We Can’t Wait For Hyundai India To Take The Camo Off The 2020 Creta

• New Creta is bigger than the current model, shares its platform with the Kia Seltos.
• Will feature a revised interior with a portrait-style touchscreen.
• Expected to be unveiled at Auto Expo 2020.
• Prices are likely to be close to the Seltos and may go up to Rs 16.99 lakh for the top-spec variant.

After upgrading the diesel engines in entry-level Cretas, Hyundai is gearing up to launch the 2020 Creta sport utility vehicle (SUV) in India, and new spy shots of the upcoming vehicle have surfaced. We have already seen the Chinese-spec Creta, the ix25, which is ready to go on sale in China, along with the facelifted Verna. The new spy shots reveal that the two cars would be quite similar, though heavy camouflage at the rear is indicative of design changes in the fascia. We expect the India-spec SUV to be unveiled at Auto Expo 2020, and is likely to be launched soon after. The new car is sure to demand a premium over the current model which starts from Rs 9.6 lakh and goes up to Rs 15.65 lakh. A seven-seater variant will likely be added to the Creta’s portfolio in the future. When launched, the 2020 Hyundai Creta will compete with the MG Hector, Kia Seltos, Tata Harrier, and Mahindra XUV500.

On the outside, the new Creta is strikingly different from its predecessor, sporting a more rounded look. It has a flatter bonnet and a new nose, which is likely to get less chrome than the China-spec ix25. New headlamps follow in the Venue’s footsteps, with high-brow LEDs and lower headlamp clusters. L-shaped daytime running lamps (DRLs) are placed right next to the headlamps, and fog lights are lower still, near the base of the bumper. The new vehicle shares its platform with the Kia Seltos, so it is 30mm longer and 10mm wider than the current Creta. At the rear, the Creta features a light bar which runs the width of the tailgate. The test mule which was spied was wearing different alloy wheels than the ix25 seen in China.

The interior, as seen in the ix25, will be a departure from the current Creta. The most significant change is the addition of a panoramic sunroof, which isn't even offered on the Kia Seltos. The centre console now features a portrait-style, 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The 2020 Creta is also likely to get a new upholstery design.

Power is expected to come from a range of BS6-compliant 1.5-litre petrol and diesel engines that we have seen in the Kia Seltos. The Creta may also get the Kia’s 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

We expect the 2020 Creta to be unveiled at Auto Expo 2020, and is likely to go on sale soon after the launch. A seven-seater version may be offered in the future. While the current-generation Creta is priced between Rs 9.6 lakh and Rs 15.65 lakh, the 2020 model may demand a premium. If the Kia Seltos’ pricing is to go by, expect to pay up to Rs 16.99 lakh for the next-gen Creta. When launched, it will compete with its sister company’s first product, the Seltos, as well as the Tata Harrier, MG Hector, and the XUV500.

Image source: Autocar, Auto Home