Hyundai Creta Electric Review: Most Sensible EV?
There are two battery packs while we drove the top-end 51.4 kWh battery pack with a range of 473 km. The single motor develops 171 bhp while the claimed 0-100 km/h is 7.9 seconds
2025 is going to be the year of electric vehicles for the Indian market and it kicks off with the Creta electric. This is Hyundai's first electric compact SUV and aimed at the most popular segment right now. For Hyundai this is an important car since not only the Creta is their best seller but also a model name that would widen the EV space too. The Creta electric as you might have guessed is based on the Creta but there are many changes while it is the driving experience that stands out.
Creta Electric Exterior Styling Review
The electric Creta from a distance looks much similar to the current facelift Creta but there are many changes. This lovely blue colour or starters is only available on the electric while look closer and you will see a blanked off grille with the charging port at the front plus the pixelated design theme too. Elsewhere, there are aero flaps too which are segment first while the alloys are different, being aero ones with special Low Rolling Resistance tyres for more range. The rear styling theme too follows the same pixelated design theme while overall, the differentiation is just right we feel.
Creta Electric Interior Review, Features And Space
Inside, there are the twin displays which are joined but what is new is a floating centre console with new buttons for the ventilated seats placed conveniently along with a new shift by wire gear shifter placed at the column stalk position. The steering wheel is new with different controls while it has a logo in Morse code. There is new blue ambient lighting too. Quality is very good despite no soft touch materials while the UI is also easy to use. Loads of features have been added in with ADAS Level 2, 360 degree camera which has the same high quality display, panoramic sunroof, digital key, connected car tech, ventilated seats which are powered, driver power seat with memory, an 8-speaker Bose audio system, touch enabled dual zone climate control, V2L where you can charge gadgets like a laptop, powered handbrake and more. The seats and some of the cabin materials are made from sustainable and recycled materials too. Space remains very good and that is crucial while being more than rivals with the rear seat passengers not sitting knees up. You can even recline and move the front passenger from the back. That said, the rear seat misses a middle headrest along with the boot not being the biggest in class. However, thanks to packaging, there is a 22 litre frunk at the front too.
Creta Electric Driving Experience
There are two battery packs while we drove the top-end 51.4 kWh battery pack with a range of 473 km. The single motor develops 171 bhp while the claimed 0-100 km/h is 7.9 seconds. It is faster than even the petrol Creta N-Line while the column mounted gear shifter is easy to use with no lag. On the go, the Creta electric drives smoothly with a focus on linear power delivery. There are none of the jerks or too sharp throttle response while even Sport mode has a smooth, linear power delivery. It is very quick but feels smoother than rivals while not having the huge rush that EVs give. The light steering makes driving the Creta electric easy while on some of the bad roads, the 200mm ground clearance, which is actually a bit more than the standard Creta, makes it glide over potholes. In fact the best bit of the Creta electric is the ride and the suspension which isn't firm while being comfortable over bad roads. This is a NMC battery with a higher energy density while the real world range is around 350-400km while a full range test is coming soon when we test it. Some notable highlights include the i-pedal which is where you can drive with only the accelerator while lifting off will instantly brake. There are three levels for regenerative braking too. It even has ADAS linked regen braking which automatically adjusts the braking with the distance to the car in front in auto mode. Even the ADAS features work well. Hyundai provides a 11kw charger which juices up the battery in 4hours while it has an app with access to many public chargers too. Interestingly you can pay for charging via the infotainment screen.
Verdict
Hyundai has done something different and kept what makes the Creta successful but only making an EV version of it instead of going over the top. It is a fundamentally sorted family car like the Creta with excellent ride and comfort while being an EV, it brings in noiseless refinement, space and even more features. While its battery pack may not be the largest in class, the Creta electric is quick, has good enough range but crucially is easily the most spacious/comfortable EV in its class. A sensible EV which would appeal to many. We suggest going for the larger battery pack and if you have a home charger, it is quicker than petrol Creta and cheaper to run than the diesel!
What we like- design, comfort, ride quality, ground clearance, range
What we do not like- lacks middle headrest at rear, not the largest battery pack in class
Also Read: Tarun Garg, COO, Hyundai Motor India On Creta Electric And Charging Solutions