Hyundai stuck to the tag “The Perfect SUV” with the first-gen Creta. To the new one, it has slapped on “The Ultimate SUV”. In the world of automobiles, such catchy phrases are part of the marketing gimmicks. Some fall for them and some hunt for finer details before taking a call. Factually, the Creta brand is a blockbuster for Hyundai in India. The SUV established its maker a force to be reckoned with in the compact SUV space. With the all-new derivative, the carmaker intends to not only recapture lost grounds to competitors but also raise the bar in the segment.

First things first, the new Creta is far from what you might call “conservatively styled”. At the front, sweptback eyebrow-shaped light bars look quite similar to what we’ve seen on the Hyundai Venue. Just below them are boomerang-like LED DRLs, and within them are the headlamp enclosures that feature a triple barrel layout. Further down, the fog lamps flank a faux skid plate that sits beneath the chrome-draped cascading grille.

From the side, the new Creta looks quite similar to its predecessor. That’s because of the overall silhouette. It seems like the SUV has a steep sloping roofline, thanks to the clever use of dual-tone colours. Look closely and the black strip of paint between the two silver-coated panels is the actual roof. Then there are the square wheel arches that add some muscle to the design. Hyundai has also used some protective cladding all around the lower end of the SUV. And finally, the dual-tone 17-inch alloys look funky.

To design the taillamps for the Creta, Hyundai has taken inspiration from the front end. A close inspection reveals that the split tail lamp arrangement is a mirror image of the headlamps. Between those LED-powered units at the rear is a black strip which hides a stop lamp. Hyundai has also taken the liberty to spread-out the Creta branding above the registration plate area. Lastly, the bumper has a dual-tone treatment too, courtesy of the faux skid plate.

If you are waiting to see how the India-spec Creta looks like from the inside, then don’t hold your breath. Hyundai hasn’t revealed the interior of the SUV just yet. And neither has it confirmed the list of features or any of the mechanical specifications. However, it has said that the Creta will pack a panoramic sunroof and BlueLink 1.5 – an enhanced version of the connected-car tech, which debuted with the Venue. Features such as wireless mobile charging, cruise control, ventilated seats, automatic climate control, auto-folding ORVMs, rain-sensing wipers, and auto-dimming IRVM should be part of the offering.

As far as the powertrain options are concerned, they are likely to be the same as the ones available with the Kia Seltos. That includes two 113bhp, 1.5-litre mills (one petrol and diesel each), and a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol with 138bhp on tap. With the Seltos, the 1.5-litre petrol engine is available with a 6-speed manual and a CVT. The 1.5-litre diesel, on the other hand, comes mated to a 6-speed manual as standard, but the option of a 6-speed automatic (torque converter) is available too. The most powerful engine of the lot also has two transmission options – a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Hyundai should reveal more about the Creta in the coming weeks. Launch? Expect that to happen before the first quarter of the year runs out. Apart from locking horns with its step-sibling from Kia, the new Creta will also give a fierce competition to the Nissan Kicks and the Renault Captur. Next year, two new models – production-version of the Skoda Vision IN and the Volkswagen Taigun – will join the same compact SUV space.

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