Earlier this year, when Tata launched the Harrier in India, it surprised everyone with its very competitive pricing. Given its size, the Harrier goes up against the Hyundai Tucson and the Jeep Compass, but its aggressive pricing puts it up against the Hyundai Creta too. But does its more powerful engine help in better acceleration and higher fuel efficiency than the Creta in the real world?


Before we get to that, let's get the engine specs out of the way first.


Performance Comparison

Acceleration and Roll-on Tests:



The Hyundai Creta is over 2 seconds quicker than the Harrier in the 0-100kmph sprint. The Harrier, however, takes the lead when it comes to in-gear accelerations. Not only is it quicker than the Creta by 0.73 seconds in the 20-80kmph sprint, it’s a whole 2.2 seconds quicker in the 40-100kmph run too. And that should come in handy while overtaking slow-moving traffic.



Braking Distances:

 



Despite the fact that both SUVs get disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at back, the Creta comes to a halt in a shorter distance. The Harrier’s higher kerb weight (1675kg), which translates into greater momentum, could be the reason for its higher braking distances. The Creta weighs 277kg less than the Harrier.

Fuel Economy:



Irrespective of the driving conditions (city or highway), the Creta is the more frugal SUV here.



But how does it translate to fuel expenses? Well, say you plan to clock an average of 1000km every month, here's how much you'll end up spending, based on three different driving patterns (based on real-world fuel efficiency figures listed above). Do note that this has been calculated considering the price of diesel as Rs 70/litre.



As you can see in the table above, the difference between the running costs of the two SUVs goes up to Rs 1305/1000km, which is over a rupee (around Rs 1.3) per km!

So, you're better off with the Creta if you plan to spend most of the time with your new SUV on the highway. Especially because with the Creta, you can save up to Rs 65,000 for every 50,000km covered, compared to the Harrier.



Verdict: With a better in-gear acceleration, the Harrier will be a more relaxed cruiser than the Creta. However, the Hyundai SUV will be more frugal overall. So, if your someone with a high average running and have shortlisted these two SUVs, the Creta should be the right choice.

This story has been sourced and contributed by CarDekho.com