment package.

• A panoramic sunroof gets added to the feature list.

Premium

• Available only with the smaller battery pack.

• No changes to the interior or exterior design.

• Gets an 8-speaker BOSE sound system and vehicle-to-load (V2L) technology.

• Packs Level 2 ADAS features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, autonomous emergency braking, and high beam assist.

Excellence

• Gets full leatherette seats and leather wrap on steering wheel, drive selector, and door pads. Rear seats get folding trays.

• Feature additions include a digital key, 8-way powered front seats with memory function for the driver, ventilated front seats, and a cooled glovebox.

• Only additions to the safety kit are front parking sensors, a 360-degree camera with a blind spot monitor and a dashcam.

CarDekho Recommends

• Pick the base-spec Executive variant as it gets a good design, good infotainment package, and everyday use features. Go for the Premium variant if you want the best features including ADAS. 

• Go for the Smart (O) only if you want a bigger battery pack on a budget, as for the smaller battery pack, the feature additions are not a lot.

• Pick the top-spec variant if you want both features and range.

By taking the design and features of the ICE, and improving upon some aspects, Hyundai has delivered an EV which proves that you don’t need to have flashy elements to stand out. The electric Creta has all the good qualities of the Creta such as space, comfort and technology that make it a great family SUV. 

With additional features, and smoother performance, the Creta Electric also manages to justify the price premium over the petrol/diesel model. If you could charge this electric SUV at home, running costs are significantly lower, which will have you recover the price difference quickly, especially if you have high running. This is not just a good electrified version of the Creta, it is the best Creta there is.