Extra toxicity and noise in the air notwithstanding, here’s wishing you all a belated Happy Diwali. And in keeping with the spirit of a quiet Diwali, we’ve chosen to review another silently powered vehicle. This time, we got behind the wheel of Hyundai’s weapon in the mid-size electric SUV segment – the Creta EV.

Although Hyundai has an EV-specific platform, for the Creta EV the Korean auto giant decided to adapt the existing internal combustion engine (ICE) powered Creta. This involved significant work, since space had to be created under the car for that huge battery – this being the larger 51.4 kWh unit. There’s also the option of a smaller 42 kWh battery, but that naturally means a shorter range on a full charge. And frankly, who wants that?

The platform changes brought one positive and one negative. The ground clearance is now up from an already formidable 190 mm to an impressive 200 mm. On the downside, the floor inside sits slightly higher, so there’s a mild knees-up sensation in the rear seat. I’m just over six feet tall, and when I sat at the back, I could definitely feel it. But trivia aside, will the Creta EV do for Hyundai what the regular Creta did for the brand?

Four solid competitors

The tricky bit for the Creta EV is that it faces at least four solid competitors. Two come from MG – the ZS EV and the bulbous Windsor – both significantly cheaper. Then there are the futuristic and feature-rich Mahindra BE6 and the Tata Curvv EV, both priced in roughly the same Rs 17–25 lakh bracket as the Creta EV. All this means that for the Creta EV to rise to the top and stay there, it will have to slug it out every step of the way.

On the design front, the EV version looks only slightly different from its ICE sibling. The grille now has a pixelated treatment, similar to the EV-only Hyundai Ioniq, and includes a flap for the charging socket. (No, it’s not where the fuel filler is on the regular Creta.) The bonnet opens up to reveal a 22-litre “frunk,” adding to the Creta’s 433-litre luggage capacity. 

With proportions virtually unchanged, the Creta EV cuts a handsome figure, though it lacks the polarising impact of either the MG Windsor or the Mahindra BE6. Unfortunately for Hyundai, buyers in this segment don’t seem to have a particular affinity either for or against conventional or radical styling. 

Like the regular Creta however, the EV feels built solid and well finished. Shut lines are uniform all over and there is a feel of a well-built product. Something of a Hyundai character trait over the years. This perception of built-to-last and well-finished is carried on inside as well. All the surfaces, the switchgear, the touchscreens, the buttons, feel premium to touch. It feels very similar to the regular Creta’s cabin until you realise that there is no gear selector lever below the clean looking dashboard. The gear selector in this case is mounted behind the three-spoke (which is also different from the regular Creta’s) steering wheel in the form of a stalk. It looks posh but takes some time getting used to. 

Feature-rich, easy to drive

The other character trait that Hyundai has been successfully exploiting for the past several years is the richness of feature options for the buyer. And it’s the same in the Creta EV. So I had a lovely Bose sound system all to myself, a panoramic sunroof, which Indian buyers seem to love even though the feature is completely lost to me, all the usual connected car features, intelligently placed cubbyholes and storage spaces, and cooled seats. Boy, I love that last one. On a hot day when the car has been left parked in the sun, being able to cool the sun-baked seats quickly is a boon. Which it also is for a sweat soaked back in a humid Mumbai or Chennai or Kolkata. 

There are three blower settings to choose from and it’s a far better feature to have than the huge glass roof that only ensures that the climate control has to work harder in summer than it would have with a smart steel roof. But don’t let my ranting discourage you from getting one in your vehicle. As long as you ensure no one sticks out of it when the vehicle is on the move. Although the Creta EV initially came without wireless Android Auto or Apple Carplay, that seems to have been remedied. The cabin also feels roomy.

Having said that, on the go, the Creta EV doesn’t feel like a big intimidating SUV. It feels manageable and easy to drive. The steering is a tad heavier than in the regular Creta but be that as it may, it’s not a deal breaker. How buyers will react to the slightly stiffer ride quality however would depend on the driving environment. In a city like Delhi NCR, where I had the opportunity to test the vehicle, it wasn’t such a big deal and one’s posterior and spine got used to it quite quickly. Only the big bumps, ruts or potholes made their presence felt more sharply than in the regular Creta. However, this may be a bigger issue in a city like Kolkata or Mumbai where road conditions are significantly worse than in Delhi NCR. 

The stiffer suspension is a result of the battery’s extra weight, but the upside is better composure and stability. Despite being about 200 kg heavier than the ICE version, the Creta EV feels poised through corners, holds its line confidently at roundabouts, and remains stable at highway speeds.

Smaller battery variant has slower acceleration

Acceleration is brisk. Hyundai claims a 0–100 km/h time of under eight seconds, and it feels about right. Power delivery is linear – no sudden “kick in the back” when you floor the throttle – which makes the car predictable and keeps passengers comfortable. Range depletion under hard acceleration is noticeable but not alarming, which is reassuring when overtaking on highways. And of course, it’s all done in near silence; the only audible noise likely at high speeds is going to be the wind.

It would be prudent at this point to tell you that the Creta EV with the larger battery also gets a higher output of 170 HP and 255 Nm of torque from the two electric motors attached to the front wheels. So, expect a slightly slower acceleration if you’re putting your money down for the smaller battery. Obviously, you get a longer range on a full battery with the larger one but while Hyundai claims 473 km, expect a more worldly 380-400 km. My advice would be to recharge when you’ve got 50-80 km left on the digital instrumentation. That should ensure peace of mind. 

The Creta EV also comes with regenerative braking where stepping off the throttle pedal results in an automatic braking action that harnesses the energy created under deceleration to charge the battery. One can almost switch this off by selecting Coast mode but it helps to leave it on. It takes a moment or two for the brain to work things out because when you leave it on the Creta slows down faster than you’d expect after you’ve taken your foot off the throttle pedal. But once you get accustomed to it, you can learn to regulate the vehicle’s speed very effectively with throttle control. 

No getting around that price tag

Overall then, after a full day and a half of driving up and down in the capital city, what I discovered was that the Creta EV, like its fossil fuel burning siblings, is a fuss-free and easy to drive SUV. Although Hyundai has a vast sales and service network, you won’t be visiting the service centre too often. Since in the absence of an engine and gearbox, the Creta EV has far fewer moving parts that will require active servicing of the vehicle. 

It has enough performance, range and features to keep you happy on most days. But there’s no getting around that price tag. Does that mean it’s a bad deal? No. Not even remotely. 

What it means is that you’ll have to drive it a lot more for the much lower operational costs of an EV to kick in. It helps you break even with the extra cash you need to shell out to get the EV variant of the Creta. 

As for the cheaper alternatives that exist in the market, would you really be reading this review if price point alone had you convinced?

Perhaps the festive season is making us sentimental or it’s all the firecracker smoke in our eyes, but we’re proud of the community we’ve built. And we want you to be a part of it. Click here to get a whopping discount on a joint subscription.