December 2022 - Hyundai Creta Petrol Variants Explained - Which One To Buy?

Updated: This update of the Hyundai Creta petrol variants explained article includes the December 2022 prices and our buying recommendation based on these latest prices.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Hyundai Creta Petrol?

The pros or advantages of Hyundai Creta petrol are:

• Higher variants get a long list of features, including power driver seat, ventilated front seats, Bose sound system, tyre pressure sensors, panoramic sunroof, 6 airbags, 6 airbags, reclining rear seats
• Good balance in terms of performance, fuel efficiency and dimensions
• Auto-clutch manual transmission in the reasonably loaded mid-spec variant is a suitable choice for those who mainly want relief from the clutch pedal in stop-and-go traffic but don’t mind changing gears
• Option of 4 powertrains combinations - 1.5L normal petrol manual, 1.5L normal petrol  auto-clutch manual, 1.5L normal petrol CVT automatic, 1.4L turbo petrol with DCT automatic
• The SX Executive variant offers far better value-for-money than other variants
• Being the best-selling car in its segment gives it a strong resale value

The Hyundai Creta petrol has the following shortcomings or problems:

• No variant is available under Rs. 10.0 lakh anymore making it fairly expensive in states where cars with a price tag higher than Rs. 10.0 carry a higher registration cost and tax rate
• The design may polarise opinions
• EX and S variants offer poor value for money while the E and EX variants lack several must-have features
• Features you might miss in the Creta - 360-degree camera, lane watch camera, blind spot alert and powered tailgate
• Turbo petrol engine doesn’t get a manual transmission and carries a steep premium for the additional style and performance improvements

What Is The Price Of Hyundai Creta Petrol Variants?

The new Hyundai Creta petrol is available in 7 main variants - E, EX, S, S Plus, SX Executive, SX and SX (O). The 1.5L normal petrol engine with manual transmission is available in 5 of these variants with prices ranging between Rs. 10.44 lakh and Rs. 14.38 lakh (ex-showroom). In the 1.5L normal petrol-manual powertrain variants, you also have the option of auto-clutch manual transmission in the S variant, which costs Rs. 12.84 lakh and Rs. 23,000 more than the S variant with full-manual transmission. There is also the S Plus Knight special variant, which costs Rs. 13.51 lakh (ex-showroom).

The same 1.5L normal petrol engine is also available with a CVT automatic transmission in 2 main variants - SX and SX (O) - besides the SX (O) Knight special variant. It costs between Rs. 15.86 lakh and Rs. 17.22 lakh. The automatic transmission carries a premium of Rs. 1.48 lakh over the manual transmission.

The top-spec turbo petrol engine with DCT automatic transmission is only available in 2 variants - S Plus and SX (O). It carries an ex-showroom price tag of Rs. 15.58 lakh and Rs. 18.15 lakh for the S Plus and SX (O) variants, respectively.

Hyundai Creta Petrol E - Base Model Price & Features

The base E variant of the Creta petrol costs Rs. 10.44 lakh and it’s only available with the 1.5L normal petrol engine and a 6-speed manual transmission. Some of its notable features are:

• Remote central locking
• All power windows
• Front armrest
• Rear AC vents
• Tilt steering
• Height-adjustable driver seat
• Steel wheels
• Power mirrors
• Black front grille
• LED position lamps
• Adjustable front headrests
• Day/night inside mirror
• Halogen projector headlamps

This variant doesn’t get several must-have features such as:

• Music system
• Steering-mounted controls
• Rear defogger
• Rear washer wiper
• Rear parcel tray

While this variant doesn’t offer many must-have features, which we expect at this price point, the next EX variant offers a much poorer value for money. So, we’ll suggest budget buyers to buy the base E variant and add some aftermarket accessories instead of upgrading to the EX trim.

Hyundai Creta Petrol E vs EX Variant - Price & Features Comparison

The EX variant of the Creta petrol-manual costs Rs. 11.38 lakh, which is Rs. 93,600 more than the E trim. This variant adds the following important features:

• 8-inch touchscreen
• Shark fin antenna
• 4 speakers with 2 tweeters
• Sunglass holder
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay
• Boot lamp
• Steering-mounted controls

While this variant adds several must-have features, it still misses out on some notable features, which you might miss such as:

• Cruise control
• Auto AC
• Rear camera
• Fog lamps
• Rear defogger
• Rear washer wiper
• Rear parcel tray
• Wheel covers

Moreover, the EX variant doesn’t justify the incremental cost over the E variant with the added features. So, it’s better to buy the lower E variant and add some aftermarket accessories instead of spending about Rs. 1.0 lakh for the EX variant.

Hyundai Creta Petrol EX vs S Variant - Price & Features Comparison

Next variant in line for the Creta petrol-manual is the S, which is available with a full-manual as well as an auto-clutch manual transmission. This is the only variant of the Creta with the 6-speed ACMT. It costs Rs. 12.61 lakh with the manual and Rs. 12.84 lakh (ex-showroom) with the auto-clutch manual transmission. The S petrol-manual is Rs. 1.23 lakh more than the EX manual while the auto-clutch transmission costs another Rs. 23,000 over the S manual. This variant adds the following features:

• Rear parking camera
• Auto headlamps
• Auto AC
• Keyless entry with push-button start/stop
• Cruise control
• Rear windows sunshade
• Rear defogger
• Rear washer wiper
• Front fog lamps
• Cooled glove box
• Chrome front grille
• Stylish wheel covers
• Rear parcel tray

While this variant is also a poor value for money, it’s slightly better than the EX in respect. It also adds enough features to offer a decent ownership experience and most of its features are functional, which all buyers will appreciate during the ownership. Between the S manual and S auto-clutch, you can pick based on your preference. My personal recommendation is the ACMT or auto-clutch manual as it does most of what we want an automatic to do at a fraction of the cost of a fully automatic transmission. This transmission is also exclusively available in this variant.

If you don’t want to stretch your budget further, then you can compromise a bit on the value and buy the Creta S variant. If you can stretch your budget, then we strongly suggest you do it. Read on to find out the reason behind our recommendation.

Hyundai Creta Petrol S vs S Plus Knight Variant - Price & Features Comparison

The S Plus Knight variant is the next in line for Creta petrol-manual buyers. It costs Rs. 13.41 lakh, which is Rs. 80,600 more than the S variant. This variant mostly adds style related feature such as:

• Black exterior elements
• Black interiors
• Black fabric upholstery
• Panoramic sunroof
• LED cabin lights
• LED DRLs
• LED reflector headlamps

This variant more than justifies the incremental cost of Rs. 80,600 over the S variant and offers far better value for money. However, higher variants add more functional and must-have features to drastically improve your ownership experience. So, we’ll suggest skipping the S Plus Knight and buy one of the higher variants.

Hyundai Creta Petrol S Plus Knight vs SX Executive Variant - Price & Features Comparison

The SX Executive variant is the next in line for Creta petrol-manual buyers. It costs Rs. 13.59 lakh, which is only Rs. 18,100 more than the S Plus Knight variant. This variant removes the infotainment unit and all the related features with it. SX Executive also drops most of the exclusive style related features of the Knight special variant. However, it adds several useful features like:

• Puddle lamps
• Rear disc brakes
• ESC
• HSA
• Rear headrest cushion
• Larger 17-inch alloy wheels
• Ambient lighting
• Panoramic sunroof
• Rear armrest
• Engine start with remote
• Split rear seatback with 2-step recline
• Wireless phone charger
• Adjustable rear headrests
• Power folding outside mirrors with auto fold

You can easily add an aftermarket music system and connect it with the existing speakers, steering-mounted controls and antenna. But, once you buy the car, you can’t easily add most of the other features the SX Executive variant offers. This variant manages to justify its incremental cost over all of the lower variants. Therefore, this is our top-recommended variant.

Hyundai Creta Petrol SX Executive vs SX Variant - Price & Features Comparison

The Creta SX variant with the petrol-manual powertrain costs Rs. 14.38 lakh (ex-showroom), which is about Rs. 79,000 more than the SX Executive. It’s also available with an automatic transmission, which costs another Rs. 1.48 lakh. This variant adds the following notable features:

• Large 10.25-inch touchscreen
• Wired Android Auto and Apple Carplay (S variant gets wireless)
• Alarm
• Telematics
• Chrome door handles

This variant adds very few features for the additional asking price over the SX Executive. While the Creta SX is a good value for money, we strongly recommend you to consider buying the SX Executive and add an aftermarket music system.

You should buy the Creta SX over the SX Executive only if you hate letting an aftermarket technician tinker with your brand new car while installing the music system. Another alternative to this is having it installed at dealer level as you can expect better workmanship and have the car ready to go with all the necessary features at the time of delivery.

Hyundai Creta Petrol SX vs SX (O) Variant - Price & Features Comparison

The top-spec SX (O) variant is only available with the 1.5L petrol manual powertrain. With the CVT automatic, the SX (O) costs Rs. 17.07 lakh, which is Rs. 1.26 lakh more than the SX CVT automatic. For this sum, this variant adds features like:

• Side thorax and curtain airbags
• Auto dimming inside mirror
• Ventilated front seats
• Power driver seat
• 17-inch machined alloy wheels
• Leather upholstery
• Bose sound system
• 8-inch full-colour instrument cluster

Some of the additional features of the SX (O) are useful and also have a high desirability factor. Surprisingly, this variant also justifies the upgrade from the SX CVT. So, Creta automatic buyers can also consider this variant without compromising on value for money.

Hyundai Creta S Petrol-Manual Vs S Plus Turbo Petrol Automatic Variant - Price & Feature Comparison

For Creta turbo petrol-automatic buyers, the S Plus is the most affordable variant. It costs Rs. 2.97 lakh more than the lower S variant with a normal petrol engine and a manual transmission. For this price, it adds a more powerful turbo petrol engine and a 7-speed DCT automatic transmission. Additionally, it adds the following features:

Considering the performance, automatic transmission and additional style-related features, the S Plus turbo petrol automatic seems to offer better value than lower variants. This is also the most affordable automatic variant. Since it offers a good value for money, budget buyers considering an automatic transmission can consider this variant instead of the SX normal-petrol automatic.

Hyundai Creta Petrol SX (O) Normal Petrol-Automatic vs SX (O) Turbo Petrol-Automatic Variant

The turbo petrol-automatic in the top variant will cost Rs. 18.15 lakh (ex-showroom), which is Rs. 1.08 lakh more than the normal petrol with the CVT automatic. Besides the more powerful engine, the SX (O) turbo adds a few style features.

If you’re deciding between the fully-loaded automatic variants of the Creta and want to pick between the normal petrol and turbo petrol, then value wise, the turbo petrol completely justifies the premium over the normal petrol CVT automatic. So, we’ll suggest SX (O) buyers to pick the turbo DCT over the normal petrol automatic for the value it offers upfront and a better driving experience.

Which Variant Of The Hyundai Creta Petrol Should You Buy?

Now, let’s recap the buying recommendation for the Hyundai Creta petrol buyers and start with the 1.5L petrol-manual powertrain.

The base E variant doesn’t have many must-have features. Even if you move higher to the EX variant, you only get a few critical features for a lot bigger price jump. So, you’re better off skipping both of the lower variants of the Creta petrol.

The S variant is also not a great value for money but at least it offers a better balance of features for a decent ownership experience. So, if you don’t want to stretch your budget any further, then you can consider buying the S petrol with or without the auto-clutch manual transmission.

For buyers who want an upmarket cabin and ownership experience, the SX Executive makes great sense. It offers the best value for money and a lot of premium features. It only misses out on a music system, which you can easily install either from the aftermarket or from the dealer.

Even the upgrade to the SX variant is not justified given the high VFM rank of the SX Exe.

For Creta petrol-automatic buyers, between the SX automatic and S Plus turbo, the turbo is a suitable option for budget buyers. It offers almost all of the features of the SX along with a punchy turbo petrol engine, which will drastically improve your driving experience. If you have a higher budget, then again the SX (O) turbo offers better value than the SX (O) normal petrol.

What Are The Engine Specifications Of The Hyundai Creta Petrol?

The Hyundai Creta’s 1.5L base petrol engine makes enough power to hang among the top performers. But its torque output is much lower than that of the Volkswagen Taigun and Skoda Kushaq’s smaller 1.0L turbo petrol engines. With better torque output available at lower RPMs and for longer durations, the turbo petrols have an edge over the normal petrol engines in terms of drivability and city performance.

In terms of fuel efficiency, the S-Cross leads the pack with figures hovering around 18.5kmpl because of its hybrid tech. The mileage figures of almost 17kmpl for the Creta 1.5L normal petrol engine remains acceptable.

*Estimated

Just like many other C-segment petrol SUVs, the Creta also has a more powerful turbo petrol engine. The Creta turbo makes the same power and torque as the Seltos. However, in the Hyundai Creta, this engine is only available with the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission while the Seltos also offers the option of a manual transmission with this engine.

The Creta turbo petrol has a good power and torque output for its class. The Taigun and Kushaq turbo manage to offer class-leading power and torque output. Meanwhile, among the higher-end engines, the Hyryder’s performance figures are downright embarrassing, but it is likely to make up for this with unbelievable mileage figures, which Toyota will reveal later. In terms of fuel efficiency, the Creta turbo petrol again delivers acceptable figures. The Taigun and Kushaq’s 1.5L turbo petrol have better mileage figures and their cylinder deactivation technology plays some role in achieving these figures.

You can use our Fuel Cost Calculator to see how much any petrol, diesel or CNG car will cost to run based on the latest fuel price in your city.

V3Cars Fuel Cost Calculator

What Are The Dimensions Of The Hyundai Creta?

On the dimensions front, again, the Hyundai Creta has good numbers on the sheet. The Skoda Kushaq and Volkswagen Taigun sit at the bottom because of their smaller size. The Hyryder is the only one with 17-inch wheels as standard from the base variant.

Find out how you can get the best mileage or fuel efficiency from your car:

10 Tips To Get Better Mileage From Your Petrol, Diesel Or CNG Car

What Are The Colour Options Of The Hyundai Creta Petrol?

The 2022 Creta petrol is available in the following 6 monotone and 1 dual-tone exterior colours:

• Silver
• White
• Red
• Grey
• Black
• Blue
• White with black roof

Note: Here is a quick look at our length-based segmentation of cars to give you an idea of how we classify cars based on their size.