New Hyundai Creta vs 2020 Tata Harrier: a closer contest?

Up until mid-2019, the first-gen Hyundai Creta was the undisputed – and largely unchallenged – king of the midsize SUV segment. Many manufacturers threw their hat into the midsize SUV ring, but none of their offerings could match the popularity of the hot-selling Hyundai. The Creta’s dominance only ended when the Kia Seltos was launched in August 2019, and the first-gen Creta was due for a replacement. Its successor has arrived now, with the second-generation Hyundai Creta being launched at Rs 9.99 lakh (ex-showroom, pan-India).

If the Creta has to rise to the top of its segment again, it has to wrest its crown back from the Seltos. But there’s another SUV that has received a pretty significant update for 2020 – the Tata Harrier. So far, Tata’s handsome brute was available in diesel-manual guise only, and lacked features buyers have come to expect from SUVs in this price bracket. Now, though, Tata has added a 6-speed automatic gearbox, along with a more powerful 170hp diesel engine and a few more goodies to the Harrier, which certainly add to its appeal. How does it match up against the all-new Creta? Let’s take a look.

Size matters

Compared to its predecessor, the new Hyundai Creta is notably larger; not just on paper but also in appearance. It has a wider, more imposing face (inspired by that of Hyundai’s flagship SUV, the Palisade); muscular wheel arches and exudes the air of a much bigger SUV. Its styling may polarise opinion, but there’s no denying the new Creta has an identity of its own and is a step-up from the original in terms of size. But if we’re talking size, the Creta is still dwarfed by the hulking Harrier, which is nearly 300mm longer, over 100mm wider, 71mm taller and has a 131mm longer wheelbase. Both are strict five-seaters and run 17-inch wheels, with the Harrier getting a new diamond-cut alloy wheel design. All said and done, there’s no escaping the fact that the Harrier is a much larger SUV, and packs in more road presence and generous amounts of interior room.

Inside story

While the new Creta may look radical on the outside, it’s actually pretty conventional on the inside, with a rather simple (and neat) dashboard layout with a 10.25-inch landscape-oriented touchscreen infotainment system taking centre stage. Other notable features on the top-spec Creta include a 7.0-inch screen for the instrument cluster, an electronic parking brake, an eight-way adjustable powered driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, wireless smartphone charging, Blue Link connected car tech (with voice command functionality) and a panoramic sunroof.

One key addition for the 2020 Tata Harrier is a panoramic sunroof, which Tata says is the largest in the segment. Other welcome changes include a more easily accessible USB charging port and smaller ORVMs that marginally reduce the big blind spot present in the pre-update Harrier. Fit and finish on the 2020 model is noticeably improved, too, but that aside, not much has changed with the Harrier’s interior. Its 8.8-inch touchscreen is smaller than that of the Creta, and while it does have a part-digital instrument cluster too, the Harrier lacks ventilated seats, wireless smartphone charging, connected car tech and an electronic parking brake.

In terms of safety features, both SUVs feature six airbags in top-spec trim (lower variants get two airbags). While the higher-spec SX and SX (O) variants of the Creta get rear disc brakes, the Harrier only gets drum brakes at the back, even on the top-spec version. That said, the Harrier gets Electronic Stability Control as standard, while only the SX and SX (O) variants of the Creta get this safety feature.

Powertrain choices

As before, the Tata Harrier remains a diesel-only SUV, but the big change is that its upgraded, BS6-compliant 2.0-litre Kryotec diesel engine now puts out 170hp; a jump of 30hp over the pre-update Harrier. Torque remains the same at 350Nm, and in addition to a 6-speed manual, you can now also have a 6-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox. The Creta, in comparison, has a 1.5-litre diesel engine that produces 115hp and 250Nm of torque; down 55hp and a full 100Nm on the Harrier. However, it's important to bear in mind the Creta has a distinct weight advantage over the Harrier. The Hyundai weighs roughly 1,300kg, while the Harrier weighs well over 1,670kg.

The Creta diesel, too, is available with a choice of a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic, and the good bit is that the top-spec automatics come with paddleshifters, a feature missing on the Harrier diesel-auto. Both SUVs get a 50-litre fuel tank, and the smaller Creta is notably more fuel efficient. In diesel-auto form, the Creta has a fuel efficiency figure of 18.5kpl, which is much higher than the Harrier AT’s 14.63kpl. Even the Creta diesel-manual (21.4kpl) is significantly more frugal than the Harrier manual (16.35kpl). Of course, for those looking for a petrol-powered midsize SUV, the Creta is also available with 1.5-litre MPI and 1.4-litre T-GDI turbo-petrol engine options, with Tata currently working on a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol option for the Harrier.

Prices

Introductory pricing for the new Hyundai Creta means it starts at exactly the same price as the outgoing model – Rs 9.99 lakh. The Creta range goes all the way up to Rs 17.20 lakh for the top-of-the-line diesel automatic version. In comparison, the Harrier line-up starts at a much higher Rs 13.69 lakh for the base XE variant, and goes all the way up to Rs 19.99 lakh for the fully-loaded XZA+ automatic version. What's interesting is that the price difference between the most affordable diesel-automatic variants of both SUVs is a mere Rs 26,000. The diesel Creta SX AT costs Rs 15.99 lakh, and while it has a whole lot more to offer in terms of features, the Harrier XMA is a much bigger, more powerful SUV for not a whole lot more money. The price difference widens with the top-spec versions – the diesel Creta SX (O) costs nearly Rs 3 lakh less than the Harrier XZ+, and the SX (O) AT, too costs a substantial Rs 2.80 lakh less than the XZA+.

Do you think the updated-for-2020 Tata Harrier has the appeal to lure buyers away from the new Hyundai Creta? Let us know in the comments.

Also see:

BS6 Tata Harrier diesel-automatic price, variants explained

Tata Harrier diesel-automatic review, test drive

2020 Hyundai Creta price, variants explained