Hyundai South Africa has injected some excitement into its Creta range with a facelift and a sporty new turbo engine.
The second generation of the compact SUV was launched here in 2020, and this 2026 restyle sees it adopting Hyundai’s latest design language. Imported from Indonesia, it ditches the scaly Tucson-like grille in favour of a new front design inspired by the Hyundai Santa Fe and Alcazar, while the rear end is restyled with new tail lamps connected by a thin LED light bar.
The interior has been modernised with a larger infotainment screen, revised controls and more premium soft-touch materials.
A new Creta N Line has been introduced as the flagship of the range, priced at R569,900 and powered by a 1.5l petrol turbo engine with outputs of 118kW and 253Nm.
The other derivative in the two-model range is the Creta Premium at R434,900, which remains powered by a normally aspirated 1.5l petrol with 84kW and 144Nm.
Hyundai has introduced the new Creta Premium at R45,000 lower than the previous model as a response to the influx of keenly priced models from China in the compact SUV segment. It is one of several price cuts the Korean brand has imposed across various ranges to remain competitive, and the strategy has helped retain its position as South Africa’s fourth most popular brand behind Toyota, Suzuki and Volkswagen.
Despite its price cut the Creta Premium retains generous levels of safety and comfort features including six airbags, stability control, keyless entry and start, tyre pressure sensors, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 17-inch alloy wheels, rear-view monitor and automatic headlamp control, among others.
The range-topping Creta N Line ups the safety ante with driver-assist features including a 360-degree parking camera, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, fatigue detection and pre-collision avoidance. The N Line also has a full leather interior, wireless smartphone charging, panoramic sunroof, 18-inch wheels and a satin black grille.
The N Line is the model Hyundai gave us to drive at the facelifted Creta’s launch in South Africa last week, giving us the chance to experience the sporty turbo engine for the first time.
Paired with a dual-clutch transmission, the 1.5 turbo makes a fairly lively package that delivers brisk urban commuting and easy open-road pace, with good overtaking poke.
It’s a quiet engine that gels nicely with the Creta’s good overall refinement, and Hyundai’s done a great job of minimising noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). The car’s plush ride quality also stood out on smooth and rough sections of tar, where it wafted comfortably, though we didn’t get a chance to experience it on gravel.
The Creta range is only offered in front-wheel drive and isn’t intended as an adventure vehicle, but has an elevated 190mm ground clearance.
There are paddles on the steering for manual shifting, and the car has selectable driving modes including Eco, Normal and Sport.
The N Line’s black interior is decorated with sporty red trimmings, and a number of soft-touch surfaces — including the armrests — boost the interior’s comfort and premium appeal.
Measuring 4,330mm in length, Hyundai’s compact SUV provides reasonable cabin space for four to five adults, while the boot is a useful 416l and expands to 1,384l with the rear seats folded down.
The Creta comes with Hyundai’s seven-year/200,000 km warranty, four-year/60,000km service plan and seven-year/150,000km roadside assistance. -- Business Day