2016 Hyundai Creta 1.6 petrol AT review, test drive

The Creta 1.6 petrol now gets an automatic gearbox. Has Hyundai found the right balance between convenience, refinement and performance?

Published on Jul 12, 2016 11:19:00 AM

79,418 Views

2016 Hyundai Creta 1.6 petrol AT review, test drive

What’s it like to drive?

Hyundai has given this petrol automatic the same 1.6-litre engine seen on the Verna. With 123hp and 150Nm of torque, it has an adequate amount of power. At city speeds, it ambles along effortlessly, and also it feels quite tractable on our traffic laden roads. The engine operates smoothly and works well in tandem with the six-speed auto ‘box. Speaking of which, this old-school unit is quite smooth in operation unless you intend to go ahead quickly. This is where the gearbox struggles a bit, as there’s a slight delay before downshifts and the relatively weak mid-range of this engine makes hard work of overtaking on highways. If you’re in a hurry, you will find yourself using the triptronic function to up your pace. The good thing is that in manual mode, the gearbox allows you to go all the way to the redline before upshifting, and this is useful when you need to pass a long row of trucks on the highway. The steering feels light at slow speeds and well-weighted as the pace increases but it does lack a bit of feedback. At high speeds, the ride does get slightly wallowy but the upside is a suspension that is supple and smoothens out sharp edges.

Should I buy one?

If your usage is primarily in the city, the Creta is one of the better options around. It’s easy to drive in traffic and fairly responsive too. The Creta’s strengths of good fit and finish, a spacious cabin and are carried over. No doubt, the petrol is more expensive on the pocket than the diesel, but it has still got a respectable 10.42kpl in the city and 13.82kpl on the highway. But, the higher running costs are offset by a nearly Rs 2 lakh price advantage over the diesel. Hence, if you’re daily runs are short and you want the convenience of an automatic to tackle the rough and tumble of city driving, the Creta petrol auto does tick the right boxes.

Also read:

Hyundai Creta 1.4 diesel review