Hyundai Creta makes a solid comeback

The Hyundai Creta has had to fight for attention in one of the busiest corners of the South African SUV car market, but now it has another weapon in its arsenal: more equipment, without making the price tag frightening.

Driving the Hyundai Creta 1.5 Premium made me realise it is a compact SUV that makes sense for everyday life. It is easy to drive around town and has enough space for the usual collection of passengers and shopping bags.

The Creta has a solid road holding with easy steering. The seats are solid and comfortable, although the front seats require some arm muscle to adjust them.

The new Creta 1.5 Premium is powered by a 1.5-litre petrol engine producing 84kW and 144Nm of torque. Fuel consumption is claimed at 6.3 L/100 km, although that is in perfect conditions.

At 4,330mm long, 1,790mm wide and 1,620mm high, the Creta is a manageable size for urban driving, while its 190mm ground clearance is useful for the Gauteng potholed roads.

The Premium gets 17-inch alloy wheels, rear combination lamps and electrically folding mirrors. Inside, the equipment list includes USB charging, Android Auto, Bluetooth with voice recognition, automatic headlamp control, a 4.2-inch supervision display and keyless entry and start. The first time I connected to Android Auto, I required a USB-A cable, but after that the connection was wireless.

Safety has been taken seriously, with front, thorax and curtain airbags, ABS with electronic stability control, Hill-start Assist Control, ISOFIX mounting points, parking distance warning, a rear-view monitor and tyre-pressure monitoring.

Hyundai has also brought the Creta N Line to South Africa. This is the version for buyers who want their compact SUV with a little more attitude.

The Hyundai Creta 1.5 Premium is R434,900 and the Creta 1.5T N Line DCT is priced at R569,900.

* Sheryl Goldstuck is general manager of World Wide Worx and editor of GadgetWheels. Follow her on Bluesky on @crazycatbuzz.bsky.social.