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Travel torque: Already impressive Hyundai gets Creta-ive

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Although Hyundai’s Creta may have entered the compact SUV segment a tad late, Travel Torque’s Melinda Ferguson discovers there’s plenty to ride home about.

Being a bit of a word junkie, I’m always been fascinated with the way car manufacturers come up with the names for their metal babies. BMW, Lexus and Mercedes simply go for letters and numbers, while Korean manufacturer Hyundai has had a certain penchant for the good old USA in naming some of its offspring – think the Sante Fe and Tucson – both named after towns in the States.

At the launch of Hyundai’s latest all new compact SUV, we were told the Creta has links to the Greek island Crete. Ermmm ... I wasn’t quite feeling ouzo, dolmades and olives. So I dug a little deeper and the word “creative” revved to mind.

Whether in fact a car can be “creative” – I usually use that word when assessing upcoming books for publication or when soaking up local art expos – the word could apply to local Hyundai’s rather late entry into the hotly contested compact SUV family car segment, which up to now has been packed with strong contenders like the Ford EcoSport, Mazda CX-3, the Renault Kadjar and the Suzuki Vitara.

“Chutzpah” – the Jewish word for “audacity” could also apply. But what Hyundai does have on its side is strong brand loyalty and an innovative ability to market and get cars out of the showroom into customers’ hands.

A decade ago, few local buyers took the Korean upstart seriously. Today Hyundai sits comfortably among the top of the pile as South Africa’s fourth top selling manufacturer after Toyota, VW and Ford. One of the soon-to-be-announced Car of the Year finalists, the impressive Tucson reigns supreme in its segment, with 20% market share.

But enough about the minutiae of words and numbers. What’s the Creta like in the metal flesh and how does she perform on and off tar road? Pretty damn good actually.

Inside, the Creta’s packed with a whole lot of standard gear. Think leather seats, a gorgeous leather steering wheel, a 20” infotainment screen plus Satnav, rear camera assist and roof rails.

Outside she’s all tough and chunky-grilled, plus the LED daytime running lights and bold eye-candy fog lights are definitely up there in the aesthetic stakes.

But on and off road is where the Creta truly comes to the fore with sturdy suspension on gravel, facilitating a smooth and noiseless drive. One small gripe is that there’s no traction control – but impressive ground clearance of 190mm, only outdone by the Mitsubishi ASX in the segment, will ensure the Creta’s ability in challenging conditions and be a winner when scaling pavements.

Cabin space also reigns supreme, luggage and five adults will fit with ease. Get a bit ... errr ... creative by folding the rear seats down and there’s easily enough room for a couple of golf bags and more.

Pricing: From R319 000

Rating: 4 stars

The range offers three choices: the 4-cylinder 1.6-litre petrol (manual and AT) plus my favourite, the 1.6-litre turbodiesel automatic, which packs 96kW and a frisky 265Nm.

Crowned Car of the Year last year in India, where more than 10 000 units are sold a month, with a bit of creative marketing and good pricing, the Creta is likely to fight its way to the top of the pile.



Melinda Ferguson
Motoring journalist
City Press
p:0117139001
w:www.citypress.co.za  e: melindafergusonwriter@gmail.com
      
 
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